Page 57 - V4

Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Rechilut תוליכר ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Vav 'ה ללכ - םייחה רוקמ

and that is why he remained silent. Perhaps Plony accepted upon
himself to remain silent and thereby placed himself among those
who are shamed yet do not shame others, who absorb disgrace and
do not answer back (6).

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Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 221
RK6/4. Understand clearly that it is forbidden to believe gossip
even if it was conveyed by two or more people or even if that gossip
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was commonly circulating throughout society (7), that Plony said לכבּ וֹתָעיִמְשׁוּ תוּליכרְ תלבּקַ רוּסִּא רַאֹבי הז ללכבּ
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something about the victim or did such-and-such to him. Despite ,הזַּה אְטֵחַה ןֵקַּתי דַציכּ ,הזבּ לַשׁכנ םִא םגו ,ויָטרָפּ
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its common knowledge, it is forbidden to believe it or to conclude
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an opinion that it must be true. Even if the future well being of .םיפיִעס 'ז וֹבוּ
the victim is motivating the people conveying the gossip, and in so
doing they are not considered to be evil people, nevertheless it is
still forbidden to believe them, as I explained above in the second
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halacha of this Kelal. רוּסא )א( ךְכּ ,הרָוֹתּה ןִמ ערָה ןוֹשׁל לבּקַל רוּסאֶשׁ םֵשׁכּ .א
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.ערָה ןוֹשׁל ללכִבּ איִה םגֶּשׁ ,הרָוֹתּה ןִמ תוּליִכרְ לבּקַל
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Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 223
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הָשׂע ךְכו ךְכֶּשׁ ,וֹל רפִּסֶּשּׁ המֶּשׁ ,וֹבִּלבּ ןיִמאי אלֶֹּשׁ ,וּניהדּ
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RK6/5. It is forbidden to believe gossip even if the speaker
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conveying it has the same authority as two witnesses and even if there רבוֹע לבּקְַמהו .תמא אוּה ,ינוֹלְפּ וילע רבּדּ וֹא ,ינוֹלְפּ וֹל VOL-4
Mekor Hachayim that information will have no future impact on his life. However, if ןיּע ,החיִתְפּבּ ליֵעל ראֹבְמכּ ,הזל ןיִפרְטצִמּה ןיִשֲׂעו ןיואל 2
is no way to think favorably about Plony (8). Everything we have
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ראְשׁ דבל "אוָשׁ עמֵשׁ אָשִּׂת אלֹ" :רמאנֶּשׁ הֶשׂעַת אלֹבּ
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said until now applies if the gossip has no bearing on the victim and
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the gossip is relevant and will result in some benefit (9) to the victim,
,וֹרְמוֹאה ,ןָתּגרַוֹה ערָה ןוֹשׁל הָשׁלְֹשׁ :ל"זח וּרְמאו .םָשׁ
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for example- the speaker told him Plony wants to harm him, either
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,גאוֹדּ ןינִעֵמ עוּדיֶּשׁ וֹמכּ( וילע רמאנֶּשׁ יִמוּ ,וֹלבּקְַמהו
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physically or monetarily, or something comparable, and therefore
this victim should protect himself from him, then it is permissible to
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ריִע בֹנ הגרְהנו ,תוּליִכרְה תבִּסבּ אבּה םלוֹעֵמ דרְַטנֶּשׁ
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believe this speaker (who has the same authority as two witnesses).
However the victim may not disclose this information \ this gossip
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to anyone else (10), not even to members of his own household,
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ןִמ רֵתוֹי וֹלבּקְַמהו ,)תוּליִכרְה תא לבִּקֶּשׁ רוּבֲע ,ךְכּ רחא
unless some future benefit will evolve as a result of that disclosure. לוּאָשׁ גרַהנו ,תוּליִכרְה םהילֲע רמאנ רֶשׁא ,םינהֹכּה
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All this is relevant only if the speaker himself heard Plony threaten לבּקְַמהו ערָה ןוֹשׁל רפּסְמה לכֶּשׁ :ל"זח וּרְמאו .וֹרְמוֹאה
the victim. But if the speaker was not a firsthand witness, and אָשִּׂת אלֹ" :רמאנֶּשׁ ,םיִבלכּל וֹכיִלְשׁהל יוּארָ ,ערָה ןוֹשׁל
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someone else told him (11) what Plony said, he has no basis for
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depending on the word of another person (and he may not believe ."וֹתוֹא ןוּכיִלְשַׁתּ בלכּל" :הּל ךְיִמסוּ ,"אוָשׁ עמֵשׁ

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