Slander & Libel

Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

About lashon hara: According to most opinions, the 7 mitzvot are generally negative commandments. The positive commandment to establish courts is only in order to supervise the fulfillment of the other 6 negative commandments.

Many of the 613 commandments are relevant to all the world. An example of this is the commandment to bring children to the world, as the world was created to be inhabited.According to Maimonides, almost all the 613 positive commandments can be fulfilled by the 70 nations.

The dimensions of Noah's ark were 300 x 50 x 30. This corresponds to the letters Shin, Nun and Lamed. These letters also spell the root of Lashon, the word for tongue or language. From this we learn that Bnai Noach should learn the laws of proper speech, Shmirat Halashon. These laws include the prohibitions against slander and libel, and cover other important areas, as well.

The word for ark is "tayvah," which also translates as "word." It is important for Bnai Noach to learn the laws of words.

About Judah and Tamar:Judah did not know that the woman in question was Tamar. A harlot is considered an unmarried woman, and so Judah did not commit adultery, against which a Noachide is also prohibited. On the other hand, Tamar's status was that of a woman waiting to be married according to the yibum procedure. She was thus considered a married woman who committed adultery, and deserving of the death penalty. This is not discrimination against women, but purely an issue of the status in question.According to Maimonides, after the giving of the T, illicit sex was forbidden.

Judah was still in mourning at the time over the death of his wife, Bat Shua, as explained in the T, and was thus not ready for marriage. His atypical act was part of G-d's hidden plan to bring the Mashiach.

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