Page 288 - V1

Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Aseen - A5
בי השע - ןישע

it would be permissible to allow the speaker to finish making his remarks, םייחה רוקמ
for example, when the listener will be in a better position to expose the
remarks as nothing more than an outright lie. Or, for example, there are קרֶפּ תוֹבא ,שׁדחה וּהיִּלא לוֹק( א"רָגּה םֵשׁבּ בוּתכּ יִתיִארָ ןכו
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situations where the law permits one to allow the speaker to complete his ֶ ָ ָ ָ ֶ ָ ֵ ְ ַ ְ ָ
remarks and then consider their credibility, not to believe them outright לע וּניה ןידּ :שׁרַפוּ ,ןוֹבְּשׁח וּהמוּ ןידּ וּהמ שׁרַפֶּשׁ ,)'ג
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but only to suspect that the remarks might be true (and to take steps to
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defend himself accordingly). With G‑d's help, I will explain this in detail לע ןידּה תֵעבּ וֹמִּע ןיִבְשּׁחְמֶּשׁ וּניה ןוֹבְּשׁחו ,הּמצע הרָבֲע
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further on in the section dealing with the laws of Lashon Hara in the 6
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Kelal (in the 2 , 3 , 4 , 10 and 11 halachot). וּנל יוֹאו .הוצִמ םיּקַל לוֹכי היהֶשׁ ,הרָבֲע רבעֶשׁ ןמזּה
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But if he sees that the remarks about this fellow Jew are only annoying ךְוּרבּ שׁוֹדקּה בֹשׁחי קרַ םִא וּלִּפא ,הנֲענּ המ ,ןידּה םוֹיִּמ
or mocking \ ridiculing, then with certainty whoever takes the initiative לֶשׁ הלֵטבּ החיִשׂ וּנרְבּדֶּשׁ ,עגרֶו עגרֶ לכּ לע וּנמִּע אוּה
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to extend a reprimand to the speaker and prevent him from making his
remarks will have earned a very great merit. All this is in context even if לֶשׁ ןוֹעה לע ערָה ןוֹשׁלו תוּליִכרְ וֹא שׁארֹ תוּלּקַו יאנגּ
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there are other listeners besides himself. Regarding the issue of “placing
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a stumbling block,” please see my commentary above in thesection of הבֵתּ לכבּ תמאבּ יִכּ ,דבלִבּ ןמזּה הזבּ הרָוֹתּה תַשׁירְִפּ
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Laveen, the 4 Lav, in the Be'er Mayim Chayim.
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ינְפִבּ הֵשֲׂע תוצִמ םיּקְַמ אוּה הרָוֹתּה דוּמִּל לֶשׁ הבֵתו
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םיּקְַמ אוּה ,ארָמגּ ףדּ וֹא תוֹינְשִׁמ קרֶפּ דֵמוֹל םִאו ,הּמצע
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Be’er Mayim Chayim
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וּהיִּלא תוֹנְשִׁבּ ל"ז א"רָגּה בַתכֶּשׁ וֹמכּ תוֹצִמ תוֹאֵמ המּכּ
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(A5) “reprimand your fellow Jew”... if one sees his fellow Jew
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about to launch into remarks that are degrading to another םִאו ,יִמלַשׁוּריה םֵשׁבּ )ךְוֹראה שׁוּרפּבּ 'א הנְשִׁמ( האפדּ 'א קרֶפּ
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Jew: In truth this mitzvah to reprimand a fellow Jew is also applicable VOL-1 ,הרָוֹתּ לֶשׁ תוֹשׁוֹדקְ תוֹבֵתּ םיִפלא המּכּ ןוֹבְּשׁחל אוֹבנ ןכּ
before the sin is committed so that the speaker will avoid transgressing
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it. This is explicitly stated in the Rambam's listing of mitzvah #205 in his ,םידַיּבּ וּנלטִּבֶּשׁ הבּרַ הוצִמ איִה הּמצע ינְפִבּ תחא לכֶּשׁ
Sefer HaMitzvot, that G‑d commands us to reprimand the sinner or one הֵשֲׂע תוצִמ לוּטִּבּ לֶשׁ תוֹנוֲֹע םיִפלא המּכּ וּנסנכִה םדּגנכוּ
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who is about to commit a sin and to prevent him from transgressing it. The
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Sefer Ye’re’im is also of this same opinion in his commentary on mitzvah .*אפוּגּ הזּה תֵעבּ הרָוֹתּ דוּמלַתדּ
#37 (please see that reference). What I wrote above applies even if the
listener is doubtful that the speaker will heed him. But if the listener is
certain that the speaker will not listen to him, then it is better if the listener
says nothing to the speaker. This is the opinion of Gemara Yevamot (65b), :ה"הגה
as quoted in the commentary of the Rosh.
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וּלִּפא ,דיזֵמבּ הֶשׂוֹע םדא םִאֶשׁ ,הבוּשְׁתּ ירֲֵעַשׁבּ הנוֹי וּנבּרַ בַתכֶּשׁ וֹמכוּ *
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What I wrote above applies to the first four qualities. It also applies if
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the speaker makes his remarks in the presence of the person who is the הָשׂע וּלִּאכּ וֹל בָשׁחנ ,םיִמעְפּ המּכּ ,הָשׁוֹדְקּה הרָוֹתּ ןידִכּ אלֶֹּשׁ דחא רבדּ
subject of the Lashon Hara or Rechilut or even if they are made not in his לא !הֶתְּשִׁתּ לא :וֹל וּרְמאֶשׁ ריזנבּ )א"כ ףדּ( תוֹכּמִּמ היארְוּ ,ןיקִוּלח תוֹנוֲֹע
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presence. It applies only to the listener who accepts the comments as truth 9
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(also see the 2 halacha in the 6 Kelal of Hilchot Lashon Hara where the אוּהדּ טוּשׁפּ אליֵמִּמוּ .ןיקִוּלח תוֹנוֲֹע וּיה וּלִּאכּ ,תחא לכּ לע ביּח !הֶתְּשִׁתּ
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Chafetz Chayim elaborates on this subject). ,המוֹדּכו רפוֹשׁ וֹא בלוּל תליִטנִל המוֹדּ וֹניאו .ןדַידּ ןוֹדּנבּ הֵשֲׂע תוצִמבּ ןידּה
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