והיה בעור בשרו לנגע צרעת (תזריע יג:ב)

Reb Yisroel Salanter teaches…In Parshas Shmini, the Torah lists all the animals and birds that one may or may not eat.Immediately following Parshas Shmini, the Torah discusses the ailments that can afflict one’s skin.  Chazal say that these afflictions come upon a person due to the sin of Loshen Hara.  Unfortunately, people are more careful about eating Kosher than about ‘eating’ a live person by speaking lashon hara about them.  Therefore, the two parshiyos are next to each other to teach us that ”eating” a person isn’t less of a sin than eating worms or unkosher animals.