SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON ?
Source of Merit ?
To reject loshon hora as false is an exceedingly great source of merit — especially if the subject of the report is respected as a man of spiritual stature. Tanna D’Vei Eliyahu (II, ch. 7) states:
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It is said of Yeravam ben Yoash that he was a man who accorded the prophets honor. Therefore, those nations which the Holy One, Blessed is He, did not give over into the hands of Yehoshua bin Nun or David, King of Israel, He gave over into the hands of Yeravam
ben Yoash, as it is written, “He [Yeravam] returned the borders of Israel from the approach to Chamas until the sea of Aravah ...” (II Melachim?14:25).
Why did Yeravam, who was an idol worshiper, merit this? Because he did not accept loshon hora regarding the prophet Amos. ...At that moment [when he rejected the report against the prophet], God said, “Though the generation is guilty of idol worship and its
leader is guilty of idol worship, nevertheless, the land which I promised to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov will be given over into his [Yeravam’s] hands.”
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