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Preface to המדקה
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל

I know its possible that there are people who have a will and a desire to אמוֹי ארָמגִמ וּנאבהֶשׁ וֹמכּ ,וּנֵתוּלגּ תבִּסל רקִּעה היה הזֶּשׁ
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find fault in their fellow Jew. They are so accustomed to speaking Lashon
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Hara that nothing will bring them back to Teshuvah. And when one of הז ןֵקַּתל הארְנ אלֶֹּשׁ המּכּ לכּ ןכּ םִא .ל"נּה יִמלַשׁוּריִמוּ
these people finds a leniency in my sefer, they will pay no attention to the
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details and conditions that permitted the leniency and will use it to permit םגפּ אְטחה הזֶּשׁ ןויכּ ,הלּאגּ תוֹיהִל לכוּתּ ךְיא ,אְטחה
other things that I never said. They will lie with no misgivings, claiming המּכו המּכּ תחא לע ,וּנצרְאֵמ וּניִלגּ הז ידֵי לעֶשׁ ,ךְכּ לכּ
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my book as a source for their lie. Nevertheless, I have expressed these
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leniencies for the benefit of the general public who are straightforward .וּנצרְאל אוֹבל וּנחינּמ וֹניאֶשׁ
and honest, with no hesitancy because of these few unscrupulous men.
Chazal have expressed this concept in Gemara Babba Batra (89b) (Rabban תֵעֵמ רבכִּמ תוּלגּ וּנילע רזגנֶּשׁ אוּה עוּדי אלֹה דוֹעו
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Yochanan Ben Zakai was initially hesitant to lecture on the subject of retail ָ ְ ָ ֵ ָ ַ ְ ִ ַ ָ ֲ
(weights and) measures fearing crooks might learn how to cheat customers -ו"כ ,ו"ק קרֶפּ( םיִלִּהְתִבּ בוּתכֶּשׁ וֹמכּ ,םיִלגּרְַמה הֵשֲׂעמ
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but decided to lecture) based on the pasuk “Hashem’s ways are straight,
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and righteous people will follow in that way” (Hoshea 14:10) םָתוֹרזלוּ םיוֹגּבּ 'וֹגו םָתוֹא ליִפּהל םהל וֹדי אָשּׂיּו" :)ז"כ
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I also know that there are people who want to minimize the importance תַשׁרָפּ שׁמּחבּ ן"בְּמרַהו םָשׁ י"ִשּׁרַ שׁרֵפֶּשׁ וֹמכוּ ,"תוֹצרָאבּ
of these laws, claiming in the name of Chazal that it is better to keep
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people ignorant so that any violations of the law are unintentional, rather ןוֹשׁל ןוֲֹע היה אלֹה םיִלגּרְַמה אְטחו )'א ד"י רבּדְִמּבּ( ,חלְשׁ
than teach them the law which would mean that any violations would then ןיִחרָכמ וּנא ןכּ םִא ).ו"ט ףדּ( ןיִכרֲָעבּ אָתיִאדּ וֹמכוּ ,ערָה
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be intentional and more severely punished. But the law is on my side ַ
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from two aspects: (1) Anything explicitly mentioned in the Torah is not .הלּאגּה םדֶקֹ אְטחה הז ןֵקַּתל
subject to the excuse “better to be kept ignorant.” This is the law stated
in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, section #608, paragraph # in the םידּרְנ לארְָשׂי וּיהיֶּשׁ ,םרֵוֹגּ הז ןוֹעֶשׁ ,שׁרָֹפְמ אצְמנ דוֹעו
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hagahah, and Lashon Hara and Rechilut are explicitly mentioned in the ִ ִ ֵ ִ ְ ִ ֶ ָ ָ ִ
Torah. ( ) If that line of reasoning was true (which it is not), then people עדַוֹנ ןכא" :)ד"י 'ב( תוֹמְשׁ תַשׁרָפבּ בוּתכֶּשּׁ המִּמ ,ךְרֶפבּ
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should not be taught the laws regarding theft, which are also quite detailed
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and difficult to uphold, as Chazal taught in Gemara Babba Batra (165a) שׁרָדְִמבּ שׁרָֹפְמ אצְמנ דוֹעו .םָשׁ י"ִשּׁרַ שׁוּרפבּ ןיּעו "רבדּה
(even though the gemara there states everyone is in violation of the esur of
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Lashon Hara, in fact it is only referring to Avak Lashon Hara). The benefit ,אוּה ךְוּרבּ שׁוֹדקּה רמא :)ד"י 'ו הבּרַ םירִבדּ( אצֵת תַשׁרָפּ הבּרַ
of studying all these laws is that if people make a sincere effort, they will יִתּקְלִּס - םכיניבּ ערָה ןוֹשׁל היהֶשׁ ידֵי לע הזּה םלוֹעבּ
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be saved from committing this sin and even the sin of Avak Lashon Hara.
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When the gemara says no one escapes violating the esur of Avak Lashon שׁרָֹפְמ ארָקְִמ דוֹעו .'וּכו אֹבל דיִתעל לבא םכיניבִּמ הניִכְשׁ
Hara it is referring to normal circumstances but if people make a sincere
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effort they will avoid this sin. Similarly, should we not learn the laws of ףסּאְתִהבּ ךְלמ ןוּרוּשׁיִב יִהיו" :)'ה ג"ל םירִבדּ( הכרָבּ תַשׁרָפבּ
Shabbat which are even more numerous, detailed and complex?
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אוּהו( ,םָשׁ י"ִשּׁרַ שׁרֵפוּ ,"לארְָשׂי יֵטבִשׁ דחי םע יֵשׁארָ
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Moreover, if these laws were too strict, then why did Chazal teach in ֵ ְ ְ ַ ֶ ֶ ָ ֵ
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Gemara Arachin (15b, 16a) the essential principles of Lashon Hara םהֶשׁכּ אקָודּ ?ןוּרוּשׁיִבּ ךְלמ אוּה יַתמיאֶשׁ ,)ירְִפִסּה רמאמ
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and bring examples illustrating these principles. Also from the text of הז רבדדּ עוּדיו ,תוֹדּגא תוֹדּגא אלֹו לארְָשׂי יֵטבִשׁ דחיבּ
the Torah this can be demonstrated. The pasuk reads “Remember what
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Hashem your G‑d did to Miryam.” Regarding this pasuk, the Ramban .ערָה ןוֹשׁל ידֵי לע אוֹבל ליגרָ
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