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די קרפ
Preface
םייח ץפח
Chafetz Chayim הרימשה תבוח סרטנוק .םֶהיֵניֵעְבּ דָבֻּכְמ הֶיְהִיְו ,וּהוּאְשַּׂנְיֶּשׁ ידְֵכּ ,תוֹנֻּגְמַהְו תֶלֶהקֹ( קוּסָפַּה לַע ).ט"פ ןיִלֻּח( ל"ַזֲח וּרְמָאֶשׁ וֹמְכוּ ,ויָשֲׂעַמ יִפְל ךֶָבָבְל םרְָו" :)ד"י 'ח םירִָבְדּ( בוּתָכֶּשׁ וֹמְכּ ,ג"ַירְַתּ ןַיְנִמִּמ הֶשֲׂעַת אלֹ אוּהֶשׁ ,הֶזַּה ןוָֹעֶה רֶמֹחְבּ ןֵנ
Kuntres Chovat HaShemirah הרימשה תבוח סרטנוק
14 chapter די קרפ
th
you should put a knife to your throat” (meaning, be very careful רַמָאְו .תַעַמְשִׁנ וֹתָלִּפְתּ ןיֵאֶשׁ אָלֶּא דוֹע אלְֹו ."ףָא וּמיִשָׂי
in what you say).
יֵעְמִבֶּשׁ ןירִָבֻּע וּלִּפֲא ,הָפֻּנֲח וֹבּ שֵׁיֶּשׁ םָדָא לָכּ :רָזָעְלֶא 'ר
(Emphatically) How correct and appropriate it is for man to
distance himself from associating with groups of people who עָשׁרְָל רֵמֹא" :)ד"כ ד"כ יֵלְשִׁמ( רַמֱאֶנֶּשׁ ,וֹתוֹא ןיִלְלּקְַמ ,ןָמִּא
engage in idle conversation, because in so doing he will save בוֹק ןיֵאְו ."םיִמֻּאְל וּהוּמָעְזִי םיִמַּע וּהֻבְקִּי ,הָתָּא קיִדַּצ
his Nefesh from profound sins; Lashon Hara, Rechilut, mockery,
embarrassing language and many other forbidden forms of speech ןיֵאְו ."לֵא ה ֹּבקַ אלֹ" :)'ח ג"כ רָבּדְִמַּבּ( רַמֱאֶנֶּשׁ ,הָלָלקְ אָלֶּא
such as these. I have already explained in my Introduction to Sefer םֹאְלִמ םֹאְלוּ" :)ג"כ ה"כ תיִשׁארְֵבּ( רַמֱאֶנֶּשׁ ,ןירִָבֻּע אָלֶּא םוֹאְל
Chafetz Chayim, quoting the will of Rebbe Eliezer the Great to
his son Hurkanos, not to associate (even passively) with groups לֵפוֹנ ,הָפֻּנֲח וֹבּ שֵׁיֶּשׁ םָדָא לָכּ :רָזָעְלֶא 'ר רַמָאְו ."ץָמֱאֶי
of people who speak Lashon Hara and degrade their fellow Jews םיִליִהְבַמ םירִָמֲאַמ הָמַּכּ ארָָמְגַּבּ דוֹע םָשׁ ןֵיַּעְו ,םֹּנִהיֵגַּבּ
because even if he remains quiet, his presence there will cause
him to be written Above as being a member of a group of evil .דֹאְמ הֶזִּמ קַחרְִי וֹשְׁפַנ רֵמוֹשַּׁה ןֵכּ לַעְו .הֶז ןָיְנִעְבּ
people. Especially if he finds himself in a position where it will
be difficult for him not to stumble in some type of forbidden ש ש ש
language, the wise person who has foresight will not let down his יִשִּׁשׁ קרֶֶפּ 'םיִמָתּ תַפְשׂ' סרְֵטְנוֹקְבּ רָאֹבְמ רקֶֶשׁ תוֹדוֹאְו
guard and will discipline the words that come out of his mouth.
.הֶז רוּסִּא גוּסְל םיִכָיַּשַּׁה םיִנָיְנִעָה לָכּ
ש ש ש
ש ש ש
Additionally, one must be careful to avoid language that is
flattering \ manipulative, namely, if one sees his fellow Jew הרָיִכְזַּה רַעַשְׁבּ ןוֹשָׁלַּה תרַיִמְשִׁבּ רָאֹבְמ תקֶלֲֹחַמ תוֹדוֹאְו
doing something or saying something that is inappropriate to his
“friend,” it is not enough that one does not rebuke his fellow Jew, .הֶז רוּסִּא גוּסְל םיִכָיַּשַּׁה םיִנָיְנִעָה לָכּ ז"י ,ז"ט ,ו"ט קרֶֶפּ
but he exacerbates the problem by flattering him and telling his ש ש ש
fellow Jew that what he did or said to his “friend” was correct.
Even if one merely adds some words in support of his fellow Jew, ןָמיִסִּמ הָנוֹי וּנֵבּרְַל הָבוּשְׁתּ ירֲֵעַשְׁבּ ןֵיַּע ,תוּנָציֵל תוֹדוֹאְו
those remarks are categorized as flattery and are a very serious
sin. This person now falls into one the four groups of people
that will not merit welcoming the presence of the Shehchinah
(Gemara Sotah 42a). These four groups are the group of liars, the must continually strengthen himself not to allow a lie to leave his mouth,
because even if there is no deceit buried within the lie, it is nevertheless
group of cynics (people who mock the Torah and its adherents), an extremely despicable character trait and by virtue of lying one will
the group of people who speak Lashon Hara and the group of defile his lips which are the tool created within man for the purpose of
flatterers. This teaching of the gemara has its source in the text praising HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Please see Sefer Shemirat HaLashon,
(Eyov 13:16) “A flatterer shall not appear in His presence,” and Shaar HaZechirah, 10th perek where we elaborated on this subject. These
in the opinions of some Geonim (the gaon Tosafotist Rebbe words of admonishment are sufficient for any thoughtful person who listens
to them to constantly be careful when speaking not to cause his speech to
Eliezer from Mitz and Rebbe Shelomo Ibn Gevirol) it is a Lav of become defective by virtue of lying.
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