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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Beit ‑ Halachah 1 ב הכלה - ב ללכ

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that reference). Meaning, that even if the offending words are made המכו המכ תחא לע רוסא תמא אוהש עדויד רפסמה המו
publicly, this person would still require atonement. And if you were to
suggest that any expression of degrading language made in the presence of .רוסאד תמא וריבח ול רפיס םא עדוי ןיאד לבקמהל
three people is exempt from the esur of Lashon Hara because of the rule of
“word will get out,” that inevitably these remarks will reach their intended ,דודל הלועל והובשחש הממ ,הזל תחרכומ היאר דועו
“victim” and saying them in front of three people is as if they were spoken
directly to him, then (based on this premise) certainly if they were spoken רביד םשו ,ערה ןושל דוד לביק )א"ע ו"נ( תבשב ורמאש
in front of a group of ten people the remarks would be exempt from the ףאו ,ארקב רמאנש ומכ תשוביפמ לע םיבר ינפב אביצ
esur of Lashon Hara and the concept of “public” means at least ten people,
as is taught in Gemara Sanhedrin (74b). (So then why does the gemara תוטישפב יכה אניד ןכ םג ערה ןושלב ,היה תוליכר םשד
say that Lashon Hara spoken in public needs atonement?) Therefore with אשת אלמ םתלבק רוסיא יקפנ ואל דחמד ,הלבק ןינעל
certainty it makes no difference either way (i.e., if language that degrades
someone is spoken in front of one person or in front of three people the ללכ ם"במרה ןכו ,הבושת ירעשב הנוי וניברה ש"מכ
remarks are prohibited because they violate the esur of Lashon Hara). ןיוש יאדווב ןכ םא ,לבקמ ןינעל דחא םשב והייוורתל

Moreover, in this circumstance where the speaker called the “victim” .הז ןינעל ןכ םג והייניד
a simpleton or a fool or some other similar expression of degradation,
the leniency of the Tosafot allowing these kinds of remarks to be made ךליל תוליכר ןינעל תופסותה תעד יפל טושפ ל"נו
because it is as though he made these remarks directly to the “victim” is
not relevant, because even to make the remarks directly to the “victim” םא ,הזב ןכ-םג יולת ,ךילע רביד ינולפ וריבחל דיגהלו
is forbidden by the Torah’s Lav of using hurtful \ abusive language. And עדוי וליפא רוסא יאדוד ,יאנג רבד וילע רמאש ול רפיס
even if you attempted to say that the Tosafot is referring to a case where
it would be permissible to approach the “victim” himself and say to him: ונייהד ,אתלת יפאב התע רפסמש וא .וינפב רמוא היהש
“Why did you do such-and-such to me,” and then insult him because of ןועמשל רמוא ןבוארש ןוגכ אוה רבודמ( רבודמה ינפב
what he did. For example, if someone was insulted needlessly, then most
certainly from the perspective of strict law it would be permissible to רבדמ וא רפסמ םשב ארקנ ןבואר ךכו ךכ ךילע רביד יול
answer him back (i.e., to answer back the person who made the insulting הזל היארו( םירחא םינש דוע ינפבו )רבודמה אוה ןועמשו
remarks) in exactly the same way (if not for the attribute of holiness, as
Chazal have taught (Gemara Yomah 23a) “Those people who are shamed רב הברו יסוי 'רד ארמימ תופסותה ימקול יכה ואל יאד
and don't shame back, and absorb insults and do not respond back (Shoftim
5:31) “will shine like the radiance of the sun at its peak strength.” And
it is in this (specific) circumstance that the Tosafot allows making these
remarks in the presence of at least three people, but not in the presence of and some remaining with Mephiboshet. At that moment Hashem decreed
the “victim” because those remarks would inevitably get back to the him that David's kingdom would similarly be divided; two tribes remained in
and it is as if the remarks were made directly to the “victim.” However, his kingdom, ruled by his grandson Rechavam Ben Shelomo and ten tribes
the attempt at this line of argument is wrong! The law does not allow formed a separate kingdom under the monarchy of Yerovam Ben Nevat.
All this is an example of the devastating consequences of believing the
Rechilut or Lashon Hara that one hears.
The Chafetz Chayim addresses this subject in Book 2 of Sefer Shemirat In this halacha the Rambam quotes Chazal as saying Lashon Hara kills
HaLashon in the discussion of the perek regarding the Meh’eel worn by three people: the speaker, the listener and the “victim,” and the listener is
th
the Kohein Gadol. punished most severely.

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