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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Zayin - Halachah 4 ב הכלה - ז ללכ

in instructing the students in the Beit Midrash to stay far away from this ,התבותכ ןתיו איצוי םינשכ וילע תכמוס ותעדו
evil character trait. We find this same concept expressed regarding Moshe
Rabbeinu, his memory brings peace, in his dialogue with Hashem, saying המצעב איה םא אלה האדוהכ הקיתשד אתיא םאו
(Bamidbar 11:22) “or if all of the fish in the ocean would be gathered for הדביאד ו"ס ו"טק ןמיסב אתיא התניזש תידוה
them, would it be enough for them?” Even though it was a serious sin
(questioning Hashem), since it happened \ it was done privately he was .ש"ע תפסותו רקיע התבותכ
not punished and the text spared him. But in the incident where Hashem
told him to speak to the rock and it would gush water sufficient for the ןינעלד ונינינעל ןוממ קזיה ןינעמ קלחל הצרת םאו
entire nation, and instead Moshe Rabbeinu hit the rock with his staff and רוסאל ןינעל אלהו ,הרורב היאר ךירצ הבותכ דספה
called the people “rebellious,” because that incident happened publicly,
the text did not spare him and he was punished, as Rashi comments there ונימאמ אוה םאד היארהו ,ונינינעל הוש וילע ותשא
in perashat Beha’alotcha. םג ןנירמא אנווג יאהכבו האיצוהל בייח ירת יבכ
And don’t question what I wrote by posing a challenge from the end ןמיהמ יא ערה ןושל ןינעל )ב"ע ג"יק( םיחספב ןכ
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of the 3 perek of Gemara Megilah (25b) “that man who had a terrible

reputation , it is permitted to humiliate him with ‘Gimmal’ and ‘Sheen’.” ךירצ ןיאד אמלא ,ש"יע 'וכ היל אמיל ירת יבכ
Please see the referenced Rashi, “guyfah shatyah,” an imbecile, someone יכה וליפאו וילע ותשא רוסאל ןינעל הרורב היאר
with a terrible reputation; or (someone with a tainted lineage, like) the son
of a slave or the son of a woman convert. And if what I said was correct, תכמוס ותעד ןיא םאד ל"נה ךורע ןחלושב קספ
that it is forbidden to believe Lashon Hara or accept it as truth even when .ול תרתומ איה םינשכ וילע
it is heard from many people or if there was a general rumor circulating,
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as I wrote in the 3 and 4 halachot (of this Kelal) (and necessarily, that הלוע ןיא ,דעה דיעה רקש םא אלה ןנא יזחנ התעו
it would be forbidden to hate someone based on this Lashon Hara, as I
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wrote in the 6 Kelal in the 11 halacha, since it is forbidden to believe the הילע איצוהו רקש תודע דיעהש ,םלועב וזמ הלודג
Lashon Hara it is also forbidden to hate him for it or to humiliate him for הצור אוה םגו ,תימלוע הליחמ ול ןיאש ער םש
it, neither significant humiliation nor even minor humiliation; please see
that reference). If so, then how could the gemara allow relying on a rumor הז רמול וינפ זיעה םגו ,םנחב הלעב לע הרסואל
to actively humiliate this man? ,םולכ הבישה אלו הקתש איהש רתויבו ,הינפב
Therefore it seems obvious to me that “terrible reputation” means someone לקו ,תמא אוהש היאר הזמ חקינ אל ןכ יפ לע ףאו
who has a reputation for constantly violating many different aveirot. At וא ערה ןושל וילע רפסמ אוהש ןדיד ןודינב רמוחו
time word gets out that he committed such a sin, and then later word gets
out that he committed yet a different sin until it reaches the point where ונבלב טילחנ אלש ןיד תיבב אלש אמלעב תוליכר
because of these stories he becomes suspect for committing all of the .קתשו וילע רמאש ינפמ תמא רבדהש רמול
sins people have said about him; it is just not possible that people are
constantly making mistakes about him (and what they are saying must be ךורע ןחלושה לע גילפד ל"שרהמ תעדל וליפאו
true). Therefore it is permitted to form an opinion and decide that he is
a terrible person and humiliate him even though one does not personally אריבסו 'ח ןטק ףיעס לאומש תיבב םש ראובמכ
know him.
אקוד ונייה ,הקיתשה תמחמ הרוסא השאהש היל
But that is not so in a case where we incidentally heard that someone היה אלד םעטהו ,האדוהכ הקיתש היל תיא םש

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