Musar for Taanit 14:7
אמר רבי שמעון בן פזי אין הגשמים נעצרין אלא בשביל מספרי לשון הרע שנאמר (משלי כה, כג) רוח צפון תחולל גשם ופנים נזעמים לשון סתר
said: Rain is withheld only when the enemies of Israel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A euphemism for Israel themselves.');"><sup>9</sup></span> have merited destruction as it is said, Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether world those that have sinned.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XXIV, 19.');"><sup>10</sup></span>
Mesilat Yesharim
The Sages also stated: "if one steals from his fellow even the worth of a peruta (small coin), it is as if he takes his life from him" (Bava Kama 119a). This teaching reveals to us, the graveness of this sin even for a small amount. They further said: "the rains are withheld only because of the sin of theft" (Taanit 7b). And "for a basketful of sins, which sin prosecutes at the head of all of them? - theft" (Vayikra Raba 33:3). And "the generation of the flood had their fate sealed only because of the sin of theft" (Sanhedrin 108a).
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