Loshon Hora Grows From Missing Love

Rav Pam emphasized the evil of loshon hora throughout his life, and he mentioned in a shmuess that his mother did not know what it meant to speak negatively of a fellow man. He taught that the underlying cause of loshon hora is a lack of ahavas Yisroel, and he suggested many times that people learn the Chofetz Chaim’s sefer Ahavas Chesed to increase their concern for others. He explained from Chazal that the meraglim could speak loshon hora about Eretz Yisroel because they lacked ahavas Eretz Yisroel. When love for something is missing, nothing holds a person back from speaking ill of it. He hated machlokes with a passion. At one Agudah convention he remarked that if a married couple feel they must divorce, there is no reason for them to put themselves through the strife and turmoil of fighting each other.