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Sefer Chafetz Chayim 5 VOL-1 םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Beit 'ב ללכ - םייחה רוקמ

that “The incident we heard about involving Shimon was true” :ה"הגה
or something comparable, as this is absolutely forbidden in all
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circumstances because the speaker taints the reputation of his גיִעלמּה ירֵבדּ לכּ וּיה וּלִּפא אוּה הז לכדּ יִחא עדַו *
victim with his words far more than what would have happened ינְפִל רבדּה תא םיִעְטהל רוּסא ןכ יִפּ לע ףא ,תמא
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had (unembellished) word spread about this “victim” through the
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normal process of making those remarks “in the presence of three אצְמִתּ ,בֵטיה בֹשׁחַתּ רֶשׁאכו ,הזל תוֹנּגל ידֵכּ עֵמוֹשּׁה
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people \ listeners.” Moreover, the embellishment, the extra remarks יִכּ ,וֹלוּתִּהבּ םירִקְָשׁ הבּרְה ןכּ םגּ ברֵעְמ גיִעלמּהֶשׁ
he is making demonstrate that he has accepted the report as truth and
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this is absolutely forbidden in all respects according to the opinion םהיִפּ ןיִחְתוֹפֶּשׁכּ ,ןיגיִעלמּהֶשׁ אוּה יוּצמ םיִמעְפּ הבּרְה
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of all Authorities, as I will explain further on, with G-d's help, in the עדֵוֹי וֹניא וֹמצעבּ ןָשׁרְדּהֶשׁ םירְִמוֹא ,ןָשׁרְדּהֵמ גיִעלהל
7 Kelal, in the first halacha. (Please see that citation). םיִלוּתִּהבּ אצוֹיּכו ,וירָבדְִבּ עֵתְּעַתְמ אוּהו רבּדְַמ אוּה המ
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Therefore it is extremely important to take great care that even if it .ןהיֵעְמוֹשׁ בל תא םיִתיִעבמ רֶשׁא ,תוּנצילו
is public knowledge that “this person” committed something bad
in his youth (20), but from then on his behavior was exemplary
or if it is known that his father (his forebears) routinely did things :ה"הגה
that were improper but he himself (this son) did not do at all any לכֶּשׁ ,םירְִמוֹאו וילע זעל ןיִאיִצוֹמֶּשׁ ,הזִּמ רֵתוֹיו(
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of the bad things that his father did, and similar kinds of stories ָ ְ ָ ָ ַ ַ ֶ
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about people, that in truth this person actually committed no sin (for תאנה ליִבְשִׁבּ קרַ ,וֹתנוּכּ ןיא - שׁרֵוֹדּ אוּהֶשׁ הָשׁרָדּה
which he should be shamed and disgraced). (In all of these cases) it םִאֶשׁ ,רמאֹנ םִא וּלִּפא יִכּ ,רבדּה ןכ אלֹ תמאבוּ וֹמצע
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is forbidden for anyone to shame or disgrace this person in front of ידֵכּ וֹתיבִּמ עסוֹנ היה אלֹ ,וֹתיבּ חרֵכה וּהקָחדּ אלֹ
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his friends and anyone who violates this law and speaks about this
Mekor Hachayim remarks, and the intent is to shame the victim in the esteem of society, ,שׁרֵוֹדּ אוּהֶשׁ העָשׁבּ ,אמלדּ ?וֹמצע ליִבְשִׁבּ קרַ וֹתנוּכּ
person to others, even if this “victim” is not present to hear those
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ןיאֶשׁ רמוֹל גיִעלמּהל ןינִּמ םוֹקמ לכִּמ לבא ,חיִכוֹהל
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even if the speaker does not add one extra word to the truth that he
is speaking about this person, this speaker falls into the category
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קרַ ,'ה תארְיו רסוּמ ירֵבדּ וּעְמְשׁי םלוֹעהֶשׁ רקִּעה ןוּכְמ
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of people who are habitual speakers of Lashon Hara and they will
וּניִצמֶּשׁ וֹמכּ ,וֹתוֹא וּקיִפּסי םלוֹעהֶשׁ ןכּ םגּ וֹנוֹצרְֶשׁ
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never merit to sit in G-d’s presence, as this concept is expressed by
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הרָוֹתּה יֵשְׂפוֹתּ קיזחהל וּנא ןיִביּחְמֶּשׁ ,ל"זח ירְֵמאמבּ
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Rabbeinu Yonah’s Shaare Teshuvah (3 sha’ar), section #214. The
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leniency of “in the presence of three people” does not apply here
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,וּנֵתּלכי לכבּ
at all in any circumstance even though the information disclosed is
common knowledge, because in truth this person has done nothing וּרְמאֶשׁ וֹמכּ ,רוּמגּ קידּצל בָשׁחנ אוּה וֹזכּ הבָשֲׁחַמבוּ
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to be ashamed of, as the prophet Yechezkel proclaims (18:20-22)
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“A son shall not carry the burden of his father’s sins, etc., any of הקָדצִל וֹז עלס רֵמוֹאה :):'י ףדּ( ארְָתבּ אבבבּ ל"זח
his past transgressions will not be remembered unto him” and this הז ןיֵעכוּ ,רוּמגּ קידּצ הז ירֵה - ינבּ היחיֶּשׁ ליִבְשִׁבּ
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speaker’s intention was to portray this person to the public as an
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object of mockery because of this. רמ ,ןוֹכְּשׁמל ךְירִצ הולמבּ )ב"פ ףדּ( אעיִצְמ אבבבּ
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