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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס 12 VOL-1
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Beit ‑ Halachah 2 א הכלה - ב ללכ

the intonation of the speaker at the time he was making his remarks. With םושמ אוה ארמגה תנווכד רמול אוה לודג קחודו
only a little change in his expression the speaker can change the entire
storyline to be either degrading or not degrading. Included in this category ןיד תיבל רפסמש אניד יבד אחולשד אנימא יוהד
are statements that are Avak Lashon Hara, meaning, that when expressed םעטה ךייש אל והייבגל םיבושח םישנא םהש
simply they can be understood as being inappropriate (but not totally
derogatory). Such statements are permissible if the speaker expresses רומח אוהד אנימא יוה ןכ לעו .'וכו ארבח ךרבחד
them in a way in which he would not be ashamed to say them directly in תורוהל אב אברד םיקסופהו ארמגמ עמשמד ,יפט
front of the victim. But if the speaker’s expression is such that it is obvious ,אניד יבד אחולשב אלוק
his remarks are meant to be understood derisively and that he would not
say them directly to the victim, then the remarks would be forbidden. But אחולשד היאר איבהל ארמגה תנווכד רמול ןיאו
when talking about an issue which is totally denigrating, it would not be
possible to make a distinction between the way it was expressed (and to וליפא רפסל רתומ אוהד הזב ףידע אניד יבד
permit it or forbid it based on that expression) since there would be no way יתיימ היאר המ ןכ םאד ,וניא הזד ,דחא ןייד ינפל
to express it in a manner which would be permitted.
םש רמאש ומכ ןידל ונימזה אלהו ה"ע וניבר השממ
Now I will lay out in front of you the words of the Gemara Babba Batra and אמתסמו 'וכו ןידל ןנינמזמד ןלנמו ארמגב םדוקמ
Gemara Arachin and interpret them based on the Tosafot’s commentary. ל"ז םרמאמכו ידיחי ןד ה"ע וניבר השמ היה אל
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This is the language of the gemara (Arachin 15b): “Rabbah said, any
remarks made directly to the person who is the subject of those remarks ויה תוחפלו השמ לש ןיד תיבמ אצי תומוקמ המכב
are exempt from the esur of Lashon Hara. Abaye responded to him (in רפסל חילשל רתוה ןכ םושמד אמיאו אתלת יפאב
opposition): “And most certainly these remarks are arrogant and are
Lashon Hara!” Rabbah answered him: “I hold like Rebbe Yossi who said: תמא אוהש ומצעב עדוי אוהש המ םהינפל הז רבד
“I never had to retract anything that I said.” According to the Tosafot, this הלעמ םוש אהי אל לבא םריבאו ןתד והופריחש
is the meaning of the gemara’s words: Initially, when Rabbah said his
statement (“anything said directly to that person”) Abaye held the opinion יאדו אלא ,אמלעד שניאמ אניד יבד אחולשל
that Rabbah was discussing actual Lashon Hara and so he responded ינווג לכב יוה אשיב אנשילד ארמגהל היל אריבסד
“And most certainly these remarks are arrogant and are Lashon Hara!” הז רבד רפסמ אוהו תמא אוהש ומצעב עדויד ףא
So Rabbah responded to Abaye that he was not referring to speaking
actual Lashon Hara but that he only meant it in the same sense as Rebbe .אניד יבד אחולש ואל יא םישנא 'גל
Yossi, and this is what Rebbe Yossi meant: “Never once did I say even
the smallest thing regarding any matter that related to my colleagues, in
no instance did I ever say even the smallest thing in a manner that I would
later have to retract it.” (Afterwards, with G‑d’s help, I found this same
idea expressed in the Maharsha’s commentary on Gemara Arachin and
in the writings of several of our Early Authorities and Later Authorities).
Based on what we have said, we can now appreciate the praise that the

Rabbah, per the text version of the Shetah Mekubetzet.

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