13 Elul 5783 – 30 August 2023
“Cursed is the one who strikes his fellow in secret…”
What is meant by striking someone in secret? People know if you have hit them.
Rashi explains that striking one’s fellow secretly means to slander him. The Baal HaTurim points out that this is confirmed by the gemmatria. The numerical value of the Hebrew letters in the word “b’seter” (in secret) equals the numerical value of the phrase “b’lashon hara” – with slander.
By Rabbi Michael Skobac
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