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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס 7 VOL-3
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Het - Halachah 7 ד הכלה - ח ללכ

Mayim Chayim). What is the definition of “established?” [Answer] םייח םימ ראב
It means that society has concluded this person is a Rasha beyond
any doubt (because of the many bad stories constantly circulating םושמ ןטק ראשב אלו םותיב יתרייצש המ .'וכו ךייש )ה(
about this person concerning adultery and other illicit affairs he has
had, behavior that is commonly known throughout Jewish society המ י"ע ןטקל רצימה רבד ראש וא קזיה אוביש יוצמ ןיאד
to be sinful). ורוביד י"עש האור אוה םא ימנ יכה ןיאו ,ותונג ןירפסמש

But if there was only a generalized rumor circulating about this .םותיכ וניד אתועיר ול בבוסי
person, it is forbidden to rely on it as authentic and degrade him,
G‑d forbid, or even to personally conclude an opinion about him, as .'י הכלה תועד 'להמ ו"פב ם"במרה כ"כ .'וכ ךירדהלו )ו(
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I explained above in the 7 Kelal.
ותוא שרגיש ידי לעש ןמדזי םימעפ יכ .ךירצ םג )ז(
(Even though I was apprehensive about writing this law because of
those people who do speak Lashon Hara, that when they hear the סח ,הער תוברתל אצי וא תושפנ תנכסל אובי וקיזחמה
least impropriety about someone, they will immediately seize it and .םולשו
uphold the victim as an established Rasha and demean him, and
rationalize and justify their actions by relying on this leniency as a
basis for their actions. Nevertheless, I did not refrain from stating םייחה רוקמ
this, as Chazal have taught in Gemara Babba Batra (89b) regarding
Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakai who quoted the prophet’s words in ,ץרֶאה םע לע וּלִּפא אוּה ערָה ןוֹשׁל רוּפִּס רוּסִּאדּ ,עדַו .ד
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sefer Hoshea (14:10) “that all of G‑d’s ways are just, righteous
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people will go in His ways and sinful people (who use them in a םירַצִמִּמ םאיִצוֹהֶשׁ ,ויָתוֹאבִצו 'ה םע ללכִבּ אוּה םגּ יִכּ
way that is contrary to the law) will trip and fall”).
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ערָה ןוֹשׁל רפּסְמה יאדּובּ ,םכח דיִמלַתּ אוּה םִא ןכֶּשׁ לכו
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רפּסְמה לכּ :ל"זח וּרְמאו ,רֵתוֹי הבּרְה לוֹדגּ וֹנוֲֹע - וילע
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Be’er Mayim Chayim
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רמאנֶּשׁ ,םֹנִּהיגּבּ לפוֹנ - םכח דיִמלַתּ לֶשׁ וֹתטִּמ רחא
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(K8/7/1)-(14)… for a variety of other sins: This refers to behavior
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that is known throughout Jewish society to be forbidden, because if this דיִמלַתּ הזּבְמ ללכִבּ הז ידֵי לע סנכנ םיִמעְפּ המּכו ,'וּכו
was not so (if it was not common knowledge that this type of action אָתיִאדְִכּ ,םכח דיִמלַתּ הזּבְמה לֶשׁ וֹשׁנע לדֶֹגּ עוּדיו ,םכח
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was sinful) it would be forbidden to demean this person because of his
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behavior; maybe he did not know he was doing something wrong, as I ףיִעס ג"מר ןמיִסבּ העדֵ הרֶוֹיבּ ןכּ קסְפנו( ):ט"צ ףַדּ( קֶלֵחְבּ
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explained above in the 4 Kelal (in the 3 halacha).
'וּכו הזבּ 'ה רבדּ יִכּ" :)א"ל ו"ט רָבּדְִמַּבּ( לַלְכִבּ אוּהֶשׁ ,'ו
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(K8/7/2)-(15)… so too is the law the same here: (In making his
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remarks about this person no other precondition is necessary except that) ,)"איִהה שׁפנּה תרֵכִּתּ תרֵכִּה
the speaker’s intent must be to achieve a beneficial outcome, such as causing
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people to stay away from an evil lifestyle when they hear how society הזּבְמ ןידּ ללכּ ךְיַּשׁ אלֹדּ ,םדאל תיִסֵמ ערָה רציּה ךְַא
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denigrates evil people, or in making his remarks perhaps the speaker will
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influence this (evil) person to change his lifestyle for the better. However, לבא ,רֵתוֹיבּ םיִמכח וּיהֶשׁ ,ארָמגּה ןמזִבּ קרַ ,םכח דיִמלַתּ
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