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Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Laveen - L16
ט-ח ואל - ןיואל

pain because of the way someone talks to them, the speaker violates this עבטב א"א ףוריחה השעמ תעבד איה הנוכנ ארבסו
Lav.
וכרבש ימ אל םא ןיכפוה הל ןיאש ןבאכ תויהל םדאה
Rashi holds in his commentary on perashat Mishpatim (Shemot 22:21)
that this Lav does not apply only to widows and orphans, but it also applies ,ש"יע ח"לש הוצמב ךוניחה ש"מכו תושודק תודימב 'ה
to anyone who is similarly downtrodden. וחור ריעהל הרותה הרסא וזגור חנ רבכש כ"חא לבא
What I wrote above, “He (the speaker) further violates the Lav of,” refers אלא רוסא בלב האנשה רוטנל קר וליפאו ונממ םוקנלו
to the first four qualities and applies only in their presence (of the widow or
the orphan). But if someone listens to this speaker tormenting the widow יאהכו ובלמ רבדה חוכשל ךירצ כ"חא טעמ ןמז בחרהב
or orphan and does not say anything in their defense, the listener will also ש"מב ה"הגהב ג"יס א"כת ןמיסב מ"חב אתיא אנווג
be punished (but for a different Lav).
סנקה ערופ ליחתמה םישויבו םיפודיג ןינעל אוה ןכו
ע"מסב ש"יעו רבחמב םש רכזנה ןידל הז ןיד המדמש
Daily Halacha: 17 Tishri, 16 Shevat, 16 Sivan; Leap Year- 17 Tishri, 26 Shevat, 6 Sivan
.ל"נה ונתרבסכ שממ אוהש
Mekor Hachayim
רעצ ןיב קלחמש ל"נה אמוי ארמגב השעי המ ע"צ לבא
L16. Occasionally this person will also violate the Lav of אלש המית שי ם"במרה לע םגו ןוממבש רבדל ףוגה
manipulation \ flattery (16). According to many Authorities (among
them there’em, one of the Tosafot, the Gaon, and Rebbe Shelomoh ךוניחהכ ל"ס אוה םגש עמשמ הכלהל הז רבד קיתעה
th
th
Ben Gavirol as quoted in the Sefer Chareidim, 24 perek, 48 תרבסד ילואו ל"נה ארמגב השעי המ אנווג לכב רוסאד
notation) this is an absolute and specific Lav in the Torah. The אפוגד ארעצב ארמגה ריתמד אהד ךוניחהו ם"במרה
Torah teaches (Bamidbar 35:33) “Do not flatter society.” For
example, if the speaker intends to purposefully speak gossip or ינשמקד אהו 'וכו ןיבלענה אינת אהו תישוקב החדנ
Lashon Hara in order to flatter and manipulate this listener because םושמ ח"ת לע קר יאק אל היבילב היל טקנד אנקסמב
the speaker knows the listener hates so-and-so (the “victim”) and in ףוסב ש"מכו הרותה ןויזב אכיאו איסהרפב ופרחד
flattering him by purporting to share a common dislike with him
the speaker will ingratiate himself to this listener, this is a serious .וז הוצמב ג"מסבו םש מ"חלב ןייעו ת"ת תוכלה
sin because at the very least not only does the speaker not fulfill the
mitzvah of reprimanding a fellow Jew (which is a Torah-imposed
obligation) by trying to stop the listener from hating the “victim,”
he instead makes matters worse by inflating that prior hatred with
his Lashon Hara and in so doing compounds the listener’s sin.
From this manipulation will arise additional controversies and other The Ramah comments on this, that this same law applies to someone who
is insulted or embarrassed, the one who started the fight first is entirely
calamities, G‑d should protect us from them. responsible as long as the victim responded back immediately. This

Understand that this sin is very commonly found in our society understanding follows the Meirat Enayim who is of the opinion that if a
victim retaliates at the moment of attack (either physical or verbal), he is
because of our many sins. One person will denigrate another and not responsible for any damages he inflicts on the provoker and that is how
the listener, even though he knows the speaker’s remarks were the Chafetz Chayim Z”L upholds the law in our discussion.

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