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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Rechilut תוליכר ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Alef - Halachah 7 א הכלה - ג ללכ

inform, but that is only in a situation of life-threatening coercion. But in אנהכ בר לע ישקמד )ב"ע ט"צ( ק"במ היאר דוע
a situation of financially threatening coercion, all Authorities hold it is a
severe sin to inform and because of that, this person is called a Rasha \ an ורמאש אתיא םשד 'יפ( יכה ידבע יכיה יסא ברו
evil person. Even according to those Authorities who absolve repayment המהבל היפרטש ,יתרת בר ךב דיבע המהבה לעבל
in a situation of financial-coercion, as the Vilna Gaon comments there in
sub-paragraph #28, by bringing a proof to this law from Gemara Ketubot םירתוסש ,קזיהה רובע ימד ימולשלמ חבטל הירטפו
(18b), those people who are coerced by virtue of financial pressures and אל ןיד תיבמ אצויל ןינמ אינתהו )ידדהא בר ירבד
are called evil, wicked people.
דומלת 'וכו לבא ןיבייחמ ירבחו הכזמ ינא רמאי
Now to return to our subject, namely in that situation they (these witnesses)
are characterized as “evil \ wicked” because they should not have signed ויהש ועדי םהד אמיא ,ךמעב ליכר ךלת אל רמול
something that was a lie and in so doing violate the Lav of (Shemot 20:13) רמול םהל רתומ אליממו וינפב כ"ג ברל םירמוא
“Do not testify falsely” just for the sake of money. The witnesses who sign
a document are effectively giving testimony before the judges of a court. םהש ינפמד תוחדל הצרת םא וליפאו ,וינפב אלש
Therefore here too, in our discussion, the Lav of “Do not peddle gossip” תמאבו( וינפב ול םירמוא ויהש רבתסמ אל וידימלת
is not any worse than that (than the Lav violated by witnesses signing
falsely). And besides this, throughout all of law, the Gemara Pesachim תוליכר רוסא םושמ ואל יאד הרומג היחד וז ןיא
(118a) equates one who speaks Lashon Hara, etc., with one who testifies המ ינפמ וינפב ףא הומתלו רמול םהל רתומ היה
falsely, etc. Furthermore, even if the transgression involves a rabbinically
enacted law, our Authorities determined the law is a person must give ףירטה בר תעדלד ןויכ ,םלשלמ חבטה תא רטפ
up all of his possessions and not violate that rabbinical enactment (any ןירדהנסב ןנירמאדכו ,המהבה תא ותטיחשב חבטה
st
rabbinical Lav) (please reference the Laws of Esurei Lashon Hara, 1
th
Kelal, 10 notation in the Be’er Mayim Chayim). And how much even תוכז האורו ובר ינפל בשויש דימלתל ןינמ ,'ו ףד
more so when the transgression is as serious as this (gossip, i.e., a Lav of איבא ,)שיא ינפמ ורוגת אל רמול דומלת 'וכו ינעל
the Torah). VOL-4
(RK1/6/2)-(13).. not be able to support: This is obvious to anyone .הבושת םהילע ןיאש תויאר יתש דוע ךל
who is familiar with the law, that this situation is not at all comparable to
circumstances that are life-threatening which would exempt a person from ןירדהנסמ היאר 'א קלחב ליעל יתאבהש המ )א
these laws and allow him to violate a Lav of the Torah. אל םושמ יאכז רמא ןנחוי 'ר יבתכ יכיה בתכמ ).'ל(

חכומדכ וינפב םתוח םשד ףאו ,ךימעב ליכר ךלת
Mekor Hachayim
RK /7. Especially if withholding the disclosure (i.e., not gossiping) 5
will not result in monetary damages but only in insults and curses
(that others will insult him because he did not gossip) then most
certainly it would be forbidden for him to gossip. He should not
let the insults bother him at all and he should know down to the
core of his soul that in not gossiping, in the coming future he will
be counted among those who are beloved by Hashem Yitbarach.

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