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

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and Rabbeinu Yonah’s Shaare Teshuvah (3 sha’ar, section 227) in their כ"או .ןלזג אוהש םלועמ וילע רמא אלש רקש אוה
discussion of “Avak Lashon Hara.”
ןודינהל תלעות הזמ חמצתש ותנווכ םא ימנ יכה
(K9/3/2)-(9).. in order that people will not misunderstand him:
This is a quote from the Rabbeinu Yonah referenced above, meaning רמוא וניא םתהד ,קלחל שיד .רוסא היהי יאמא
that even if the law allows the speaker to make these remarks, but (the וא ,אתונלזגב ינולפ לש והדש קיזחמ אוהש םתס
remarks could still be considered Avak Lashon Hara) if the listeners might
misunderstand him and suspect that what he is saying is not true and that קר ,ןלזג אוהש הז חקולה לע רמא רערעמה ינולפש
he is lying, or that people will criticize him, saying: “Why didn’t he first אוהש וילע ינולפ רמאש עמשנש המ רפסמ אוהש
go to the “victim” and tell him that which bothers him? It must be that
the speaker’s motivation in making his remarks could not have been for ךמס לעש ,וננינעב ןכ אל ,אתונלזגב והדש קיזחמ
the sake of justice and truth but only because he enjoys talking about כ"חא רפסמ אוה דחא לע הלוע רבד הלחתמ עמשש
other people’s sins and their degradation in order to enhance his own ego,
his own sense of self‑prestige.” This is as Rabbeinu Yonah explained in יאדוב הז ,הזב אצויכו ןלזג שיא אוהש וילע םתס
section #228. ,רוסא

םושמ ,אכהמ רתוי היוצמ תלעותה םתהד דועו
Mekor Hachayim כ"אשמ ,ורטשב רהזי יאדוב וינזאל רבדה אובישכד

K9/4. It is forbidden to live in the same neighborhood with people ורזעי םהש םירחאל רפסל ןינעל ןנירייאד אכה
who routinely speak Lashon Hara (10). (Please see the following ומצעמ בושי םנוניר י"עש וא ,קזינהו לזגנהל
Hagahah). Most certainly it is forbidden for one to associate with
them and listen to their conversation even if he does not intend to יאדוב ,ךכ לכ יוצמ וניא הזד ,םיערה ויכרדמ
believe anything they say, since he lends his ear to listen to their .ומצעב האר אל םא רוסאד ארבתסמ
conversation (and contributes towards their sin by providing himself
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as an audience to their Lashon Hara) as I wrote above in the 6 Kelal, ןיידע םא ומצעב לזגנהל הז רבד תולגל םא ןינעלו
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2 halacha. And if he knows that one of his students (11) routinely תוליכר תוכלהב ןמקל ה"יא ראובי ,הזמ עדי אל
speaks Lashon Hara, he is obligated to distance himself from the
student if he knows that reprimanding him would be useless. .'ז ףיעס 'ט ללכ

And if through some circumstance beyond his control one finds
oneself within a group of people who constantly speak Lashon םייחה רוקמ
Hara and he realizes that they are now speaking Lashon Hara, if he
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assesses the situation and decides it is possible that his rebuke will לזגל וֹתְּעדַבּ ןינִעה תא ףכֵתּ טיִלחי אלֶֹּשׁ ,דֹאְמ רהזּיֶּשׁ )ב
be useful (12) and it will stop them from speaking Lashon Hara,
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then of course he is obligated to rebuke them and this obligation is םצע תא בֵטיה ןנוֹבְּתי קרַ )ו( ,הזבּ אצוֹיּכו קזּהל וֹא קֶשֹׁעו
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a Torah imperative. And even if he determines his rebuke would .קזּה וֹא לזגּ ללכִבּ ןידּ יִפּ לע אוּה םִא ,ןינִעה
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not help to stop the conversation but that in any event it would not
hurt matters (13), then here too in this situation he may not remain
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