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Mekor Hachayim Sefer Chafetz Chayim
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara

Kelal Heh

those who will carefully learn these laws, these details will be
discussed further on in the 9th Kelal.]

Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 273

K5/6. One should understand yet another basic rule regarding

Lashon Hara which conditionally depends on the victim. Namely,
that a speaker can make the identical remark about two different
men and those remarks will constitute praise of the first man and
a degradation of the second man which would violate the esur of
Lashon Hara. I will explain what I mean. For example, the speaker
says the victim’s livelihood is assured by other people and he has
no worries about earning a living, and that he even learns three to
four hours a day. Based on the victim’s financial resources, those
remarks would be significantly demeaning and are Lashon Hara.
But if the speaker makes those very same remarks about a victim
who is struggling to earn a livelihood, the remarks portray the victim
as praiseworthy because even though he struggles to earn a living he
still learns three to four hours each day. This same concept applies
to all positive commandments that depend on a person’s relative
wealth, like honoring Shabbat. If the speaker says about a poor
person that he spends a modest sum to honor the holy Shabbat, it
is a great praise of that poor man. But if the speaker makes that
same remark about a wealthy person, that he spends a modest sum
honoring the Shabbat, it is a great disgrace of this wealthy man. His
esteem will be diminished in his society and those same remarks are
Lashon Hara.

Similarly in the context of giving charity (9), how to categorize
the speaker’s remarks depends of the relative wealth of the victim;
the same remarks that would praise one “victim” could degrade a
different “victim.” Also in the context of interpersonal relations, if
the remarks were made about an average person, that he behaves
in a particular way with his employees, the remarks would not be
denigrating. But if those same remarks are spoken about a very
influential person in Jewish society, that he behaves in that same

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