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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Tet - Halachah 2 י הכלה - ח ללכ

be asked) unless the speaker has a real personal stake in the verdict (and ךְכּ ינוֹלְפּ לע יִתְּעמָשׁ :הּלּ רמאֹי קרַ ,עמָשֶּׁשּׁ המ הטלחהבּ
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needs to know what the court’s decision was).
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ןיא יִכה ואלבּ לבא .)וּנּפיִקַּתּ אלֶֹּשׁ ,ירִהזִּה ןכּ לע ,ךְכו
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(K9/1/5)-(5)..excessively praises someone: This (the word
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“excessively”) is Rashi’s explanation in Gemara Arachin (15a) in the רבדּבּ קוּלִּח םוּשׁ
citation “Man should not praise.” This is also the explanation of the
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Rashbam in Gemara Babba Batra (164b) in the citation “Will come to המ לכּ ,םהיֵתוֹשׁנִל ןירְִפּסְמֶּשׁ ,הזבּ ןיִשׁבַּתְּשִׁמ םיִבּרְַו(
speak badly” and similarly this was the explanation of the Rif in the 2
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perek of Gemara Shabbat (14a). The intent of all of these commentators וֹא שׁרָדְִמּה תיבבּ )דכ( ינוֹלְפוּ ינוֹלְפּ םִע םהל ערַאֶשּׁ
was to deal with the inherent question from the mishnah in Avot that says הזבּ הבּרְמ אוּה דוֹע ,ערָה ןוֹשׁל רוּסִּא דבלִּמ הנִּהו ,קוּשּׁבּ
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nd
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(2 perek, 8 mishnah) that Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai “used to count
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their praises.” So too the Gemara Babba Kamma (40a) that Rabbah was םִע הז רוּבֲע בירִָתו האנִשּׂה רֹטִּתּ יאדּובּ איִה יִכּ ,תקֶלֹחמ
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singing the praises of Rav Acha Bar Yaakov to Rav Nachman saying that
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he was a great, important man. (There is no question from these sources בירִלו דוֹע ךְליל וּהֵתיִסְתּ םגו ,וֹתיב יֵשׁנא םִע וֹא ינוֹלְפּ
because they were not examples of excessive praise.)
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וּהזּבְתּ הּמצעבּ איִהֶשׁ ,היהי רבדּ ףוֹסו ,הז רוּבֲע ינוֹלְפּ םִע
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Understand clearly that there are times when the praise is not excessive אלֶֹּשׁ ,דֹאְמ וֹמצע תא רֹמְשׁי וֹשְׁפנ רֵמוֹשּׁה ןכּ לע ,הז רוּבֲע
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and still it is forbidden. For example, the singling out for praise of one
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character trait makes it obvious that the victim is lacking in another .)וּלּאכּ םינינִעֵמ וֹתְּשִׁאל תוֹלּגל
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character trait that he should possess based on the stature of his character.
Please reference the Tosafot in Gemara Ketubot (17a) in the citation
beginning with the words “A bride.”
םייח םימ ראב
Mekor Hachayim אתיא שממ הזכו .'וכו קושב וא שרדמה תיבב )דכ(
ןמזב ,דציכ ,השאה םע החיש הברת לא ,ל"זו ז"פס נ"רדאב
K9/2. Everything we have said up until now was in the context
of not praising someone publicly, but if he was praising someone רערעש וא ,דובכ וב ןיגהונ ויה אלו ד"מהיבל אב םדאש
publicly it would be forbidden in any and all circumstances (6) םע יתרערע ךכו ךכ ותשאל רמאיו ךלי לא ,וריבח םע
because in a public gathering it is very common to find people ותשאו ,וריבח תא הזובו ומצע תא הזובש ינפמ ,'וכו יריבח
whose opinions are to the right of this person (rightists), people
whose opinions are to the left of this person (leftists) and people .'וכו וילע תקחשמו תדמוע דובכ וב תגהונ התיהש
who are jealous of him, and when the speaker mentions his praises עודיד .השלש ינפב םסרפתנ רבכד ינפמ הז ריתהל ןיאו
they will come to denigrate him (7). (Please see the following
Hagahah). But if the speaker wanted to praise someone who has a תוארהלו רבדה תא םיעטהל הזכ ןינע רפסמה לש ךרדד אוה
solid, established reputation as being a person who is righteous and יפאב ינהמ אל הזבד אוה עודיו ,ינולפ םע איה הלועהש
has a strong presumption of legitimacy, someone in whom could not
be found any “bad” or any “crime” \ “sin,” then one may praise him הברמ אוה אלה הז דבלו .ט"ס 'ב ללכב ליעל 'יעו ,אתלת
even in front of his enemies because they would be unable (they .םינפב ש"מכ הזב תקולחמ
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