Page 278 - V4
P. 278

Sefer Chafetz Chayim                  םייח ץפח רפס
 Hilchot Esurei Rechilut            תוליכר ירוסיא תוכלה
 Kelal Zayin  -  Halachah 4             ה הכלה -  ח ללכ


 Understand clearly that this particular halacha is applicable even if the   םייחה רוקמ
 speaker’s gossip contains no denigration, neither of Plony nor of Reuven
 (the  victim),  for  example  that  each  of  them  was  justified  in  what  they    ךְרֶדּ וֹרבח וֹל הלּגי רֶשׁא ,דוֹסּה ריִתּסהל םדא ביּחו )ז( .ה
                                 ֶ
                                  ַ
                                   ְ
                    ֶ
                         ֵ
                          ֲ
                                        ֲ
                                                                ָ
                                                             ָ
                                                                   ְ
                                                                  ַ
                                                            ָ
                                                     ְ
                                               ַ
                                                        ְ
                                                       ַ
 did (that both Plony and the victim were within the law in what they did
                                                ִ
                                                     ֵ
                                                 ְ
                            ְ
                           ַ
                                          ַ
                                    ַ
                                                                         ֵ
                                                              ַ
                                                                  ַ
 or said and this speaker went and conveyed this gossip to “someone”).      ,תוּליִכרְ ןינִע אוּהה דוֹסּה יוּלּגבּ ןיאֶשׁ יִפּ לע ףא ,רֶתס
 This had to be the case because if it was not, the speaker’s comments are
                                ְ
                                    ָ
                               ָ
                                                                     ֵ
                         ַ
                              ֵ
                                       ְ
                                                   ֶ
                                                                ִ
                                                          ַ
                                                    ֵ
                                           ָ
                                                                 ְ
                                              ְ
                                             ָ
                        ֲ
                     ְ
 blatantly Lashon Hara and his conveying that gossip would be forbidden    ,וֹתּבַשׁחמ רפהל הבִּסו וילעבִל קזנ דוֹסּה יוּלּגבּ שׁי יִכּ
 in all circumstances even if he conveyed it to “someone” else.  Please    תעדּ לע ריִבֲעמ אוּהו ,תוּעינצּה ךְרֶדִּמ אצוֹי אוּה הזבּ םגּ
                                               ְ
                                                ַ
                                      ְ
                                             ִ
                                                     ֶ
                                                          ֵ
                                                                     ָ
                                                                    ֶ
                                                                         ַ
                    ַ
                   ַ
                        ַ
                                ַ
 rd
 reference above in the 3  Kelal, in the 3  halacha there and in the related
 rd
 Be’er Mayim Chayim where this was all clearly explained.  .דוֹסּה לעבּ
                                                  ַ
                                                ַ
                                             ַ
 Mekor Hachayim
                                       םייח םימ ראב
 RK7/4.  Similarly, the law makes no distinction and gossip about
 a Jew is forbidden whether it is conveyed to a Jew or conveyed to    רמאמב ת"שב הנוי 'ר ןושל אוה .'וכו םדא בייחו )ז(
 non-Jews.  When one carefully analyzes this law, he will realize    .ש"יע איזר ילג ןיד )א"ל ףד( ןירדהנסו ,ש"יע ה"כר
 that  conveying  gossip  to  a  gentile  is  a  significantly  greater  sin    ר"השל קבא םתסמ רתוי הברה רומח אוה הז רבדו
 than conveying it to a Jew.  Because of his gossip, that Plony did
 something to him (did something to this non-Jew) or said something   .ש"ע םש הנוי 'רב חכומ ןכ ,תוליכרו
 about him, most certainly the result could be a loss or harm to the
 Jew (for this reason as well as other reasons, as I explained at length
 th
 th
 in the first part of this sefer in the 8  Kelal, in the 12  halacha).
 Yet there are many men who make this very serious mistake and
 they  point  out  to  this  gentile  any  defects  or  problems  with  the
 merchandise he bought from a Jew or in the quality of work a Jew
 did for a gentile (and anything else that is comparable).  (Please see
 the following Hagahah).  This becomes the source of great loss and
 suffering and often the gentile will steal away the livelihood of the
 Jew because of this.
 Hagahah
 Meaning, here we are addressing a libel that is a lie.  But if the comment is
 true, just as it would be permitted to tell it to a Jew it would be permitted
 to tell it to a gentile, as the Torah instructs us (Devarim 16:20)  “pursue
 justice, pursue justice” and Jews, who are a holy people, are especially
 cautioned  in  this  regard.    [Editor’s  note, Agudat  Nautzrei  Lashon  13
 th
 257                                                                             268
 volume 4                                                                     volume 4
   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283