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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Beit ‑ Halachah 2 א הכלה - ב ללכ

of \ (is exempt from) [the esur of Rechilut]” but he is not coming to teach יאה ושריפש הב תיל ה"ד תופסותב ב"ע םש ןייעו
that an agent is allowed to repeat the Rechilut to the Beit Din, implying
that another person would be forbidden to do so, even in front of three רתומש הלחתכל ןינעל אנוה בר רב הברד אניד
people). (Do not say this!) Because in the Rambam’s commentary, in the תיא ארבח ךרבחד אתלת יפאב ערה ןושל רמול
th
th
25 chapter dealing with the laws pertaining to the Sanhedrin (6 halacha),
he explicitly says that the leniency is referring to the court’s agent, as I .יסוי 'רכ רתומד וינפב םירבדה רמא ולאכ יוהו היל
will explain with G‑d’s help further on. Similarly, it is apparent from אלד ,תופסותה ירבד דואמ השקי הרואכל הנהו
the Sheh’eltaut’s commentary on perashat Korach (130) that it refers to
the court’s agent. (Please see that reference). Another clear proof comes וליפא ינווג לכב ירקימ ליכר רקש רבדב יעבימ
from Gemara Sanhedrin (30a) (If a court defendant is acquitted based on )א"ע ו"מ( תובותכב אתיאדכ *וינפבו אתלת יפאב
a majority ruling of voting judges) what is the language of the acquittal
verdict? Rebbe Yochanan holds that the judges write the word “zakai \ ךלת אל רמול דומלת ,ןינמ ער םש איצומל הרהזא
acquitted,” since writing down the details of which judge ruled “guilty” אתיאדכו הוה ןיד תיב ינפב םתהו ,ךימעב ליכר
would violate the Lav of “Do not peddle gossip in society” even though
that minority judge signed his opinion to the verdict in front of the majority 'וכו הוה הינפבו 'וכו ןיד תיבל אב )א"י ףדב( םש
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judges, as this is clear from the Yerushalmi on this Mishnah. And since תא רמאו ה"לר אקספב אידהל ירפסב אתיאדכו
in front of him it is forbidden, then automatically there is no exemption if
spoken in the presence of three people. Notwithstanding this, the subject אלא םירבד רמוא ןיאש דמלמ יתחקל תאזה השאה
matter is very simple. וליפאו **שמוחב י"שרב ןכ םג אבוהו התדימעב
However if he told him (meaning, if Reuven tells Shimon) that “he” (Levi) רבידש רבדה םא וליפא אלא ,ירקימ ליכר יכה
said things about him, and that it is possible to understand the remarks as
not being Lashon Hara, then whether or not the remark is Rechilut depends 'א ללכב םיקסופה לכמ ונרריב אלה תמא אוה וילע
on how Reuven expressed those remarks. If he made the remarks in such a ,תמא לע וליפא אוה תוליכרו ערה ןושל רוסיאד
way that he would be embarrassed to say them to Shimon in front of Levi,
then the remarks are forbidden. But otherwise (but if he would make those
remarks directly in front of Levi), they would be permitted. Similarly, this
same rule would apply when the remarks were made to a group of three וריבחל תונגל רתומ היהי המל אלפי דואמ ןכ-םאו
people, (Reuven tells Shimon and two other people what Levi said about לע הרותה הדיפקהד ןניזחד ןויכ ,אתלת יפאב
Shimon); in this same circumstance the remarks would be permitted. ,אתלת יפאב והזבמ םא יוה יאמ ,וריבח לש ונויזב
This same general set of rules also applies regarding the acceptance of the
Rechilut (one who hears the gossip and accepts what he hears as truth). If לדגתיש ךירצ רתוי ינפב והזבמש לכ ,אברדא
the remarks are not degrading and the speaker (Reuven) would not have םירבד השרפב ירפסב אידהב אתיאדכו ,רתוי ןועה
been embarrassed to repeat them in front of the original speaker (Levi),
then the remarks are permitted for the listener to accept. But if not, if he הירב לכ העמש אל רבדה הרבדשכ םירמ המו
would be embarrassed to repeat them, the remarks would be forbidden to 'ה עמשיו רמאנש דבלב אוה ךורב שודקה אלא
accept, even if they were spoken in the presence of three people, as I wrote
above and brought proof from various pesukim, that in all circumstances it לע םיברב וריבח לש ותונגב רבדמה ,השנענ ךכ
is forbidden to accept Lashon Hara or Rechilut. השרפ ירפסב אתיא אנווג יאהכו ,המכו המכ תחא
Within the context of the Tosafot’s commentary, we have not found any לכד אידהל חכומש ירה ,ךתולעהב השרפבו אצת
leniency to go out and repeat to someone that “so-and-so said such-and-

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