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Mekor Hachayim Sefer Chafetz Chayim
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara

Kelal Heh

so does this apply if this speaker said this about a man whom
society does consider to be a Torah Scholar (8), that he was not
wise \ Chacham and that he has only a little Torah knowledge. In so
doing he diminishes the reputation of this Chacham in the esteem of
society and most certainly his remarks are Lashon Hara even if the
content of his remarks was true. The remarks of this speaker have
no purpose other than to diminish the standing of the victim in the
esteem of anyone who listens to him. Because of those remarks,
the potential now exists for the victim to suffer some form of harm
in any given situation in life and at the very least those remarks will
cause him pain and sorrow.

Here are two examples: To publicly remark that the city’s Rav is
not such a great Torah Scholar, that he knows only the least amount
of law (only the final conclusions of the law) necessary for him to
get by and function as the city’s rabbinical authority. Even if it is
true, the remarks are absolute Lashon Hara from the perspective
of the Torah! The remarks absolutely belittle this Rav’s authority,
diminish his livelihood and trivialize the honor \ authority of the
Torah and the observance of mitzvot, as I explained in the 2nd
halacha of this Kelal. Similarly, if this type of remark was made
about someone who was newly married in the city, the remark
will most certainly diminish the victim’s standing in the esteem of
his father-in-law and mother-in-law and members of their family
(including his new bride). There is no greater emotional pain and
anguish than having one’s own family hear that society considers
him to be a person whose qualities and talents are not very great. It
is hard for me to further illustrate this concept in its entirety, but as
Shelomo HaMelech says in Mishle (9:9) “Give to \ Encourage the
wise and they will become even wiser.” My only point in writing
this was to make people aware, and those who are thoughtful (and
sensitive to others) will understand on their own how to extend the
lesson of this example to many other situations in life.

Moreover, understand that this same law applies to a speaker
talking to a group of listeners about an expert craftsman (in any
occupation) and telling them that he is not as skilled and talented as
people think he is; these remarks are also absolutely Lashon Hara

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