The people demand media reform.

Parshah and its realization - Parshat Tazria - and the war of the 'Iron Swords' 5784

Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald

Dedicated to the IDF soldiers' success, to safeguard them lest any harm come to them, to the healing of all the wounded and the return of the abducted.

The reading of Parashat Tazria (most years it is connected to Parashat Metzora) summons us, every year, to do self-observation, and soul-searching, in a sensitive and powerful manner – against malicious private and public speech. The events of the past year, since the last time we read this Parasha, give this a different effect, they call for a media reform. For repair and healing from the root.

This week marked six months since the war started. And the withdrawal of almost all IDF forces from the Gaza Strip. This datum-point was used as an interim summary of various aspects of the war. At the same time, protest demonstrations against the government were renewed, with the support of some of the media, which throughout the war criticized its actions profusely, minimizing the successes, and now they amplify the scope of the protest in their reports.

The Parasha deals with leprous marks that according to the Sages a person is afflicted by because of an impairment from the power of malicious speech:

אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מַאי דִּכְתִיב: (שם יד) "זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע", זוֹ הִיא תּוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רַע.

Reish Lakish says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “This shall be the law of the leper [metzora] …” (Vayikra 14:2). This means that this shall be the law of a defamer [motzi shem ra]. (Arachin 15b)

The purification of the leper, by bringing the birds, is related as well to evil speech:

לְפִי שֶׁהַנְּגָעִים בָּאִין עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֵׂה פִטְפּוּטֵי דְבָרִים, לְפִיכָךְ הֻזְקְקוּ לְטָהֳרָתוֹ צִפֳּרִים שֶׁמְּפַטְפְּטִין תָּמִיד בְּצִפְצוּף קוֹל (ערכין ט"ז):

“Because the plague of leprosy comes as a punishment for slander, which is done by chattering, therefore birds are compulsory for his (the leper’s) purification, because these chatter, as it were, continuously with a twittering sound (Arachin 16b)”. (Rashi Vayikra 14:4)

The power of human speech is a positive and creative divine power, expressing what is permitted and differentiating man over beast. Man was created as a combination of physical and spiritual:

וַיִּיצֶר ה' אֱלֹקים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.

"Hashem, G-d, formed the man from the dust of the ground and blew in his nostrils a breath of life and the man became a living being". (Bereshit 2:7)

עשאו מן התחתונים ומן העליונים, גוף מן התחתונים, ונשמה מן העליונים.

"He made him of both, of earthly and of heavenly matter: the body of the earthly, and the soul of the heavenly.” (Rashi ibid)

The breath of life that G-d breathed into man is a divine influx –

מי שנופח משלו הוא נופח,

"He who breathed into man…" (The Book of Cana). This divine influx is expressed in the power of speech:

וּבְרָא ה' אֱלֹקים יָת אָדָם עַפְרָא מִן אַרְעָא וּנְפַח בְּאַפּוֹהִי נִשְׁמְתָא דְּחַיֵי וַהֲוָת בְּאָדָם לְרוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא.

"Hashem EloKim then formed Adam, dust from the ground, and He blew into his nostrils the breath of life. And so, Adam became a speaking spirit".  (Onkelos Bereshit 2:7), a speaking spirit.

This is where the capacity of speech comes from: 

מָוֶת וְחַיִּים בְּיַד לָשׁוֹן

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21).

It is a divine strength capable of multiplying goodness, building, creation, and life, and unfortunately it may become a deadly weapon, damage the good name of the person, and destroy worlds.

We live in an age where mass media, of various types, surround us from all sides. They flood us with available news information and opinion pieces. These means have strong 'speech power' and advocacy. The media mediates the event to those who are not in the arena. It can present a reliable and neutral image, but it can also present a trending and distorted image. It has the power to spread essential, neutral information free of any agenda. To express necessary criticism when things are not conducted properly, to express opinions and share good things with the public. It can be conducted out of a 'good eye'. On the critical side, it can highlight the good, and make sure to present a balanced picture. Investigative media that respects human dignity. Strengthens the commonality and adds unity to the people. However, it can intensify malicious speech, and damage a person's reputation. When it is motivated by an agenda and a position, it may be used as a tool for propaganda and public 'mind engineering'. It can promote campaigns according to a set worldview, or conflict and polarize, silence and ignore opinions and facts that contradict its view.

The media in the modern era has become a powerful influencing factor. It influences public opinion and policy. It is common to attribute to it the role of public criticism, as the 'watchdog' of democracy, which exposes to the public the failures of the governing authorities. However, in many parts of the world, it already functions like one of the government authorities, and it uses its power to criticize and blackmail the other authorities, when they do not behave like they should. Many times it tries to create monoliths and prevent other voices from being heard, even when it represents the opinions of a minority, and the public thinks differently. There were times it even initiated the closure of media outlets that let a different voice be heard. However, unlike the other authorities, it has never been held responsible for the results of the agendas it has passionately promoted. Since the revolution of social networks, which are widely distributed, normal media has lost its monolithic capability. The networks voice the opinion of the public and are a criticism mechanism for the traditional communication systems and balance them. They enabled the establishment of alternative mass media bodies that reflect the broad common denominator of society, to generate a patriotic wave, which strengthens solidarity and mutual responsibility on an unprecedented scale. This was evident in the last six months. The public that thirsts for media reform chose to change its media consumption habits and chose media bodies with a Zionist, Israeli agenda, with a connection to heritage, that seeks victory. The person finds himself standing in front of a media mirror in which he sees a more positive reflection than what has been claimed the past years. In doing so, he added to himself a lot of good, heroism and unity.

On Shabbat we will merit reading an unusual Haftarah, (read only in a leap year and not on Shabbat HaChodesh) about 'Naaman's leprosy' and its healing methods. There is an allusion to the need to continue the trend of repairing and healing the communication systems. This is a needed asset in the interpersonal and public levels, which adds life, stability, and victory:

לְכוּ בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ לִי יִרְאַת ה' אֲלַמֶּדְכֶם. מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים אֹהֵב יָמִים לִרְאוֹת טוֹב. נְצֹר לְשׁוֹנְךָ מֵרָע וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה. סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב בַּקֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם וְרׇדְפֵהוּ.

“Come,⁠ children, listen to me; fear of Hashem I will teach you. Who is the man who desires life, who loves days, to see good?⁠ Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it”. (Psalms 34:12-15)