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6
VOL-1
Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Laveen - L4
ז ואל - ןיואל

of another Jew” (causing another Jew to stumble into committing דיזמ דחאו גגוש דחא ,יולגב ונממ ןיערפנ רתסב םימש
a sin) because each one causes the other to commit a sin and
violate an explicit Lav in the Torah. But still there is a difference .םשה לוליחב
between the speaker and the listener. The speaker violates this Lav םינפוא הנומשה לכב אוה ונבתכש וללחת אלד ואלד עדו
whether a lot of people listen to him or just a few, and the more
listeners there are the greater is the sin he is committing because .ל"נכו םינפואה 'חה לכב אוה ורוסיאד ןויכ
he is placing a “stumbling block” in front of many people. But
the listener is different, and it is possible that he would not be in
violation of this Lav except in an instance where he was the only .ןויס 'ב ,טבש ב"כ ,ירשת ג"י - תרבועמ הנש .ןויס ב"י ,טבש ב"י ,ירשת ג"י - הטושפ הנש :ימוי חול
person who listened to the Lashon Hara or to the gossip of this םייחה רוקמ
speaker, because if only this one listener walked away the speaker
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would have no one to talk to. But if there are other people who are )ז"י ט"י ארָקְיּו( ואלבּ ןכּ םגּ רפּסְמה רבוֹע )ז( םיִמעְפִלו )ז(
listening at the moment the speaker is making his remarks that are םוֹלָשׁ וינפבּ םִא ןוֹגכּ ,"ךָבבלִבּ ךָיִחא תא אנְשִׂת אלֹ"דּ
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Lashon Hara or gossip, it is possible the listener is not in violation
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of the Lav although he still would be culpable for violating other ינְפִבּ וֹחירֵ תא שׁיִאבמ וינפבּ אלֶֹּשׁו ,וּהֵערֵ תא רבּדַי
Laveen that will be explained further on in this Introduction (please ,םהל הוּצְמ שׁוּרפבּ םִא המּכו המּכּ תחא לעו ,םירִחא
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see the Be’er Mayim Chayim).
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.הז ואל לע רבוֹע יאדּובדּ ,וּהוּעידִוֹיו וּכלי אלֶֹּשׁ
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This exception is relevant only if the listener came after the speaker
was already making his remarks. But if he was the first listener
present and the speaker began by directing his remarks to this םייח םימ ראב
listener, even though other listeners might come afterwards to listen
to this evil language, most certainly this first listener is in violation ןיכרעד ארמגב ורמאש ףאו .'וכו רפסמה רבוע םימעפלו )ז(
of this esur of placing a “stumbling block” in front of another Jew ם"במרב הז רבד אבוהו רבדמ בותכה בלבש האנשבד ):ז"ט(
because this listener was the impetus for the speaker to make his
evil remarks. ופרחמהו וריבח הכמהו ל"זו 'ה הכלה ו"פ תועד 'לה עדמב
אקוד ותנווכ .אנשת אלב רבוע וניא יאשר וניאש פ"עא
In any event, one must always be careful to avoid these groups ורבח עדי פ"כע ץוחל הטלפש דע ותאנש הרבגש ףא ,ופרחמ
and not socialize with them, because Heaven Above is recording
everything they are saying and has characterized them all as a group ןיידע הטלפ אלד ףא בלבש האנשב לבא ,ונממ רמשהל ךיא
of “evil people.” This warning was in the will that Rebbe Eliezer רתוי עורגש רבד הזמ ץצונתהל לכוי מ"מ .ץוחל ותאנש
the Great left for his son Hurkanos, as follows: “My son, do not ever תא הרותה הרסא ןכלו ,ונממ רמשהל ךיא עדי אלש ,ורבחל
associate with a group of people that denigrate other Jews because
when their words ascend to Heaven and are inscribed in The Book, )א .אתועירגל יתרת אוה ל"נה וננינעב כ"או תויטרפב הז
everyone in that group is called a Rasha \ evil person.” וריבח עדי אלש )ב .ץוחל הטלפש דע כ"כ ותאנש הרבגש
םולש ךרדב ומע רבדמ אוה וינפבש ןויכ ונממ רמשהל ךיא
139 154
volume 1 volume 1