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Sefer Chafetz Chayim VOL-3 1 םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Zayin 'ז ללכ - םייחה רוקמ

Lashon Hara, not even if the speaker made his remarks containing )כ"ִפּעא( יִכה וּלִּפא ,וינפבּ תוּנגּ ירֵבדּה וילע םירְִמוֹאֶשׁ
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Lashon Hara in front of the victim (2), since we did not hear the
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victim accede to those remarks. All the more so, there is no leniency וּלִּפאו ,תמא רבדּהֶשׁ ,טיִלחהל היארְ םוּשׁ הזִּמ חקִּל ןיא
if the remarks are made when the victim was not present to hear אלֶֹּשׁ ,רבדּ וֹל םירְִמוֹאֶשׁכּ ,קֹתְּשִׁל אלֶֹּשׁ ,דיִמָתּ וֹעבִט םִא
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them and the speaker merely claims that he would have made those
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same remarks directly to the victim, it is forbidden to believe the הָתּע רבּגְתנ ילוּא יִכּ ,קֵתוֹשׁ אוּה םעפּה וֹזבוּ ,וֹנוֹצרְִכּ
speaker’s remarks. Because of our very many sins, society frequently ינְפִּמ וֹא ,בירִ לע תוֹנֲעל אלֶֹּשׁ ,וֹתְּעדַבּ רמגו וֹעבִט לע
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commits this sin (and believes the speaker). Even if the victim does
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not respond (3) at the moment when the degrading remarks are made ,וירָבדְִלִּמ רפּסְמה ירֵבדִל רֵתוֹי וּניִמאי יאדּובֶּשׁ ,הארֶָשׁ
directly to him one may not assume his silence is an admission that רפּסי קרַ םִאֶשׁ ,םלצא םכּסמֶּשׁ ,םלוֹעה לֶשׁ ערַה גהנִמּכּ
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the speaker’s remarks were true, even if the victim’s personality
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is normally not to remain silent whenever something offensive is האֵמ וּנֶּשׁיִחכי וֹדּגנכֶּשּׁה םִא וּלִּפא ,וינפבּ םירִבדּה תא
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said to him and this time he remained silent. Perhaps this time he
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was able to exercise restraint and he decided not to answer back ,וֹשְׁפנבּ זא םיִכּסִה ךְכלוּ ,בוּשׁ וֹל וּניִמאי אלֹ ,םיִמעְפּ
and enter into an argument. Or maybe the victim remained silent ןכּ לע ,םיִבלענּהֵמ תוֹיהִלו הז לע קֹתְּשִׁל רֵתוֹי בוֹטֶּשׁ
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because he realized that the listeners would most certainly believe
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the speaker’s remarks more than his own words of defense. Because .תמא רבדּהֶשׁ ,טיִלחהל הזִּמ היארְ חקִּל רוּסא
of society’s evil inclination to believe something defamatory, when
those remarks are made directly in front of the victim, even if the
victim denies those remarks one hundred times nothing he could
say would change their minds, and so the victim decided it would ןכּ ,דחאֵמ עמָשׁ םִא ,ערָה ןוֹשׁל לבּקַל רוּסאֶשׁ םֵשׁכּ .ג
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Mekor Hachayim that the speaker’s degrading remarks were true. ,םרָוּפִּס ידֵי לע םיִעָשׁרְ וּשֲׂענֶּשׁ )ה( רבדבּ )רמוֹל ךְירִצ ןיאו(
be far better to remain silent and endure the indignation. Therefore
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יֵעבִּמ אלו ,רֵתוֹי וֹא םינְשִּׁמ עמָשׁ םִא וּלִּפא )ד( ,ןידּה
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it is forbidden to presume that the victim’s silence is an admission
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יִפל וּלִּפאדּ ןויכּ ,וֹל וּרְפִּס םִא ,םניִמאהל ןיא יאדּובּ
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Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 101
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אלֹ"דּ ואל לע וּרבע ,ןגֹהכּ אלֶֹּשׁ הָשׂע ינוֹלְפֶּשׁ ,ןהירֵבדּ
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K7/3. Just as it is forbidden to accept Lashon Hara as truth when
the listener hears it from one person, so too it is forbidden even
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,םה םיִעָשׁרְ ןכּ םִא ,תמא לע וּלִּפא אוּהֶשׁ ,"ליִכרָ ךְלֵת
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if he heard it from two or more people (4). And it goes without
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saying that if these people become categorized as evil as a result
of their remarks (5) it is most certainly forbidden to believe them, רוּמגּ רֵשׁכּ תקַזחבּ אוּהֶשׁ ,הז לארְָשׂי לע םניִמאנ ךְיא
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רֵקַּשׁל דוּשׁח ,ערָה ןוֹשׁלדּ ואל לע דוּשׁחהדּ ?הָתּע תֵעל
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because even if their remarks are true, that so and so did something
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inappropriate, they have violated the Lav of (Vayikrah 19:16) “Do ,ףיִסוֹהלוּ ףיִלחהלוּ
not peddle gossip in society” which applies even if the content of
their remarks is true. Therefore, they are Resha’im \ evil people,
and if so, how could one believe them (in their verbal attack) against

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