Miriam, the elder sister of Moses and Aaron, was afflicted with tzaraat (leprosy) after speaking negatively of Moses, and was quarantined outside of the camp for seven days--as related in Numbers 12
Links:
The Biblical account (with Rashi's commentary)
About Miriam
About Lashon Hara (negative speech)
A gift is a gift, but a gift to one in need is an investment, a seed planted in the ground.
Hidden beneath the earth, a seed decays to nothingness. Yet out of that nothingness it unlocks the endless, transformative power of the earth: The power to reproduce.
The seed germinates. A delicate sprout breaks through the earth’s surface. In time, it will grow and mature to provide many thousands of fruits and seeds like itself. And that process will replicate itself, theoretically, ad infinitum.
A seed ignites the power of the earth, but a gift of kindness seeds the very ground of the cosmos—for out of Divine Kindness the universe emerged, of Kindness it is built, and with Kindness it is sustained and nourished.
And what are the fruits for those who seed kindness? G‑d’s kindness. Beyond infinite, yet here for you in this world.
Invest kindness in those who are in need. The fruits of your investment will be beyond wonder.