Li-rfuas Rodesh Yehudis ben Breindel Gittel bisoch shear cholei yisrael.
The Gemara says [Taanis 8a]:
אמר ר"ל מאי דכתיב אם ישוך הנחש בלא לחש ואין יתרון לבעל הלשון לעתיד לבא מתקבצות ובאות כל החיות אצל הנחש ואומרים לו ארי דורס ואוכל זאב טורף ואוכל אתה מה הנאה יש לך אמר להם ואין יתרון לבעל הלשון
The Gemara cites another interpretation of the aforementioned verse. Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “If the snake bites before it is charmed, then the charmer has no advantage” (Ecclesiastes 10:11)? In the future, all the animals will gather together and come to the snake and say to him: A lion mauls its prey and eats it; a wolf tears apart its prey and eats it; but you, what pleasure do you have when you bite a person, as you are incapable of eating him? The snake will say to them: “The 'Baal Lashon' has no advantage."
Rashi explains:
They ask the snake what pleasure he has when he injects his poison? He answers "what benefit is there for someone who speaks lashon hara??!"
This is an ODD Gemara! What pleasure is there in speaking lahon hara?? It is one of the most exquisite pleasures of life!!😊😊
Even among "religious Jews" this is true. The websites that are FILLED with lashon hara including about Gedolei Yisrael are EXTREMELY popular. EVERYBODY has heard countless times how terrible lashon hara is yet when it comes down to it there is still PLENTY to go around!! Not only on line but in shul, at work, at home and everywhere you go. So there MUST be pleasure. How then can the Gemara say that there is no pleasure?? [There are Baruch Hashem many Jews who ARE careful but they will admit how much fun they sometimes feel they are missing out on...]
What the Gemara means is that the other animals are different from the snake in that the EAT their prey. A geshmake seuda!! But the snake doesn't eat. His pleasure comes from hurting someone, from merely injecting his poison. No nutritional value at all! So the other animals gather and ask the snake how he can defend his behavior. The snake defends himself and says "Look at those who speak lashon hara!! Their pleasure ALSO comes from hurting people and they also don't get any substantial benefit such as eating."
That is probably the root of the מחלוקת ראשונים [see Tosfos Bava Kamma 16a] whether the biting of a snake is considered תולדות קרן or תולדות שן. The מזיק of קרן is that it intends to harm [כוונתו להזיק] and the מזיק of שן is that there is pleasure [יש הנאה להיזקה]. Here is a combination - the הנאה [i.e. שן] is to harm [קרן].
More - here.
I look forward to sharing more lashon hara in the future about the איסור לשון הרע in the future בל"נ אי"ה.
