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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Aleph ‑ Halachah 8 ד הכלה - א ללכ

good wife) or in the category of “motzei” (referring to having found a bad םייח םימ ראב
wife). Regarding a good wife, the pasuk in Mishle (18:22) uses the term
“matza” (past tense), as the pasuk states “One who has found a wife has ם"במרב ראובמ אוה הז לכ .'וכו דימת ןיליגרש )ה(
found goodness.” But regarding a bad wife, the pasuk in Kohelet (7:26)
uses the term “motzei” (present tense), as it states “and I have found the .םש הנשמ ףסכבו
woman to be more bitter than death.” But this is Lashon Hara and it is
forbidden even if it is spoken in riddle and hinting terms. Even if it is true,
it is forbidden since no future benefit can come from the discussion, as will םייחה רוקמ
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be explained further on in the end of the 10 Kelal. It makes no difference
if the discussion is about this person’s own wife or someone else, as will םדאה ןִמ ןיִערְָפנ תוֹרבֲע שׁלָֹשׁ לע :ל"זח וּרְמא )ו( .ד
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be explained in the 8 Kelal, (2 halacha).
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הדוֹבֲע :ןה וּלּאו ,אבּה םלוֹעל קלח וֹל ןיאו ,הזּה םלוֹעבּ
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Based on the Rambam’s opinion (Hilchot De’Aut, 7 perek, 5 halacha),
that information which is commonly known to a group of at least three דגנ ערָה ןוֹשׁלו ,םיִמדּ תוּכיִפְשׁוּ תוֹירֲָע יוּלּגו הרָז
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people and then told to another person afterwards is not called Lashon
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Hara as long as there is no intention to broaden the scope of people who וּשׁרְפוּ ,םיִבוּתכּה ןִמ היארְ הז לע ל"זח וּאיִבהו .ןלּכּ
already know this information. It is possible to answer the question raised
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from the Gemara Berachot (8a), that it is common that an evil woman ,תוּדיִמְתִבּ הז ןוֹעבּ וּלגּרְהֶשׁ וּלּא לע הנוּכּהדּ ,םינוֹשׁארִה
who can be described as being more bitter than death is definitely already הָשֲׂענֶּשׁ ינְפִּמ ,וּנּמִּמ רֵמָשִּׁהל םמצע לע םיִלבּקְַמ ןיאו
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known to be such a person by at least three people. Thus a husband who
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remarks about his wife’s evil disposition and in so doing has no intent to .רֵתּהכּ םלצא רבדּה
broaden the circle of people who already know this information does not
transgress the esur of Lashon Hara.
So too in Gemara Yevamot (63b) “Chiyya the son of Rav said to Rav (his םייח םימ ראב VOL-1
father), what is an example of the statement of the pasuk “I have found a
woman who is more bitter than death” and he answered, “like your mother.” ןיואל ג"מסהו ,םש ם"במרה ןושל .ל"זח ורמא )ו(
Based on the rule in the preceding paragraph, it can be understood why
this is not Lashon Hara. Moreover, Chiyya Bar Rav who very well knew אתיא ארמימה לכ טעמכו ,האפד אתפסותב אוהו 'ט
his mother’s temperament must have asked only to learn the limit of what ארמגבד ךא .ש"יע ארמגב ):ו"ט ףד( ןיכרעב ןכ םג
constitutes a “bad wife” and his father answered “your mother.” One must
necessarily say that Rav’s motivation was only to explain the pasuk and תוירע יוליגו הרז הדובעמ רומחש םתס אתיא ןדיד
not to tell his son something derogatory about her. This is comparable to קלח ול ןיאד ראבמ אתפסותהו םימד תוכיפשו
someone who makes this kind of comment but only in order that something
beneficial should come from it (and thus the remark is permissible), as is קרפב ימלשוריב ןכ םג ונשי הז רבדו .אבה םלועל
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explained further on in the 10 Kelal (4 halacha).
.ש"יע האפד 'א
(K1/8/3)-(14).. In all means of expression: Meaning, even if one
does not actually speak or write something defamatory about someone לע ונושל הזו רחא חסונב תצק אוה ימלשוריב ךא
else but shows people correspondence written by that person to him and
it is apparent from the writings of that person that he is not a Chacham punished in this world and he will lose his share in Olam Haba, and Lashon
or learned or the correspondence demonstrates something comparably Hara is compared to all of these three sins.
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