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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Zayin - Halachah 2 ה הכלה - ז ללכ

Understand clearly that there is no difference in any of these laws in the אוה ותעומשש יברל ררבתנש ירייא ימנ םתה אייח
previously cited Kelal and in this Kelal regarding believing the Lashon
Hara that one hears about a “victim,” whether it involves a relationship אדיבעד אתלימד םושמ ןימאהל רתומד וא תמא
between the victim and G‑d or between the victim and someone else. ב"כ( ה"רב ןנירמאדכ ישניא ירקשמ אל ייולגיאל
.)ב"ע
Mekor Hachayim
ךייש אלו .'וכו לוקה ריבעהל ןיוכי אלש )ט(
K7/2. There is no leniency whatsoever that would permit believing יפאב רבדה םסרפתנ רבכש םעטמ אריתיה הז לע
Lashon Hara, not even if the speaker made his remarks containing
Lashon Hara in front of the victim (2), since we did not hear the ם"במרה םשב 'ב ללכב ליעל ונרריב רבכד אתלת
victim accede to those remarks. All the more so, there is no leniency .רוסא רתוי רבדה תולגל ןיוכתנ אוהש ןויכד
if the remarks are made when the victim was not present to hear
them and the speaker merely claims that he would have made those
same remarks directly to the victim, it is forbidden to believe the
speaker’s remarks. Because of our very many sins, society frequently .זומת 'כ ,'ב רדא 'י ,ולסכ 'א - תרבועמ הנש .זומת ח"כ ,רדא ח"כ ,ןושח ט"כ* - הטושפ הנש :ימוי חול
commits this sin (and believes the speaker). Even if the victim does .'ל םוי לש דומילה תא םג ט"כ םויב םידמול ,םימי ט"כ קר ןושח שדוחב שי םא *
not respond (3) at the moment when the degrading remarks are made
directly to him one may not assume his silence is an admission that םייחה רוקמ
the speaker’s remarks were true, even if the victim’s personality םִא לבא ,לארְָשׂי שׁיִא םָתסִבּ אוּה ,וּנרְבּדֶּשׁ ,הז לכו .ה
is normally not to remain silent whenever something offensive is ָ ֲ ֵ ִ ְ ַ ִ ֶ ָ ְ
said to him and this time he remained silent. Perhaps this time he םסרְפְּתנֶּשׁ ינְפִּמ ,עָשׁרָ םדאל יִכה ואלבּ רבכִּמ קזּחְתנ )י(
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was able to exercise restraint and he decided not to answer back VOL-3
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and enter into an argument. Or maybe the victim remained silent ןיִעוּדיה ןירִוּסִּא לע שׁפנ טאְשִׁבּ רבעֶשׁ ,םיִמעְפּ המּכּ וילע
because he realized that the listeners would most certainly believe הזכּ שׁיִא לע ,הזבּ אצוֹיּכו ףוּאנכּ רוּסא אוּהֶשׁ לארְָשׂי לכל
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the speaker’s remarks more than his own words of defense. Because
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of society’s evil inclination to believe something defamatory, when .ערָה ןוֹשׁל לבּקַל רָתּמ
those remarks are made directly in front of the victim, even if the
victim denies those remarks one hundred times nothing he could
say would change their minds, and so the victim decided it would 4 םייח םימ ראב
be far better to remain silent and endure the indignation. Therefore
it is forbidden to presume that the victim’s silence is an admission קזחומש רבדבו .'וכו םימעפ המכ 'וכו קזחתנ )י(
that the speaker’s degrading remarks were true.
רבעש רפיסו דחא אבו ,הזב רקפתנש התע דע ונל
ירחא ,ןימאהל רתומד יאדו ,הז לע םעפה דוע התע
Be’er Mayim Chayim רחא רוסיאב וליפאו .וז הריבעב התע דע קזחתנד
(K7/2/1)-(2).. in front of the victim: Because society is so prone to ןימאהל רתומד הארנ ןכ םג התע דע קזחתנ אלש
make this mistake, I am obligated to elaborate on this subject, perhaps it
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