Bots, Bureaucrats, Interface administrators, Suppressors, Administrators, wiki-admin, wiki-controller, wiki-editor, wiki-reader
1,190
edits
Lashon Hara: Difference between revisions
From Halachipedia
m
Text replacement - "S"A" to "Shulchan Aruch"
m (Text replacement - ". <ref>" to ".<ref>") |
m (Text replacement - "S"A" to "Shulchan Aruch") |
||
| (4 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
Lashon Harah is any form of speech or communication that may harm someone else emotionally, financially, physically or damage their general reputation.<ref>Rambam, Hilchot De’ot 7:5. Regarding reputation damage, cf. Chofetz Chaim, Hilchot Lashon Harah 1:1.</ref> The severity of Lashon Harah is so awesome that according to the Chafetz Chaim, violating the prohibition of Loshan Harah entails transgressing at least six negative | Lashon Harah is any form of speech or communication that may harm someone else emotionally, financially, physically or damage their general reputation.<ref>Rambam, Hilchot De’ot 7:5. Regarding reputation damage, cf. Chofetz Chaim, Hilchot Lashon Harah 1:1.</ref> The severity of Lashon Harah is so awesome that according to the Chafetz Chaim, violating the prohibition of Loshan Harah entails transgressing at least six negative biblical commandments and at least two positive commandments.<ref>Chofetz Chaim, Hilchot Lashon Harah, Peticha. The gemara Yerushalmi Peah 1:1 tells us that just like studying torah is equal to all other mitzvot, so is the sin of lashon hara equal to all other sins. The gemara Sota 42a says that people who speak lashon hara are included among those who are not permitted to greet the Shechinah. </ref> | ||
==General guidelines== | ==General guidelines== | ||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
==Listening to Lashon Harah== | ==Listening to Lashon Harah== | ||
#There is a | #There is a biblical prohibition of believing any form of Lashon Harah, even if the subject of discussion is present and does not deny what's being said about him.<ref>Chofetz Chaim, Hilchot Lashon Harah 7:1-2 from gemara in Pesachim 87b and 118a. See Rambam Sefer HaMitzvot 181 and Hilchot Sanhedrin 21:7, Sefer HaChinukh 74, Shaarei [[Teshuvah]] 303:211 </ref> | ||
#The one who accepts Lashon Hara is worse than the one who says it <ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 30:2 </ref>. | #The one who accepts Lashon Hara is worse than the one who says it <ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 30:2 </ref>. | ||
#Even if Lashon Harah is said for constructive purposes (and within the guidelines of what is allowed to be said), the listener may not wholeheartedly believe what is being said, but may only take precautions in dealing with the person about whom they have heard negative information. In addition, even if one has resolved not to believe Lashon Harah he might hear, it is still forbidden to continue listening to such conversation.<ref>Chofetz Chaim, Hilchot Lashon Harah 6:2. Rav Moshe Shternbuch Teshuvot Vihanhagot, 1:555 says that humans are incapable of such control and therefore explains that the prohibition of accepting lashon hara is only to have one's behavior toward the subject change as a consequence of having heard it. The mental acceptance however is permitted. </ref> | #Even if Lashon Harah is said for constructive purposes (and within the guidelines of what is allowed to be said), the listener may not wholeheartedly believe what is being said, but may only take precautions in dealing with the person about whom they have heard negative information. In addition, even if one has resolved not to believe Lashon Harah he might hear, it is still forbidden to continue listening to such conversation.<ref>Chofetz Chaim, Hilchot Lashon Harah 6:2. Rav Moshe Shternbuch Teshuvot Vihanhagot, 1:555 says that humans are incapable of such control and therefore explains that the prohibition of accepting lashon hara is only to have one's behavior toward the subject change as a consequence of having heard it. The mental acceptance however is permitted. </ref> | ||
| Line 31: | Line 31: | ||
##There must be no other way in which to achieve whatever constructive purposes saying the Lashon Harah will accomplish. | ##There must be no other way in which to achieve whatever constructive purposes saying the Lashon Harah will accomplish. | ||
##Even if all other criteria are fulfilled, one still may not say Lashon Harah if the damage caused to the person discussed will be greater than can be justified by the shortcoming in question. | ##Even if all other criteria are fulfilled, one still may not say Lashon Harah if the damage caused to the person discussed will be greater than can be justified by the shortcoming in question. | ||
#Rav Eliezer Melamed notes that the most critical condition is whether it is purposeful (to'elet) and important for the recipient to hear to save them from a potential pitfall. If one can't fulfill all seven conditions it is still permitted as long as it is for that purpose.<ref>[https://www.inn.co.il/news/444563 Rav Eliezer Melamed on Arutz Sheva]</ref> | |||
#On the listener's part, he or she may only act protectively as a result of negative information heard. However, one may not accept the information heard as fact and consequently express disdain or animosity toward the subject, but only take precautionary measures as needed. | #On the listener's part, he or she may only act protectively as a result of negative information heard. However, one may not accept the information heard as fact and consequently express disdain or animosity toward the subject, but only take precautionary measures as needed. | ||
#If someone sees another Jew sin and he believes that it will be more effective for his father or rebbe to rebuke him than if he were to do so himself then it is permitted to tell his father or rebbe.<ref>Chafetz Chaim, Hilchot Lashon Hara (ch. 10 fnt. 31 p. 175) based on Kiddushin 33a and Bechorot 30b</ref> | #If someone sees another Jew sin and he believes that it will be more effective for his father or rebbe to rebuke him than if he were to do so himself then it is permitted to tell his father or rebbe.<ref>Chafetz Chaim, Hilchot Lashon Hara (ch. 10 fnt. 31 p. 175) based on Kiddushin 33a and Bechorot 30b</ref> | ||
==Required form of Lashon Hara== | |||
#If one sees somebody going to steal from or damage his friend's property then one is obligated to inform his friend and not stand idly by. <ref> Shulchan Aruch 264:1. However, this is not the case if the person stealing or damaging is a minor (Yabia Omer 8:6; Hut HaShemi, page 354) </ref> | |||
==Permitted forms of eliciting Lashon Harah== | ==Permitted forms of eliciting Lashon Harah== | ||
