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Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Aseen - A7
אי השע - ןישע

And now (my dear reader) come and see just how many sins were ,)רוטפ וינפב אלשו םייחב וליפאד ץרתי םייחמ ילימ
committed by this person: (1) The sin of Lashon Hara and gossip for which
he violates several Laveen and Aseen, (2) He violates the Lav of “Do not .םהינפב אלש וליפא םדבכל בייח היהיש אל לבא
desecrate My Holy Name” publicly, (3) He trivializes the importance of
the reading of the Torah, for it is well known that even if one neglects to השע יאה ןכ םג ךייש לבקמהל וליפאד דוע רמול רשפאו
hear one sentence or even one word, the sin is serious and unbearable to ונירקש המד עדו .םכחו ןהכ יבג ליעל ונבתכש ומכ
the degree that if one leaves in the middle of the Torah reading the curse of
“those who leave Me will be annihilated” applies, as is taught in Gemara ג"עא ,השעב רבוע ומא לעבו ויבא תשא דבכמ וניאל
Berachot (8a). How much more so does it apply to this person whose ):'ל( תועובשב שממ הזכ וניצמ ,תאמ וברתא קרד
obsession with trivial conversation and Lashon Hara prevents him from
hearing Hashem's words. דימלת ןינעל םש י"שריפ השע יאהו השע יאה ארמגב
.ארית ךיהלא 'ה תאמ יברתיאד םכח
Often this happens on a Shabbat, when the sin is especially more severe
than if it happened on a weekday, as is explained in our holy writings.
Very often the one who is accustomed to speaking in a synagogue will .ןויס ב"י 'א רדא 'ב ,ירשת ג"כ - תרבועמ הנש .ןויס ב"כ ,טבש ב"כ ,ירשת ג"כ - הטושפ הנש :ימוי חול
talk right through Kaddish. In ignoring the Kaddish this person prevents
himself from answering “Amen, may His Great Name be blessed.” The םייחה רוקמ
gemara says that saying this phrase can cause a very great personal
elevation. Chazal say that even if this person has a hint of apostasy within )ג"י 'ו םש( הֵשֲׂע תוצִמ לע דוֹע )אי( רבוֹע םלּכּ לעו )אי(
him, Heaven will forgive him when he says this phrase. If this person does ַ ְ ַ ֵ ָ ֻ ַ ְ
answer Amen, but it is said at the wrong time, it becomes an orphaned 'ה ינְפִלִּמ ארֹיִל הזבּ וּנרְהזהֶשׁ ,"ארָיִתּ ךָיקֶלֹא 'ה תא"דּ
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Amen, G‑d forbid. One who answers Amen at the wrong time will cause
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his children to become orphans. In the opinion of our Authorities this וּנביּחְתנ ,וּנידֵיל הֶשֲׂעמ אוֹבבוּ ,וּנייּח יֵמי לכּ ךְרַבְּתי
curse also applies to someone who lazily delays answering Amen. All the
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more so regarding this person who delayed answering “Amen, may His אוּה ךְוּרבּ שׁוֹדקּהֶשׁ ,קרֶפּה וֹתוֹאבּ וּנחוּר תא ריִעהל
Great Name be praised” because he was busy speaking Lashon Hara or ערֹ יִפכּ םקָנ םהל ביִשׁיו ,םדא ינבּ הֵשֲׂעמ לכבּ חיגְּשׁמ
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gossip.
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יאדּובוּ ,וֹנוֹק תעדּ לע רֹבֲעלִּמ ענמּי הז ידֵי לעו ,הֶשֲׂעמּה
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In addition to all this, during this time he also violates a fourth prohibition, ערָה ןוֹשׁל לֶשׁ הזּה רוּמחה ןוֹעל וֹשְׁפנ תא ריקְִפמֶּשׁ יִמ
namely the prohibition against speaking trivial and meaningless
conversation in the Beit Midrash or synagogue, which is a very great esur, )*.וֹז הֵשֲׂע לֵטִּבּ ,תוּליִכרְוּ
as is quoted in the Shulchan Aruch (as cited above). All the more so is this
person in violation of this esur when he speaks Lashon Hara or gossip.
Woe to the speaker and woe to the listener. The Vilna Gaon writes in his :ה"הגה
sefer Aleem LeTehrufah that for every single word of Lashon Hara spoken,
this person descends lower, much lower into the depths of Gehinnom. The ,יוּצמֶּשּׁ המ דוֹע ריִהזהל יִתּרְמא ,וֹז הוצִמבּ וּנקֵסעבוּ *
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Gaon writes that it is not possible to assess the enormity of the suffering
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and sorrow that this person will endure because of his speech, not one םימָשׁ םֵשׁ איִצוֹמ תרַהזא רוּסִּא לע רֹבֲעל ,םיִבּרַה וּניֵתוֹנוֲֹעבּ
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word of his Lashon Hara will be overlooked. (Please see that reference). ).'ד ףדּ( הרָוּמְתִבּ אָתיִאדְִכּ ,וֹז הֵשֲׂע ללכִּמ אקְָפנדּ ,הלטּבל
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