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Lashon Hara: Difference between revisions
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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.</ref> | 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== | ||
# It’s forbidden to speak about anything negative about a fellow Jew even if it’s true. This prohibition is called Lashon Hara. When communicating something false about another person, an even more severe sin is committed, that of Motzei Shem Ra (lit. producing a bad name for someone else). <Ref>Rambam Deot 7:2, Chafetz Chaim (Lashon Hara 1:1) </ref> | # It’s forbidden to speak about anything negative about a fellow Jew even if it’s true. This prohibition is called Lashon Hara. When communicating something false about another person, an even more severe sin is committed, that of Motzei Shem Ra (lit. producing a bad name for someone else). <Ref>Rambam Deot 7:2, Chafetz Chaim (Lashon Hara 1:1) </ref> | ||
