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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Ilustrative Examples םירויצ
Example 5 אי רויצ

a relationship) right in front of their counterpart over matters that ,וֹלסִכבּ היהי 'ה זאו ,םוֹלָשׁו סח ,ןידּה רדֶגִּמ אצי אלֶֹּשׁ
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are completely insignificant. For example, if the prospective
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bridegroom is a quiet, simple straightforward person who is not תוֹאיגְשִּׁמ וּנליִצּי לארְָשׂי רוּצו .רציּה חפבּ דכלּי אלֶֹּשׁ
very sharp and does not pick up on the strategies and tricks people .תוֹאלְפנ וֹתרָוֹתִּמ וּנארְיו
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play as they deceive each other. Or he does not want to get involved
with scoffing and ridicule as other young men his age do, and so
they publicize him throughout society as being a simpleton and a
fool to the point where that perception becomes the reason (for the
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bride’s family deciding) not to go ahead with the engagement or to ."ןֵמָאו ןֵמָא םלוֹעל 'ה ךְוּרבּ"
break off the engagement (or some other comparably bad outcome).
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G-d should annihilate all of these smooth talkers because of this. ינֵשַּׁה קלֵחַה םלְשׁנו םַתּ
It is not enough that they are categorized as habitual speakers of "םייַּח ץֵפָח" רֶפסִּמ
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Lashon Hara because there is not in their futile conversation the
fulfillment of even one single condition listed above in the 9 Kelal,
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in the 2 halacha. Moreover, the Torah characterizes these people
as slanderers since they are lying about this man, as we discussed
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this subject above in the first part of this sefer in the 1 halalcha of
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the 1 Kelal, and in the 2 halacha of the 5 Kelal. Even if what
they said is absolutely true, these speakers still must fulfill all of the
conditions listed above (5) (in the 9 Kelal).
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[Truthfully, these people are also characterized as provocateurs
who cause society to sin. Because of their evil personalities to
rush to ridicule \ scoff at this person and to vent their insults and
defamation onto him, they influence \ sway honest people who are
wholehearted and straightforward to follow them into their evil
lifestyle. Initially these (wholehearted) people are pressured (to
follow these evil men) in order that these evil scoffers \ cynics and
habitual speakers of Lashon Hara not label them as men who are
imbeciles or fools or not the wholehearted people they appear to be.
Later, these people are drawn to follow their lead and eventually
this lifestyle becomes second nature to them. Chazal’s teachings are
very well known in this regard: The Gemara Avodah Zara instructs
us (18b) “If someone walks by them, eventually he will stand next
to them and if he stands next to them, eventually he will sit with
them.” One must strengthen oneself very much and overcome this
human inclination and not allow even the slightest opening for these
evil people; not even to argue with them. Just fortify yourself very
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