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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Rechilut תוליכר ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Vav - Halachah 3 א הכלה - ה ללכ

collect property taxes in that locale on behalf of the government)
and the officer (the government official) removed him (took away
that right) and this victim did not know if someone informed on
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him or if the government official decided this by himself of his own 'ה ללכּ
accord, or something comparable, it is forbidden for him to suspect
any Jew (as being the cause unless he is aware of circumstantial
evidence, and I will define circumstantial evidence further on (in
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the 9 halacha), only then would it be permissible to conclude an לכבּ וֹתָעיִמְשׁוּ תוּליכרְ תלבּקַ רוּסִּא רַאֹבי הז ללכבּ
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opinion as to who was the cause of the loss, however this victim ,הזַּה אְטֵחַה ןֵקַּתי דַציכּ ,הזבּ לַשׁכנ םִא םגו ,ויָטרָפּ
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may not cause a loss to this person based solely on this gossip, as
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I will explain further on (primarily at the end of the 9 halacha .םיפיִעס 'ז וֹבוּ
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and in the 10 halacha) since we do not presume people to be evil.
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Regarding this circumstance, the Torah instructs us (Vayikrah 19:15)
“Judge your brother \ your fellow Jew charitably.” (Please see the
following Hagahah). Even if this victim heard that Plony was the .בא 'ל ,ןסינ 'כ ,תבט 'י - תרבועמ הנש .לולא 'ג ,רייא 'ג ,תבט 'ג - הטושפ הנש :ימוי חול
cause of the loss, still the most he is permitted to do is to suspect
that what he heard might be true yet he may not conclude an opinion םייחה רוקמ
that what he heard was true. Even if other men begin to argue with
Plony because of this and they said to Plony that based on what they רוּסא )א( ךְכּ ,הרָוֹתּה ןִמ ערָה ןוֹשׁל לבּקַל רוּסאֶשׁ םֵשׁכּ .א
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heard he caused a great problem for the victim and in so doing he
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committed a terrible sin, and throughout all of this Plony remained .ערָה ןוֹשׁל ללכִבּ איִה םגֶּשׁ ,הרָוֹתּה ןִמ תוּליִכרְ לבּקַל
silent (and did not answer the charge against him), nevertheless, הָשׂע ךְכו ךְכֶּשׁ ,וֹל רפִּסֶּשּׁ המֶּשׁ ,וֹבִּלבּ ןיִמאי אלֶֹּשׁ ,וּניהדּ
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this victim may not conclude a firm opinion about Plony because
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of this (meaning, because of Plony’s silence) and believe what he רבוֹע לבּקְַמהו .תמא אוּה ,ינוֹלְפּ וילע רבּדּ וֹא ,ינוֹלְפּ וֹל
heard was true. Even though truthfully it is a mitzvah for a person ראְשׁ דבל "אוָשׁ עמֵשׁ אָשִּׂת אלֹ" :רמאנֶּשׁ הֶשׂעַת אלֹבּ
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to defend himself against an indictment and to argue against his
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accusers that he is completely innocent of the accusations against ןיּע ,החיִתְפּבּ ליֵעל ראֹבְמכּ ,הזל ןיִפרְטצִמּה ןיִשֲׂעו ןיואל
him, as the Torah commands us (Bamidbar 32:22) “and you should ,וֹרְמוֹאה ,ןָתּגרַוֹה ערָה ןוֹשׁל הָשׁלְֹשׁ :ל"זח וּרְמאו .םָשׁ
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be innocent in G-d’s eyes and in the eyes of Jewish society,” still,
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perhaps Plony understood from the circumstances (5) that society ,גאוֹדּ ןינִעֵמ עוּדיֶּשׁ וֹמכּ( וילע רמאנֶּשׁ יִמוּ ,וֹלבּקְַמהו
pre-judged him and he concluded they believed the Lashon Hara ריִע בֹנ הגרְהנו ,תוּליִכרְה תבִּסבּ אבּה םלוֹעֵמ דרְַטנֶּשׁ
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against him and that it would be pointless to try and defend himself
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and that is why he remained silent. Perhaps Plony accepted upon לוּאָשׁ גרַהנו ,תוּליִכרְה םהילֲע רמאנ רֶשׁא ,םינהֹכּה
himself to remain silent and thereby placed himself among those ןִמ רֵתוֹי וֹלבּקְַמהו ,)תוּליִכרְה תא לבִּקֶּשׁ רוּבֲע ,ךְכּ רחא
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who are shamed yet do not shame others, who absorb disgrace and
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do not answer back (6). לבּקְַמהו ערָה ןוֹשׁל רפּסְמה לכֶּשׁ :ל"זח וּרְמאו .וֹרְמוֹאה
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