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Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Laveen - L4
ט-ח ואל - ןיואל

In particular (the concept of including the Aseh of “guard yourself” in the .ויפ ןושלב והכמ אוה וינפב אלש ךאו הבהאו
category of Lav, in) the Maharsha’s commentary on Gemara Shvu’ot (20a),
in his novella, that wherever there is also an aspect of a Lav, the subject ריהזה ל"זו ב"ש הוצמ ם"במרהל מ"הסב ןכ יתאצמש ה"בו
matter reverts back to its original rule, that whenever the Torah says “guard
yourself” it is a Lav. That being the case, then regarding Lashon Hara, אל ארפס ןושלו .'וכו ונתצק תא ונתצק אונשמ ונתוא
there is also an aspect of a Lav, namely, “Do not go around tale-bearing האנשה ול הארהשכ םנמא .בלבש האנשב אלא יתרמא
against another Jew” as the Rambam writes. Therefore “guard yourself”
here is describing a Lav. These remarks also apply to gossip \ Rechilut \ לע רבועו הז ואל לע רבוע וניא ותוא אנוש אוהש ועידוהו
tale-bearing because, in fact, gossip can also bring a person to a state of ם"במרה ראיבש ירה .ל"כע תבהאו רוטת אלו םוקת אל
Tza’ra’at as we can infer from the Gemara Arachin (16a) which states that
Tza’ra’at comes as a result of Lashon Hara that provoked a fight, as Rashi כ"ג בתכ ךוניחה ןכו 'וכו ועידוהו 'וכו ול הארהו שורפב
explains there that people were fighting among themselves because of this םינפוא 'דב ךייש אנשת אלד ואלו .ם"במרה לש הזה ןושלכ
person’s Lashon Hara and this also applies to Rechilut since it can lead to
a quarrel (and will result in Tza’ra’at). A further proof can be derived from .וינפב אלשו רפסמב קרו םינושארה
the incident involving Doeg Edomite who was punished with Tza’ra’at, as
the Gemara Sanhedrin teaches (106b) Doeg was a tale‑bearer (a “rauchel”),
as is cited in several places. םייחה רוקמ
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These rules \ laws of gossip apply even if the remarks are not made in the ואל לע )ט-ח( ןכּ םגּ רבוֹע רפּסְמהֶשׁ םיִמעְפִלו )ט-ח(
presence of the person who is the subject of this Rechilut. This concept is
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learned from the incident involving Miryam, whose remarks were not made האנִשׂ וֹל שׁיֶּשׁ ןוֹגכּ ,"רֹטִּת אלֹו םֹקִּת אלֹ"דּ )ח"י ט"י ארָקְיּו(
in the presence of her brother, Moshe Rabbeinu, as is brought down in the תליִאְשׁ רבדְִבּ הבוֹט וֹל תוֹשׂעל וּנּמִּמ שֵׁקִּבֶּשׁ ,רבדּ לע וילע
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Sifri (perashat Teh’tzeh). Even though the comment was not made to her
brother, still she was punished with Tza’ra’at. This punishment is certainly אלֹו )ם"ארְה םֵשׁבּ םייּח םימ ראבִבּ יִתּבַתכֶּשׁ וֹמכּ( הזבּ אצוֹיּכו ןוֹממ
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inflicted even if the remarks are truthful, as Chazal have commented, three
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people spoke truthfully, Doeg Edomite, the sons of Rimon Be’ah’ro’ti רחא האוֹרֶשׁכוּ ,וֹבִּלבּ האנִשׂ וֹל רֵטוֹנ הז רוּבֲעו ,וֹביִטיה
etc., etc., nevertheless they were all punished with Tza’ra’at, etc., etc.,
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and there is no difference between the esur of tale-bearing and the esur אוּהו .םיִשׁנא ינְפִבּ וֹמסרְפְמ ,יאנגּ רבדּ םוּשׁ וילע ךְכּ
of Lashon Hara. However, regarding the listener, some careful thought ,"רֹטִּת אלֹ"דּ ואל לע ,בלּבֶּשׁ הרָיִטנּה לע הלִּחְתִּמ רבוֹע
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must be given to a circumstance where the listener to this tale-bearing
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remains silent and does not encourage the speaker to talk, but still believes ירֵבדּה הז רוּבֲע וילע רפִּסו ,וּנּמִּמ םקֵוֹנֶּשׁכּ ךְכּ רחאו
the speaker’s remarks as truthful. He does violate the esur of accepting
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gossip as truth but the question that remains is whether or not he would be ךְירִצ אלּא ,"םֹקִּת אלֹ"דּ ואל לע רבוֹע ,וילע הארֶָשׁ תוּנגּ
punished with Tza’ra’at.
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.וֹבִּלִּמ רבדּה החְמיֶּשׁ
Mekor Hachayim םייח םימ ראב
הנמנ אוהו .'וכו םוקת אלד ואלב 'וכו םימעפלו )ט-ח(
L4. Additionally, both the speaker and the listener violate the
Lav (4) of (Vayikrah 19:14) “Placing a stumbling block in front תליאש רבדב םינפב יתבתכש המו .תוצמה ינומ לכל
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