Page 338 - V3

Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Yud - Halachah 6 ז הכלה - י ללכ

(2) The observer must be certain that the law defines this person’s remarks רפּסי םִאֶשׁ ,םעטּהו ,הָשׁלְֹשׁ ינְפִבּ הז רבדּ רפּסל רהזּיֶּשׁ
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as Lashon Hara.
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אלֶֹּשׁ ,ןוּכְּתִמ אוּהֶשׁ ,הארְָתי ,םינְשׁ וֹא דחא ינְפִבּ הז רבדּ
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(3) The observer may not exaggerate this person’s sin any more than it
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actually is. ,וֹתְּעדּ בֹנגִלו וֹפינחהל הצוֹרו ,וינזאל םירִבדּה וּעיגּי
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(4) The observer’s sole motivation in repeating what the boor said can לע ערָה ןוֹשׁל רוּפִּסבּ הנהנכּ הארְנו ,וּהנּגְמ אוּה רֶתסּבוּ
only be to achieve a useful outcome that is beneficial to the victim, as I יאדּובֶּשׁ ,וּרְמאֹיו וֹדְשׁחל וּאוֹביֶּשׁ ,רחא םעט דוֹעו .וֹרבח
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wrote in the detail of this halacha, but he may not repeat those remarks out
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of a sense of hatred. אלֹ עוּדּמ ,אלֹ םִאדּ ,םאדְוֹבּ אוּה וֹבִּלִּמוּ ,תמא רבדּה ןיא
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(5) The observer’s rebuke of the boor is conditional. If the observer וֹרוּפִּסִּמ אוֹבי אלֹ ןכּ םִאו ,הנוֹשׁארִ וינפבּ וֹנוֲֹע תא הלּגּ
assesses that directly reprimanding this person will be beneficial, then
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he should not repeat the remarks to others but instead he should directly ךְירִצ ןכּ לע .'ד ףיִעסבּ ליֵעל תרֶאֹבְמה ,תלעוֹתּ םוּשׁ
reproach this boor for speaking Lashon Hara against the victim. Perhaps וּלִּאכּ ,יוה הזדּ ,הָשׁלְֹשׁ ינְפִבּ וּניהדּ ,םוּסרְִפבּ רבדּה רפּסל
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in so doing this person will refrain from speaking Lashon Hara again. But
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if the observer concludes that his rebuke would be useless, he should not וּאוֹבי אלֹ רֵתוֹיו( הּדְֵשׁחיִמל יֵתא אל וּתו ,וינפבּ םירִבדּה רמא
approach this person at all in this regard because it will only provoke this
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person to say things directly the victim that are even more insulting than רקֶֶשׁ רבדּ רפּסי רֵשׁכּ םדאֶשׁ ,אוּה יוּצמ וֹניאֶשׁ ,)וֹבּ דֹשׁחל
his first remarks. This approach is similar to Chazal’s teaching (Gemara .םיִבּרַבּ וֹרקִּעֵמ
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Babba Batra 164b) that one should not praise his friend because inevitably
it would only invite someone else to respond with comments that are
Lashon Hara. Moreover (he should not approach this person) because it
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is very likely that as a result he will do even more harm to the “victim.” הז רבדּ לבּקַל םיִעְמוֹשּׁה םירִוּסא הָתּע םגֶּשׁ ףאו )דכ(
Because when this person realizes the observer is contending against him ראֹבְמכו ,םבִּלבּ ןוֹדּנּה הז ידֵי לע הנּגְּתיֶּשׁ ,הטלחהבּ
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in this regard, he will be driven to publicly prove to society that the law
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(truth) is on his side and he will pre‑empt the observer and tell people רבדּה ןיאֶשׁ ףאֶשׁ ,אמְעט וּניה ,'א ףיִעס 'ז ללכִבּ ליֵעל
a story that is misleading and filled with (self-serving) deceit. Having
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planted this lie in society’s mind, it would be difficult for the observer to טרְָפּ דוֹע רסח ילוּא ןכ יִפּ לע ףא ,וֹרקִּעֵמ רקֶֶשׁ הזּה
win back public support in favor of the victim. Therefore, in this situation וֹפוֹסִּמ ןינִעה הז הנַּתְּשׁי וֹדי לע רֶשׁא ,הֶשֲׂעמּה הזל דחא
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it is much better if the observer does not bring up the subject at all to this
boor. יאנגִל וֹטיִלחהל הָתּע תֵעל םהל רוּסא ןכּ לע ,וֹתלִּחְתִל
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Necessarily, for the reasons specified above, it is obvious that the leniency םהינזאבּ רבדּה סנכּי םינפּ לכּ לע לבא ,רוּפִּסּה הז רוּבֲע
of “in the presence of three people” is not relevant here because we do not
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want word to disseminate publicly and get back to the boor (as this might חיִכוֹהלוּ אוּה תמא םִא רבדּה רחא רקֹחל וּארְיֶּשׁ ,הז ןינִעל
result in a “bad” outcome), as was mentioned above. And even though ילוּאו ,םיִערָה םירִבדּה וילע םירְִפּסְמֶּשׁ ,אוּהה שׁיִאה תא
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this is obvious, still I will bring proof to what I am saying (Yerushalmi,
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Pe’Ah, 1 perek, 1 halacha), that it is permissible to speak Lashon Hara ליֵעל ראֹבְמכּ ,תוֹיִּלֲעוֹתּ ראְשׁ דוֹעו ,םהירֵבדִל עמְשׁי
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against someone who incites controversy, from the incident involving the
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prophet Natan advising BatSheva how to approach her husband David .םָשׁ ןיּע ,'ד ףיִעסבּ
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