The liberty of
freedom of speech is jealously guarded in all democracies and is likewise
accorded to us by the Torah, but the penalty for its misuse may be an exacting
one. Miriam, struck down with leprosy for voicing open criticism of her brother
Moses, paid dearly for the priviledge.
“Tzara’at [loosely translated as leprosy] is the generic term describing a
series of Divine visitations afflicting buildings and clothing, and culminating
in the human body itself; following the episode of Miriam, it was viewed by the
rabbis as retribution for the crime of slander.
Furthermore, we may deduce that just as the validity of Miriam’s accusations
failed to alleviate her fate, so the defence of justification or truth is
inadmissible, and indeed irrelevant, in the Jewish law of slander. The pursuit
of truth, no matter how lofty an ideal, cannot be used as a shield to justify
the shame and humiliation of a human being. For this reason, the Alexander Rebbe
remarked that it is not without significance that those struck with leprosy
shall “be brought to Aaron the priest” for examination, for it was Aaron who, in
pursuit of his role as a peacemaker, was prepared to bend the truth in order to
reconcile his brother protagonists.
The Torah declares: Let the slanderer, with his self-righteous passion for truth
and his self-centred lack of concern for the sensitivities of others, gaze at
the vision of one whose love for humanity declared truth to be expendable in the
face of human sorrow.
Sadly, the righteous zeal demonstrated by Western society today to secure social
justice for all often masks a curious lack of concern at the social and moral
damage inflicted in the process. Trial by ordeal has re-emerged as part of the
judicial system as politicians and the press seek a cheap jibe rather than by
telling argument.
In remembering Miriam, we resolve that the threat of public humiliation remains
an illegitimate weapon in eradicating the imperfections of society; but in so
doing, we ensure that we may not only look at Aaron in the face, but each other
too.
