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

not conform to one's expectations is it proper to say about the lecture that ינְפִבּ )בי( היה אָתלְתּ יפּאבּ רוּפִּסּה םִאדּ ,יִל הארְנ .ה
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nothing he said is worthwhile?” That surely is an absolute lie!
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In particular, because of our so-many sins, the critic's ridicule stems from אליֵמִּמ ,ערָה ןוֹשׁל ירֵוּסִּאֵמ םירִהזנֶּשׁ םיקִלֹא יארְי םיִשׁנא
a hatred of the speaker. In some instances the lecturer may be an Authority רפּסל הרָוֹתּה ןִמ רוּסא ןכּ םִאו תוֹלּגְּתִהל יוּשׂע הז רבדּ ןיא
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who ruled against the critic in some civil litigation. Or perhaps the lecturer
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is very sincere in his fear of G-d and observance of mitzvot, and it is היה הָשׁלְֹשּׁהֵמ דחא קרַ םִא וּלִּפאו .רחאל הז רבדּ ךְכּ רחא
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the nature of these critics to hate these decent men because they know
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that they disapprove of their lowly words and speech. It is the nature אנידּ ןכּ םגּ ,ערָה ןוֹשׁל רוּסִּאֵמ רהזנֶּשׁ ,םיקִלֹא ארֵי שׁיִא
of these critics that when they hear that the Chacham will be teaching \ אוּהדּ רָשְׁפאו .םיִמסרְפְמ הָשׁלְֹשׁ )ןיא בוּשֶּׁשׁ( אכּיל וּתדּ יִכה
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lecturing in the Beit Kenesset, they too run to hear the lecturer. But their ֵ
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purpose in going is for evil, in order to shame and demean him after his לֶשׁ ויבהוֹא )גי( וֹא ויבוֹרְקִּמ היה הָשׁלְֹשּׁהֵמ דחא םִא ןידּה
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lecture. When the Rav delivers a significant lecture that touches on many
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different subjects and among them are good and useful pieces of advice, אוּהדּ ,אמְעט יאה ךְיַּשׁ ןכּ םגּ ,תוּנגּה וילע רמאנֶּשׁ יִמ
for example, advice that urges the audience to increase their level of Yir’at ,וֹבהוֹאו וֹבוֹרקְ לֶשׁ תוּנגּה םלוֹעהל הלּגיו ךְלי אלֹ יאדּובּ
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Shamayim and the observance of Torah and mitzvot and other advice as
well on other mundane subjects, this hateful critic will not say the truth, .אָתלְתּ אכּיל וּתּ ןכּ םִא
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that the lecturer’s comments were very good in certain respects and not as
good in other respects. The critical remarks are generalized; the critic will
merely say the Rav said nothing worthwhile. Is there any Lashon Hara or
lie that is greater than this!
Moreover, as the critic is running to the Beit Kenesset to hear the Rav, his
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only intention in going is to catch him on some point or error in order to use יפּאבּ עמָשֶּׁשׁ ,ריִעה הָּתוֹאבּ )די( אקָודַדּ יִל הארְנ דוֹע .ו VOL-1
Mekor Hachayim will emerge and the disgraceful motivation underlying his reason for going ראבִבּ ןיּעו ,וֹזל וֹזִּמ תוֹיוּצְמ תוֹריַּשׁדּ ףא ,תרֶחא ריִעבּ
it afterwards as the basis for his ridicule and criticism of the Rav. However
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אלֹ לבא ,'וּכו ארָבח ךְרָבחדּ םוּשִּׁמ תוֹלּגל רָתּמ ,אָתלְתּ
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the critic makes a mistake in thinking that his motives will not become
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known to all since in reality this is not so, because in the future the truth
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.םייּח םימ
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to hear the lecture will become known to other people, as the text states:
(Kohelet 12:13) “In the end everything will become known.” The Targum
understands this to mean that eventually (in Olam Haba) everything will
become public and common knowledge. At that point, woe unto the critic!
Woe unto him because his motivations for going to shule, for listening
to the lecture and for the Lashon Hara that he subsequently spoke. In
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truth, we find in Mishnayot Avot (5 perek, 14 mishnah) “There are
four personalities who go to Beit Midrash; one who goes but does not ינְפִבּ )וט( רמא וּלִּפא ,וֹתוֹלּגל אלֶֹּשׁ ריִהזִה רֵמוֹאה םִאו .ז 5
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וּלִּפא ךְכּ רחא הלּגיֶּשׁ יִמל ,ערָה ןוֹשׁל םוּשִּׁמ וֹבּ שׁי ,םיִבּרַ
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םינְשׁ וֹא םיִעְמוֹשּׁהֵמ דחאֶשׁ האוֹר אוּה םִא וּלִּפאו .הרֶקְִמבּ
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0 Tehilim ( 7: - ) “The wicked one seeks out the righteous and tries to kill
him. G-d will not abandon him (the Tzadik) to fall into his hand (the Rasha) יִפּ לע ףא ,םירִחאל וּהוּלּגו וֹזּה הרָהזאה תא וּרְמָשׁ אלֹ
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nor will He allow him (the Tzadik) to be judged and condemned (on trumped
up charges by the Rasha).
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