Derasha 2 on Bereishis 4:13

TT #168 · Parashas Bereishis · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 13

Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה גָּד֥וֹל עֲוֺנִ֖י מִנְּשֹֽׂא׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Arakhin 15b (verified).

E-Daf image (Arakhin 15b)

Core Text

Core Textתַּנְיָא, בִּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים כְּתִיב גָּדוֹל עֲוֺנִי מִנְּשֹׂא, וּבְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע כְּתִיב לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֶת גְּדֹלוֹת, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכָּל הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע מַגְדִּיל עֲוֺנוֹ כְּנֶגֶד עֲוֺן שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים.
English of Core Text: It was taught: Concerning bloodshed it is written “My iniquity is too great to bear,” and concerning evil speech it is written “a tongue speaking great things,” to teach you that whoever speaks lashon hara magnifies his iniquity to the measure of the iniquity of bloodshed.
On the daf / in context: The shared language of “great” links the severity of lashon hara to that of murder.
Type of Learning: Custom (lashon hara equated in gravity to murder)
What Is Learned: Speaking evil speech enlarges one’s sin to the scale of bloodshed.