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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Rechilut תוליכר ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Tet - Halachah 2 ב הכלה - ט ללכ

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this sefer in the 7 Kelal, in the 30 notation of the Be’er Mayim Chayim ,םירחאמ עמש םא קר וליפא הזב יד הרואכלד ,הז
using explicit proofs. So too in our subject, if the speaker sees that his
report will indirectly cause some type of loss to Plony, it is possible that ךותמ )א"ע א"ס( הדנב ורמאש הממ רבדל היארו
conveying that report would be forbidden just as it would be forbidden if ,ןגרה ולאכ 'וכו חרק ןב ןנחוי תצעל שוחל ול היהש
his report would directly result in a real loss to Plony, since it is possible
that in disclosing his report word will spread and society will perceive this ןינעכו :םש ל"זו אנידל הז רמאמ םש ש"ארה קיתעהו
caretaker as being a thief or this potential partner as being disreputable, or אובל לוכיש אכיה אשיב אנשילל שוחל שי אקוד הז
something comparable, in all of the coming illustrative examples that we
will bring with G-d’s help, and they will not find a source of livelihood; אדבוע ךהכ ,ול שוחי אל םא םירחאל וא ול קזיה ידיל
maybe what he heard about him was a lie. From the commentary of the ןינע עמש םאד אמלא ,'וכו םקיחא ןב הילדגד יאהכו
cited Rashbam we have no proof that would permit a leniency in this law
(no leniency that would permit the gossip \ report) and this entire subject ,םנזא תא הלגי אל םא םירחאל קזיה תויהל לוכיש
requires much more thought and analysis. הצור הזש תרשמה וא ,הזל קיזהל הצור דחאש ןוגכ

However, it is obvious to me that if this speaker is not familiar with this ,ןמקלד םירויצה לכב הזב אצויכו ,בנג אוהש חקיל
caretaker as being a thief (or something comparable in all of the coming
examples), just that some people told him so, even if we hold that it is רוסיא תמחמ הז רבדב ןימאהל רוסא ןיד יפ לעד םגה
permitted to tell Shimon so that he can take steps to protect himself, still תולגל ךירצו ,יעבימ שוחל כ"פעא ,ר"השל תלבק
he should not convey that report without any qualifications and give the
impression that he knows what he is saying because he is implying that .ומצע תא רומשיש ידכ ונזא תא
he was a first-hand witness. What he should say is – “I heard from others
such-and-such about Plony and it might be true, therefore you (Shimon)
should suspect it is true and take steps to protect yourself.” And having 'וכו ד"מו ה"ד )ב"ע ט"ל( ב"בב ם"בשרמ חכומ ןכו
said this, you (the reader) will understand what I said at the beginning of עמש אל םא וליפאד 'וכו אכהו ה"דבו 'וכו איה הוצמ
the first illustrative example that follows at the end of this sefer, with G-d’s
help, “that he recognizes him (Plony) and knows him very well (that he קר ,ןלזג אוהש קיזחמה לע ינולפ רמאש המ ומצעב
is a thief).” ןויכ ,קיזחמהל רפסל רתומ כ"ג ,ול ורפיס םירחאש
And similarly in all of the coming illustrative examples ([he should warn ,ורטשב רהזיש ידכ קר תוליכר םשל אל ותנוכ רקיעד
the future potential victim that Plony is a thief] with the exception of the יאד ,ול ורמאיש םירחאל וא ם"בשרה ש"ממ אוהו
examples of the “children’s tutor \ teacher” and the “bridegroom” both of
which contain suggestions that these people (the tutor or the bridegroom) רפסל ןיאשר םירחא ויה אל יאדוב הז םעט םושמ ואל
are heretical, G-d forbid. I reviewed and changed the language that I יאדו אלא ,ןלזג אוהש וילע ינולפ רמאש המ קיזחמהל
used, and I used the expression “I heard... (meaning I only know of this
because someone told me)” because of the great harm that commonly ןימאהל םירוסא םמצעב םהד ףא יכהלו .ונבתכש ומכ
occurs because of that kind of gossip), even if we say that it is permitted ינולפ ךכ רמאש םהמ ועמשש םינשה ולאל הטלחהב
to warn the victim by just hearing from others about Plony being a thief or
something similar, and it is not necessary to know the situation personally עשר םהמ דחא ךשפנ הממ כ"אד( ןלזג אוהש הז לע
in order to warn the victim. Yet because society is not careful in this וילע איצוהש ינולפ וא ,ןלזג אוהש הז וא ,יאדוב
regard and people will repeat it back to the “victim” who is the subject of
the gossip using language that expresses the gossip as a certainty because ומכו ,ןניקזחמ אל יעישרב ישניא יקוזחאו ,םנחב זעל

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