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only the Mekor Hachayim but the be’er Mayim chayim as well.
the idea appealed to me and i began translating it as well.
introduction to the english translation of
Sefer Chafetz Chayim you don’t what strength there is in the power of a word, what
it could do and where it could lead. a week or so after this
all happened, my wife called me with a doctor’s report of our
the halachot of esurei lashon Hara and esurei rechilut are not
intuitive, they are detailed, complex and require concentrated daughter; Mazal was diagnosed with breast cancer in an advanced
study at a level no different than the study of the laws of shabbat, stage. Who could ever have thought a young mother of 29 with
th
Kashrut or business practices. The holy Chafetz Chayim four little children would have cancer. it was the 11 of av 5761
writes in the introduction to his sefer of halacha, sefer chafetz and on that day this whole project took on an entirely different
chayim, that the longevity of the bitter galut is a consequence importance and the learning of the sefer became an instrument of
of our attitude towards our fellow Jew and the way that attitude petition to HaKadosh Baruch Hu to spare Mazal’s life. Hashem
manifests itself in expressing ourselves to each other. there are blessed us with great strength to do what needed to be done.
several reasons for this. the chafetz chayim goes on to say in With no depression and great optimism, chodesh elul was
his introduction to this sefer: “the main reason for the problem approaching and we would beg our father in intimate prayer to
comes from the fact that there is not one central source that cure Mazal and allow her to lead a normal, long life. each of us
explains and elaborates on the laws of lashon Hara and rechilut. focused on what was important; Mazal focused on nurturing her
nothing exists that explains the qualities and nuances (of these family, my wife focused on Mazal’s every medical need with our
laws) in all of their details. these laws are scattered throughout friends and acquaintances supporting us in every constructive
shas and the rishonim. even the rambam in the seventh perek way imaginable.
of Hilchot de’aut and rabbeinu yonah in shaare teshuvah, both
of whom paved the way for us in leading through this body of at a point where the translation reached a complete unit i would
law, wrote their commentaries in a very concise style as was the make copies of it and put it into 3-ring binders and distribute
custom of the rishonim. also, there were many details of law them to the men in my daily gemara shiur in the ateret torah
that they did not discuss, as the reader will soon come to see. beit Midrash. as more halachot were completed they would
be added to their binders. My good friend and neighbor, Mr.
therefore i have strengthened myself for this task, with the Help Kalman Silberstein began reviewing these notes for content and
of g-d who endows man with intelligence, and i have assembled accuracy and we developed a regular shiur in reviewing the text.
all of the laws pertaining to lashon Hara and rechilut into one My friends, who are part of the ateret torah community were
volume. i have collected them from all of the scattered places a constant support; shmuel shamula gave me great chizuk and
throughout Shas and the Authorities who codified the law, in as questions came up I would repeatedly go to Rafi Kishik and
particular, from the rambam, the se’Mag (of blessed memory) refael attie for help in understanding the text. for a while i met
and rabbeinu yonah’s shaare teshuvah. they have illuminated regularly with my son, Rabbi Mordechai Levy to clarify the flow
our eyes and made us aware of these laws. i have also collected of the text. on several occasions when the p’shat of the text was
the pertinent laws from the responsa of the Ma’Harik and other difficult for me to understand I went to Rabbi Yaakov Konigsberg
responsa relevant to this subject. I have divided this book into for explanation. throughout all of these events my friend Mr.