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Preface to המדקה
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל

to the point where speaking Lashon Hara has become second nature תוּליגרְֶשׁ ידֵי לע ,ןרָוֹא טֵעמְמוּ ךְיִשׁחמוּ תוֹמלוֹעה לכבּ
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to people. They speak whatever comes to their mouths without
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giving any thought to their speech, without thinking that what they המּכּ הזּה ואלּה תא םיִלְפוֹכֶּשׁ ,םיִשׁנא המּכו המּכל אוּה
are saying might be Lashon Hara or gossip. They are so accustomed ,ןטקָ ןוֹע וּלִּפא יִכּ ,םהייּח יֵמיִבּ םיִמעְפּ םיִפלאו תוֹאֵמ
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to speaking in this sinful way, because our sins are so numerous,
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that many people think there is nothing wrong with it at all. They ,הלגֲעה תוֹבֲעכּ ףוֹסּבל הָשֲׂענ אוּה םיִמעְפּ הבּרְה ליִפּכיֶּשׁכּ
will even say something that is apparent to everyone as being אוָשּׁה ילבחבּ ןוֹעה יכְשׁוֹמ יוֹה" :)ח"י 'ה( היְעַשׁי חוצֶּשׁ וֹמכּ
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unquestionably Lashon Hara or gossip, for example, speaking badly
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about a fellow Jew and utterly degrading him. And if someone וּנּלְפּכיֶּשׁכּ ,יִשׁמּה טוּחֵמ לָשׁמּהו ."האטח הלגֲעה תוֹבֲעכו
were to ask them “Why did you speak Lashon Hara or gossip?” דצִּמ רוּמח אוּהֶשׁ הזּה אְטחבּ ןכֶּשׁ לכו ,םיִמעְפּ תוֹאֵמ המּכּ
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they would think to themselves that this person (the listener who
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asked the question) is trying to paint this speaker of Lashon Hara as םיִשׁנא הבּרְהו הבּרְה וילע רֹבֲעל ןיִליגרְוּ ,דֹאְמ דע וֹמצע
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being a Tzadik or pious fellow and the speaker will refuse to accept
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the rebuke and will ignore the reprimand since he sees that Lashon ןמצע לע ןיִלבּקְַמ ןיאו ,םהייּח יֵמיִבּ םיִמעְפּ םיִפלא המּכבּ
Hara is trivialized by so many people, because of the very many ןיאל אוּה הלְעמל לוּקלִקּה יאדּובֶּשׁ ,וּנּמִּמ רֵמָשִּׁהל ללכּ
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sins of our society.
.רוּעִשׁ
The main reason for the problem comes from the fact that there is
not one central source that explains and elaborates on the laws of .רייא ג"כ ,טבש ד"י ,ירשת 'ד - תרבועמ הנש .ןויס 'ד ,טבש 'ד ,ירשת 'ד - הטושפ הנש :ימוי חול
Lashon Hara and gossip. Nothing exists that explains the qualities
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and nuances (of these laws) in all of their details. These laws are לכּ רקֵפה הזּה ואלּה הָשֲׂענ ןיאֵמ ,תאֹז תעדַל הבְשַּׁחֲאו
scattered throughout Shas and the Rishonim. Even the Rambam המּכִּמ אוּה הזֶּשׁ יִתּננוֹבְּתִהו .םדא ינבּ הבּרְה יניֵעל ךְכּ
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in the perek of Hilchot De’Aut and Rabbeinu Yonah in Shaare
th
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Teshuvah, both of whom paved the way for us in leading through ןוֹמהה .רחא דצִּמ םידְִמוֹלּהלוּ דחא דצִּמ ןוֹמהל ,תוֹבִּס
this body of law, wrote their commentaries in a very concise style as ,תמא לע וּלִּפא אוּה ערָה ןוֹשׁל רוּסִּאֶשׁ ללכּ םיִעדְוֹי םניא
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was the custom of the Rishonim. Also, there were many details of
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law that they did not discuss, as the reader will soon come to see. םהל תֵמּאְתנו םהל ררֵבְּתנֶּשׁ םָתוֹא ףא הרָוֹתּ ילֲעבּהלוּ
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רציּהֶשׁ המּכּ םהֵמ שׁי ,תמא לע וּלִּפא ערָה ןוֹשׁל רוּסִּאֶשׁ
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Daily Halacha: 5 Tishri, 5 Shevat, 5 Sivan; Leap Year- 5 Tishri, 15 Shevat, 24 Eyar
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ביִשׁחמ ףכֵתֶּשׁ ,דחא .םירִחא םינפבּ םָתוֹא העְטמ ערָה
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Therefore I have strengthened myself for this task, with the help of
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G‑d who endows man with intelligence, and I have assembled all of ,ףנוֹחל וילע רפּסְמ אוּהֶשׁ שׁיִאה תא וינוֹיֲערַבּ ערָה רציּה
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the laws pertaining to Lashon Hara and Rechilut into one volume. I םיִמעְפוּ .םיִעָשׁרְהו םיִפנחה תא םסרְפל הוצִמ וֹל רֵמוֹאו
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have collected them from all of the scattered places throughout Shas
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and the Authorities who codified the law, in particular, from the ןוֹשׁל רפּסל רָתּמוּ תקֶלֹחמ לעבּ אוּה ינוֹלְפּ אלֹה :וֹל רֵמוֹא
Rambam, the Se’Mag (of blessed memory) and Rabbeinu Yonah’s אָתלְתּ יפּאדּ ארֵָתּהבּ וּהֵתּפְמ אוּה םיִמעְפִלו .וילע ערָה
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Shaare Teshuvah. They have illuminated our eyes and made us
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,)רבּדְֻמה ינְפִבּ( ארָמ יפּאדּ ארֵָתּהבּ םיִמעְפוּ ,)הָשלְֹשׁ ינְפִבּ(
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volume.1 volume.1