Page 122 - V1

Introduction to םייח ץפח רפס
Sefer Chafetz Chayim ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Aseen 'א ללכ - םייחה רוקמ

or gossip, that person also violates the Aseh of “and you should be in לבא ,וֹרבח תוּנגּ רפִּס הרֶקְִמבּ קרַ םִא וּלִּפא ,הז לכּ .ג
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awe of My holy places” (in addition to the sin of using speech that is
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forbidden). This is the opinion of the Magen Avraham (section #151, )ה( וּלּא וֹמכּ ,תוּדיִמְתִבּ הז ןוֹעבּ לגּרְה ,םוֹלָשׁו סח ,םִא
paragraph #2). Torah scholars are also cautioned about the sanctity ךְכּ ,ינוֹלְפּ הֵשֲׂעמ ךְכו ךְכּ :רפּסלוּ בֵשׁיל דיִמָתּ ןיִליגרְֶשׁ
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of the Beit Midrash even though they are permitted to eat and drink
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there because of the circumstances of their learning schedules, םירִבדּ אוּהו ,וילע יִתְּעמָשׁ ךְכו ךְכּ ,ויָתוֹבא וּשׂע ךְכו
that if they ate outside they would waste time from their learning
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(please reference that citation in the Magen Avraham). Please see ילֲעבּ םֵשׁבּ ל"זח יִפבּ ןיִארָקְנ םה וּלּאכּ םיִשׁנא ,תוּנגּ לֶשׁ
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what I will write, with G-d’s help, in the third section (i.e., Sefer םָשְׁפנ טאְשִׁבֶּשׁ ירֵחא ,לוֹדגּ רֵתוֹי הבּרְה ןָשׁנעו ערָה ןוֹשׁל
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Shemirat HaLashon) regarding Torah scholars using language in
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the Beit Midrash that is neutral, that is not cynical. (Please see the ,רקְֵפהכּ םלצא הז הָשֲׂענו ,'ה תרַוֹתּ לע ןירִבוֹע םבִּל ןוֹדזוּ
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2 Hagahah following) :הלבּקּבּ רמאנ םהילֲעו ,החיִתְפּה ףוֹסבּ ליֵעל ראֹבְמֶּשׁ וֹמכּ
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םיִלִּהְתּ( "תוֹלדֹגּ תרֶבּדְַמ ןוֹשׁל תוֹקלח יֵתְפִשׂ לכּ 'ה תרֵכי"
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Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 241
.)'ד ב"י
A8. If the subject of the Lashon Hara or gossip is an old person,
and if he was present when Lashon Hara was spoken about him,
even if this old person is someone who is ignorant and unlearned
(8), the speaker also violates the Aseh of (Vayikrah 19:32) “and you םדאה ןִמ ןיִערְָפנ תוֹרבֲע שׁלָֹשׁ לע :ל"זח וּרְמא )ו( .ד
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shall honor the presence of a zakayn.” (The entire pasuk reads as הדוֹבֲע :ןה וּלּאו ,אבּה םלוֹעל קלח וֹל ןיאו ,הזּה םלוֹעבּ
3
follows “One must rise in the presence of an old person and you
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Mekor Hachayim and “honor” refers to the “zakayn,” the word “honor” also relates וּשׁרְפוּ ,םיִבוּתכּה ןִמ היארְ הז לע ל"זח וּאיִבהו .ןלּכּ
shall honor the presence of a sage and you shall revere your G-d, I
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דגנ ערָה ןוֹשׁלו ,םיִמדּ תוּכיִפְשׁוּ תוֹירֲָע יוּלּגו הרָז
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am Hashem”). Even though ”zakayn” means a “Chacham \ sage”
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back to the “old person” referred to in the beginning of that pasuk.
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,תוּדיִמְתִבּ הז ןוֹעבּ וּלגּרְהֶשׁ וּלּא לע הנוּכּהדּ ,םינוֹשׁארִה
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Extending “honor” means honoring him with your speech, meaning,
to speak to him with honor as one would speak to a revered master.
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הָשֲׂענֶּשׁ ינְפִּמ ,וּנּמִּמ רֵמָשִּׁהל םמצע לע םיִלבּקְַמ ןיאו
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But where this old person is disgraced, then of course this is not
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.רֵתּהכּ םלצא רבדּה
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“honor.” So too, if this subject is a Chacham, even if he isn't an
“old person,” the speaker violates this Aseh. When the pasuk says
“old person” it means a Chacham, as Chazal teach, that he has
acquired wisdom. (Apart from this, the speaker violates yet another
severe esur of belittling a Torah scholar and in so doing the law says
Although “zakayn” is used in our everyday speech to mean “old person,”
here the Torah uses the word as meaning a “sage.”
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