From the teachings of the Ben Ish Chai Anyone who speaks Lashon Hara - afflictions come upon him. [Arachin 15b] A lashon hara speaker changes the order of letters.  By causing a falling out between friends, he turns לשׁון - "tongue" into נשׁול - "fall". By ruining a Precious Vessel - "the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel" [Proverbs 20:15] - he turns יקר "precious" into קרי - "