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Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Laveen - L16
ה השע - ןישע

halachically forbidden, will nevertheless nod his head in agreement ררֵבל וֹל בוֹט היהי ,רוּפִּסּה רֹמגִל וּנּחינּי םִאֶשׁ ,האוֹר אוּהֶשׁ אלֹ םִא
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with the remarks. The listener will then support what had just been ערָ םֵשׁ תאצוֹה ירֵבדּ אוּהֶשׁ ,אפוּגּ הזּה רוּפִּסּה ןִמ םיִעְמוֹשּׁה ינְפִל
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said by adding his own critical comments to the speaker’s remarks
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because the speaker is someone important and the listener wants רבדּ אוּהֶשׁ ,רֹמגִל וֹחינּהל ךְירִצ ןידּה ןִמֶּשׁ םיִמעְפִל וֹא ,אמלעבּ
to receive a favor from him or the listener fears the speaker will ןמּקַל הז לכּ ,'ה הצרְי םִא ,ראבְּתיֶּשׁ וֹמכוּ ,שׁוּחל וֹלבּקַל ךְירִצֶּשׁ
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otherwise think he is unintelligent. The listener’s Yetzer Hara .'ו ללכּ ערָה ןוֹשׁל תוֹכלִהבּ
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compels him to agree to the speaker’s comments because he is
“pressured” into it. But my brother, understand that this is the וֹרבח לע אמלעבּ ןירִוּטנקִ ירֵבדּ קרַ אוּהֶשׁ ,האוֹר אוּה םִא לבֲא
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essence of the prohibition against flattery, that it applies even if וֹמצע זרֵזְמה לכּ יאדּובּ ,וֹרבחֵמ אמלעבּ געלו לוּתִּה ירֵבדּ קרַ וֹא
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the listener adds only one point to the speaker’s remarks, as I will
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explain in the Be’er Mayim Chayim. וּנבַתכּ הז לכו ,הֶשׂוֹע אוּה הבּרַ הוצִמ ,הזִּמ וֹרבחל ענוֹמוּ וֹתּחכוֹתבּ
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ליֵעל ןיּע ,"רוִּע ינְפִל" ןינִעלוּ .וֹתלוּז םיִעְמוֹשׁ דוֹע שׁיבּ וּלִּפא
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Shelomo HaMelech’s words in Mishle (23:2) address this very
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situation: “if you are a man of principles, you will put a knife to .םייּח םימ ראבִבּ 'ד תוֹאבּ ןיואלבּ
your throat,” that a person is obligated to put himself into a tenuous
situation and not commit this terrible crime. If this situation arises,
the Torah obligates us to distance ourselves from this speaker and
not reinforce his remarks even with only a single body movement םייח םימ ראב
which could indicate approval of what he said. Regarding this האור םא ןוגכ 'וכו ותלבק ידי לע רבוע םימעפלו )ה(
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situation, Chazal in masechet Eduyot (5 perek, 6 mishnah) have
said “Better a person be called a fool all of his life and not be a החכוהד השע תוצמ תמאבד .'וכו רפסל ליחתמ וריבחש
sinner before G‑d for even one moment.” All of this applies if the VOL-1 אתיאדכו ,אטחל אובי אלש ידכ אטחה םדוק ןכ םג אוה
listener knows that his reprimand will be ignored by the speaker.
But if there is a possibility the speaker will listen to him, the listener ונויצש אוה ה"ר הוצמ ם"במרהל תוצמה רפסב אידהל
is obligated to reprimand him. I will explain this further, if G‑d ונממ עונמלו אוטחל הצריש ימ וא אטוחה תא חיכוהל
permits, in the laws of Esurei Lashon Hara in the 6 Kelal (in the םיארי רפסב ןכ םג בתכ ןכו .ש"ע 'וכו החכותה רמאמב
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9 halacha).
קפס אוה םא וליפאו יתבתכש המו .םש ןייע ז"ל הוצמב
ול רמול אלש בטומ ונלבקי אלש יאדוב םאד ,'וכו ול
Be’er Mayim Chayim .םש ש"ארה ואיבהו )ב"ע ה"ס( תומביב ורמאש ומכו
(L16) will also violate the Lav of manipulation \ flattery: This is
language used by the Re’em, one of the Ba’alei Tosafot, in his commentary םינושארה םינפוא 'דב ונייה רבועד םינפב ונבתכש המו
on mitzvah #55 ( in other editions #243). Our Creator has commanded us .דבל לבקמהל קרו וינפב אלשו וינפב ןיבו
in perashat Mas’ei (Bamidbar 35:33) “Do not flatter \ manipulate society.” 8
Regarding this pasuk, the Sifri teaches that this is a warning to flatterers,
etc. Man is warned not to flatter and that the punishment for flattery is
severe. Rebbe Elazar says that any society that has within it flatterers will
eventually be exiled. The Gemara Sotah (42a) says in the name of Rebbe
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