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

Be’er Mayim Chayim םיִשׁנא קרַ םִא ןכֶּשׁ לכו .ל"נּכו ,וֹמצעבּ ןָתוֹא הארָו ,שׁמּמ
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(RK6/3/1)-(5).. still, perhaps Plony understood from the ,וֹבִּלבּ טיִלחהל וּלִּפא הזבדּ ,וֹניִשׁלִה אוּהֶשׁ וֹל וּרְפִּס
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circumstances: Even if society labeled him as the cause of the “victim’s”
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loss, nevertheless it is forbidden for this victim to conclude a firm opinion וילע וּדיִעה אלֶֹּשׁ ןמז לכּ ,רוּסא ןכּ םגּ ,תמא הזּה רבדּהֶשׁ
that the gossip was true and to hate Plony as a result of it as long as no
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witnesses appeared to give this testimony in court, as I will write in the ,רוּרבבּ ררֵבְּתנֶּשׁ קרַ ,ןידּ תיבל ץוּח וּלִּפא וֹא( ןידּ תיבבּ
immediately following halacha (And of course it is forbidden to cause ךְֹמסִל רוּסאֶשׁ המּכו המּכּ תחא לעו ,)קפס וירָחא ןיאֶשׁ
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a loss to Plony in retaliation for the loss suffered by the victim). Please
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th
reference further on in the 10 halacha of this Kelal). At this moment, אוּה םִא וּלִּפא ,אוּהדּ לכּ דסְפה וֹרבחל דיִסְפהלוּ הז לע
the most the victim is permitted is to suspect Plony (and to defend himself
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accordingly). .אבּהל לע תלעוֹתל הזבּ ןוּכְמ
(RK6/3/2)-(6).. and do not answer back: As Chazal have taught
us in Gemara Chulin (89a) “What is the foundation of the continued
existence of the universe? The foundation is those people who remain
silent during an argument (Eyov 26:7)” (and absorb all of their humiliation
without answering back).
Hagahah
Because of society’s many sins, many faults \ problems arise because of
this terrible character trait of believing gossip. I will present to you two
brief illustrations of this common occurrence, because of society’s many VOL-4
sins. Perhaps in G-d’s mercy it will help us somewhat to stop this sin by
publicizing the strategy of the Yetzer Hara. 7
(1) Regarding the government official (the governor) or some other gentile
who libeled him (libeled the victim), when the victim asks them – “Why
did you do this to me, to impoverish my life?” and they answer him back
in a way to deflect any blame from themselves - “Your complaint is not
against us, your fellow Jew, Plony, informed on you.” Immediately, their
response makes an impression on him and he believes what they said as
being absolutely true. The victim now considers Plony to be an informer
and believes this gentile was not lying, that the gentile neither embellished
nor diminished the story and that he accurately portrayed the details of
7 Chazal have taught (Gemara Babba Batra 6a) that the Yetzer Hara, the evil 8
inclination that pushes him to sin is also the Satan who prosecutes against him
before G-d and is also the Angel of Death who kills him.
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