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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Rechilut תוליכר ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Vav - Halachah 5 ט-ח הכלה - ו ללכ

the speaker said “Plony said something about him or did something to .לולא 'ח ,ןסינ ח"כ ,תבט ח"י - תרבועמ הנש .לולא 'י ,רייא 'י ,תבט 'י - הטושפ הנש :ימוי חול
him.” The basis for this law is as we explained it above in the first part
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of this sefer, in the 6 Kelal, in the Hagahah of the 21 notation of the םייחה רוקמ
Be’er Mayim Chayim quoting there the Yad HaKetana. The general rule
to follow is if it is forbidden for the speaker to say it, it is forbidden for יִפל חיִסֵמִּמ וּלִּפא אוּה )זי( תוּליִכרְ תלבּקַ רוּסִּא ןידּ .ח
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the victim to listen to it. Apart from this, there is the additional esur of
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“causing another Jew to blindly stumble into committing a sin.” ררֵוֹעל הזבּ ןוִּכּ אלֹ רפּסְמהֶשׁ האוֹר אוּהֶשׁ וּניהדּ ,וֹמּתּ
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(RK6/5/2)-(9).. if the gossip is relevant and will result in some לכו .ויִפִּמ הז רבדּ אצי הרֶקְִמבֶּשׁ קרַ ,וֹרבח לע םינדְמ
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benefit: As I wrote at the beginning of the 5 Kelal (2 notation) of this
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sefer, that in this circumstance it is permissible to listen to gossip and to 'ט ףיִעסבּ 'ז ללכִבּ 'א קלחבּ ליֵעל ראֹבְמ ויטרְָפּ רֶתי
suspect that it might be true. (Please see that reference). Therefore if this .תוּליִכרְ ןינִעל ןידּה אוּהו ,ערָה ןוֹשׁל ןינִעל
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speaker can be believed with the same authority as two witnesses, then it
is permissible to believe him and conclude a definitive opinion.
A proof to this idea comes from Gemara Pesachim (113b) regarding the םייח םימ ראב
incident involving Tuvia “is one allowed to tell this to his rebbe in order
that he too should come to hate him (to hate Plony for what he did)? He ללכב 'א קלחב ליעל ןייע .ת"פל חיסממ וליפא )זי(
told him, if his rebbe believes the speaker with the same authority as two
witnesses then he should tell him, etc....” Implying that it is permissible רשא תורבסה לכו םינידה לכ יכ ,םש ח"מבבו ט"ס 'ז
for one’s rebbe to believe the gossip conveyed to him and to conclude a .תוליכרב םג םיכייש ערה ןושל ןינעל םש ורכזנ
definitive opinion as long as the speaker has the same authority as two
witnesses in all matters. In this circumstance the Torah does not forbid
accepting Lashon Hara and the proof is that the gemara permitted his
rebbe to hate him because of this. םייחה רוקמ
And the writings of the Maharik (on this subject) are well known. He תמאֶשׁ םדי לע הארְנֶּשׁ ,םירִכּנּה םירִבדּ וילע הארָ םִאו .ט
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was cited in the 6 Kelal of the first part of this sefer in the 31 notation
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of the Be’er Mayim Chayim (please see that reference): In an instance of וילע רבּדּ וֹא ,וֹל הָשׂע אוּהֶשׁ ,וילע וֹל וּרְפִּסֶּשּׁ המ ,אוּה
ordinary Lashon Hara, which is forbidden to be believed although one may
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suspect its truthfulness, it is forbidden, G-d forbid, to hate Plony because ןיּע ,אלֹ וֹא וילע הז תמחֵמ ןיִמאהל רָתּמ םִא ,ךְכו ךְכּ
of this. Therefore it is obvious here (where the reason he is allowed to hate יִכּ ,ד"י ףיִעס דע 'י ףיִעסִּמ 'ז ללכִבּ 'א קלחבּ ליֵעל
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the victim is only because the speaker is absolutely believed in all matters)
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that concluding a definitive opinion is permissible. And even though the ידֵכּ ךְא .הזבּ םיִכיַּשֶּׁשׁ םיִטרְָפּה לכּ 'ה תרַזעבּ וּנרְאבּ םָשׁ
immediate subject of that gemara involving Tuvia was expressed in the
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context of Lashon Hara, that same conclusion applies here as well in the הזל ךְירִצדּ ,םָשִּׁמ אצוֹיּה רוּצּקִבּ בֹתּכא ארֵוֹקּה לע לקֵהל
context of gossip.
:םיִטרְָפּ הָשִּׁמחה וּלּא
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Having said all of this, still, if it is at all possible to give Plony the benefit
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of a doubt and judge him favorably, the victim must do so and he must אוּהֶשׁ וילע םירִוֹמ םירִכּנּה םירִבדּהֶשׁ ,ןינִעהֶשׁ )חי( )א
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be careful not to retain any derogatory feelings towards Plony because of
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this. יִכה ואל יִאדּ ,תוּכזּה דצל וֹטְפָשׁל המּבּ וֹבּ היהי אלֹ ,תמא
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