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Mekor Hachayim Sefer Chafetz Chayim
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara

Kelal Heh

like seeking revenge or holding a grudge (2), since the responding
Jew (in denying the favor) did no harm to the requestor (4) (and
since there is no benefit to the person making the loan request in
repeating the story to anyone), if this observer makes remarks that
publicly demean the Jew (who denied the favor), the law is that
these remarks are Lashon Hara even if the observer witnessed the
entire event and he knows with certainty that the request could
have been fulfilled but that it was denied because of the responding
Jew’s bad personality (5). All of the details of the esur of Lashon
Hara that were explained in the previous Kelal in the 3rd halacha
regarding a person’s relationship with G‑d apply here even in this
context of a favor being withheld from another person, in a situation
where the observer disclosed his remarks out of a sense of striving
for the truth. And even all the more so if the observer himself made
the request and was denied, it is certainly forbidden to subsequently
denigrate this person for not complying with the request. Someone
who does violate this law, besides committing this sin of speaking
Lashon Hara, also violates (6) the Lav of “Do not hold a grudge.”
And if the remarks were made with intent to take revenge because
he was denied the loan and he now wants to publicize this person’s
bad character, the speaker also violates the Lav of “Do not take
revenge” besides committing the sin of speaking Lashon Hara.

K5/2. Up until now we have put forward many aspects of speech that

are forbidden and that vary in their application of the law depending
on circumstances. Now, in the coming text we will discuss a major
issue in which there is no possibility of giving the speaker of Lashon
Hara the benefit of the doubt because his sole motivation in making
his remarks is to degrade and humiliate his “victim.” People who

Please see the citation in Gemara Yomah (23a) where Chazal define “taking
revenge”and “holding a grudge.”(3)

That the right thing to do was to extend the loan or the favor but this person
declined to do so, and out of a zealous sense of “wanting to correct a wrong”
this observer publicized the incident.

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