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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Zayin - Halachah 9 ה הכלה - ז ללכ

Shimon the son of Rebbe and Bar Kapparah were sitting and learning תחא העומשב וליפא הימקול ה"לאד הינעמוש ינס ללכב
together, a question arose and they came to an impasse in their learning.
Rebbe Shimon the son of Rebbe said to Bar Kapparah, this question can קרפ ם"במרה ירבדמ ךא .קיספ אלד אלק איהש ךא הער
only be resolved by Rebbe (his father). Bar Kapparah replied – “and what ןכ עמשמ אל הרואכל 'ה הכלה ןירדהנס תוכלהמ ד"כ
could Rebbe possibly say that would resolve this question?” Rebbe Shimon הער ותעומשש םדא תוקלהל 'וכו ד"בל שי ןכו םש ל"זד
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the son of Rebbe went to his father and told him what Bar Kapparah said.
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He (Rebbe) became annoyed. Bar Kapparah went to visit Rebbe. Rebbe אהיש אוהו תוירעה לע רבוע אוהש וילע םיננרמ םעהו
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said to Bar Kapparah, I don’t recognize you \ (I don’t know who you are). םיעודי םיביוא ול אהי אלו ונראיבש ומכ קסופ וניאש לוק
Bar Kapparah understood that Rebbe was annoyed with him and imposed
upon himself a minor ban (a minor form of self‑excommunication) for 30 ןנירמא םיביוא ול שי םאד 'יפ[ לוקה תא וילע םיאיצומש
days.” Rashi explains in the reference beginning with the words “and what ארמגב ה"כ תומביב חכומ ןכ לוקה ואיצוה םהש אמתסמ
could Rebbe possibly say: ‑ There is no rebbe (teacher) in the world who
could answer this question,” that “Rebbe Shimon told his father” – means, תא ןיזבמ ןכו ]ש"ייע א"י 'יסב ע"האב םינורחאה וקספ ןכו
in casual passing, “incidentally,” and not out of a sense of Lashon Hara. ירה ל"כע וינפב ותדלוי תא ןיפרחמו הער ותעומשש הז
(Quoted up until this point). ,דבל קיספ אלד אלק תמחמ ותוא תוזבל ם"במרה ריתמד
(It is obvious that regarding the esur of speaking Lashon Hara and gossip, תחא םעפ לע קר וליפאד הרואכל ונושל תמיתסמ עמשמו
even if the remarks (the Lashon Hara and the gossip) were made about
a fellow Jew “incidentally” and not out of a sense of hatred in order to .רתומ
degrade him or to incite an argument against him, still it is Lashon Hara,
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as I wrote above in the 3 Kelal, the 3 halacha, and further on in the ומצע ירבד תא רתוס ם"במרהש דואמ השקי ןכ םא ךא
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second half of this sefer (in the laws dealing with Rechilut) in the 1 Kelal,
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3 halacha. Please see the Be’er Mayim Chayim there where we brought החכות ןינעב םש בתכש תועיד תוכלהמ 'ו קרפבש
several explicit proofs to this concept. This is also the opinion of the ןימילכמ רתסב וב רזח אל םא 'וכו אטחש וריבח האורה
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Rambam in the 7 perek of Hilchot De’Aut, the 4 halacha, where he
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writes: Even if the remarks were not made out of a sense of enmity but were רוזחיש דע ותוא ןיפרחמו ואטח ןימסרפמו םיברב ותוא
only said jokingly, Shelomo HaMelech A”H, teaches in Mishle (26:18) ם"במרה ריתמ יאמא ונינינעב ןכ םאו ש"ייע 'וכו בטומל
“A man who tricks his neighbor and says he was only joking is like a joker
shooting ‘guns’ (lethal projectiles) or arrows ‑ and death.” Similarly, at the ם"במרה יריימ אל יאדוובו ,הלחתמ ונחיכוי ותוזבל
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end of the 5 halacha the Rambam wrote regarding the leniency of “in the תיבלד הז לע ץרתנד ןיד תיבב אקוד ותוזבלד הז ןידב
presence of three people…as long as there was no intention to broaden the ם"במרה לש הז ןידד עודי יכ ינאש רדג רודגל ידכ ןיד
scope of people who knew about the victim’s degradation, etc” implying
that if not for the leniency of “in the presence of three people,” even this ירייא ארמימ יאהו הינעמוש ינסד ןאמ יאה ארמימהמ אוה
would be forbidden. And that which Rashi wrote: Spoken “incidentally,” ,ארמגב ש"ייע הזמ ליעלד תורמימ ראשב ומכ םדא לכב
means spoken “unintentionally,” at the moment when he spoke those words
he did so with no intent (but merely in casual passing, i.e., “incidentally”). ןונירש ם"במרה תנווכד רמול םיחרכומ ונא יאדוו אלא
(Please see the following Hagahah). םעפ רבעש אל תוירעה לע דימת רבוע אוהש אוה ריעה

Seemingly (you might think that) since it was permissible for Rebbe to ,וב קיידמש ימל ם"במרהד אנשיל עמשמ ןכו ,דבל תחא
believe his son, Rebbe Shimon, and to conclude an unfavorable opinion םעפ רחא םעפ קר תחא תבב אצוי וניא הזכ ןוניר אמתסמו
regarding Bar Kapparah, that “incidental” remarks may be believed.

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