Page 87 - V3

Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Yud 'י ללכ - םייחה רוקמ

tell others what happened as long as these following conditions are ןוֹלקָל וֹל םה םגו ,וירָבדּ וּלבּקְַתי אלֶֹּשׁ ,הארְיֶּשׁכּ ,יאדּובוּ
ְ
ִ
ָ
ֶ
ְ
ַ
ַ
ַ
ֵ
ִ
ְ
ְ
ְ
ְ
not omitted:
ֶ
יאדּובּ הז ןפֹאו .אבּהל לע הזִּמ וֹמצע תא רֹמְשׁי ,הפּרְחלוּ
ֶ
ְ
ְ
ֶ
ֶ
ַ
ַ
ְ
ִ
ַ
ָ
ֶ
ְ
ַ
ַ
ָ
ְ
The First Condition: The speaker must have seen the event
himself and not that he came to know about it because he heard it תא םגו ,המִּלכוּ רעצִּמ ןוֹדּנּה שׁפנ תא ליִצּי הזבּ יִכּ ,רָתּמ
ֶ
ַ
ֶ
ֶ
ָ
ַ
ְ
ִ
ַ
ַ
ֶ
ֶ
ַ
ֻ
ְ
ָ
from someone else. (Because if this was not the case) Although the
ְ
ִ
ֶ
ְ
ַ
ַ
ֵ
ֵ
ַ
ַ
ֶ
ְ
ָ
ַ
ֵ
ְ
victim was actually harmed in some way, who knows if this was the לע וּמיּקַי םגו ,םֹנִּהיגּ לֶשׁ הּנידִּמ לבּקְַמהו רפּסְמה שׁפנ
person who actually caused that harm?
.החכוֹהדּ הֵשֲׂע תוצִמ וֹדי
ָ
ָ
ְ
ַ
ָ
ְ
The Second Condition: The speaker must be circumspect and
extremely careful not to jump to a conclusion that the event
he witnessed was a case of theft or damages or verbal abuse or
ָ
ָ
ֵ
ְ
ַ
ְ
ְ
ַ
ְ
ַ
ְ
ָ
humiliation or something comparable. Instead, this observer must ,'ב ףיִעסבּ ליֵעל וּנבַתכֶּשׁ ,'גה טרְָפּה ראבנ הָתּעו .ז
first carefully consider what he saw from the perspective of the וּניה ,הלִּחְתִּמ וֹתוֹא חיִכוֹהל ךְירִצדּ ,םָשׁ וּנבַתכֶּשּׁ המ אוּהו
ְ
ַ
ְ
ְ
ְ
ְ
ַ
ָ
ַ
ָ
ָ
Torah to determine if the law is on the side of the “victim” and
ָ
ֲ
ְ
ַ
ְ
ַ
ָ
that this adversary is the thief or is responsible for his damage or אלֶֹּשׁ ,וֹבּ ריִכּמוּ עדֵוֹי אוּה םִא )גכ( לבא ,אמָתסִבּ אקָודּ
ַ
humiliation. This second condition is the most difficult of all to
ֵ
ְ
ְ
ָ
ַ
ָ
ְ
ֵ
ְ
ֵ
ָ
ִ
illustrate because human nature is such that nobody sees himself as קרַ ,וֹחיִכוֹהל ךְירִצ ןיא - וֹתּחכוֹתּ לבּקַי אלֹו וירָבדְִבּ רסוּי
culpable since there is always a reason that would justify his actions. רפּסי םִאֶשׁ ,םעטּהו ,הָשׁלְֹשׁ ינְפִבּ הז רבדּ רפּסל רהזּיֶּשׁ
ָ
ִ
ֶ
ֵ
ָ
ְ
ַ
ֵ
ְ
ָ
ְ
ַ
ַ
ַ
ֵ
ֵ
ַ
If the observer then makes a mistake and (incorrectly) discloses
what he saw he becomes guilty of slander which is a “crime” even אלֶֹּשׁ ,ןוּכְּתִמ אוּהֶשׁ ,הארְָתי ,םינְשׁ וֹא דחא ינְפִבּ הז רבדּ
ִ
ַ
ֶ
ָ
ֶ
ָ
ָ
ַ
ֵ
ֵ
ֶ
ִ
more serious than Lashon Hara. ,וֹתְּעדּ בֹנגִלו וֹפינחהל הצוֹרו ,וינזאל םירִבדּה וּעיגּי
ַ
ָ
ֲ
ַ
ַ
ְ
ַ
ְ
ְ
ָ
ְ
ְ
ִ
ְ
ֶ
ִ
ָ
ְ
Mekor Hachayim would be useful, then he is obligated to speak to him before he יאדּובֶּשׁ ,וּרְמאֹיו וֹדְשׁחל וּאוֹביֶּשׁ ,רחא םעט דוֹעו .וֹרבח
The Third Condition: If the observer concludes that he can privately
ֵ
ְ
לע ערָה ןוֹשׁל רוּפִּסבּ הנהנכּ הארְנו ,וּהנּגְמ אוּה רֶתסּבוּ
ֶ
ָ
ַ
ֵ
ָ
ַ
ַ
ֶ
ֶ
ְ
ְ
ֱ
ִ
confront (37) the instigator and the outcome of that conversation
ְ
ַ
ָ
ְ
ֵ
ֵ
ַ
ַ
ַ
ְ
ֲ
ַ
ְ
ָ
publicizes what he saw.
ַ
ֶ
ָ
ָ
ֱ
ֵ
ְ
ָ
ַ
ַ
אלֹ עוּדּמ ,אלֹ םִאדּ ,םאדְוֹבּ אוּה וֹבִּלִּמוּ ,תמא רבדּה ןיא
The Fourth Condition: The observer must be exceedingly careful
in accurately and truthfully reporting what he saw without any trace
ָ
ָ
ֵ
ִ
ְ
וֹרוּפִּסִּמ אוֹבי אלֹ ןכּ םִאו ,הנוֹשׁארִ וינפבּ וֹנוֲֹע תא הלּגּ
ָ
ֶ
ְ
ָ
ָ
of a lie. He may not exaggerate the event he witnessed any more
than it actually was nor omit any small detail. Even if he knows that
ָ
ַ
ֵ
ַ
ֶ
ָ
ֶ
ְ
ֶ
ְ
a small detail will support his “friend” although truthfully it is not
וּלִּאכּ ,יוה הזדּ ,הָשׁלְֹשׁ ינְפִבּ וּניהדּ ,םוּסרְִפבּ רבדּה רפּסל
ְ
ֵ
ַ
ְ
ְ
ְ
ַ
ְ
ֵ
ַ
ֵ
ָ
ְ
ָ
ֶ
ָ
enough to exonerate him, still, if the listeners are informed of this ךְירִצ ןכּ לע .'ד ףיִעסבּ ליֵעל תרֶאֹבְמה ,תלעוֹתּ םוּשׁ
small supporting detail they will not significantly degrade him, but
ָ
ַ
ְ
ָ
ְ
ָ
ָ
ָ
ְ
ַ
ָ
ְ
ְ
ְ
ָ
if the speaker omits this detail his friend will be greatly demeaned by וּאוֹבי אלֹ רֵתוֹיו( הּדְֵשׁחיִמל יֵתא אל וּתו ,וינפבּ םירִבדּה רמא
these listeners ‑ it is a profound sin to omit this detail. The general רקֶֶשׁ רבדּ רפּסי רֵשׁכּ םדאֶשׁ ,אוּה יוּצמ וֹניאֶשׁ ,)וֹבּ דֹשׁחל
ַ
ַ
ְ
ֵ
ְ
ָ
ֵ
ָ
ָ
ָ
ַ
ֲ
rule to follow is one may not exaggerate the “crime” any more than
ָ
ָ
it actually was because if he does, this speaker becomes included .םיִבּרַבּ וֹרקִּעֵמ
6
volume 3 volume 3