(יד) נְצֹ֣ר לְשׁוֹנְךָ֣ מֵרָ֑ע וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ מִדַּבֵּ֥ר מִרְמָֽה׃
(14) Guard your tongue from evil, your lips from deceitful speech.
Speculate on the reasoning for this caution. Why should we guard our tongues from evil? If no other person is affected than ourselves, is it still wrong?
(16) Do not go around as a tale-bearer with your countrymen. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am G!d.
Deceitful speech—in this case, gossip (rehilut)—is prohibited in the context of relationships. Is this verse saying anything substantively different from the first quote?
(א) לא תלך רכיל. אֲנִי אוֹמֵר עַל שֵׁם שֶׁכָּל מְשַׁלְּחֵי מְדָנִים וּמְסַפְּרֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרַע הוֹלְכִים בְּבָתֵּי רֵעֵיהֶם לְרַגֵּל מַה יִּרְאוּ רָע, אוֹ מַה יִּשְׁמְעוּ רָע, לְסַפֵּר בַּשּׁוּק, נִקְרָאִים הוֹלְכֵי רָכִיל — הוֹלְכֵי רְגִילָה, אשפיי"מנט בְּלַעַז.
(1) לא תלך רכיל THOU SHALT NOT GO ABOUT AS A TALE BEARER — I say that because all those who sow discord between people and all who speak slander go into their friends' houses in order to spy out what evil they can see there, or what evil they can hear there so that they may tell it in the streets —they are called הולכי רכיל which it the same as הולכי רגילה, "people who go about spying";
According to Rashi, tale-bearing is a perversion of one's sense of self-judgement. The tale-bearer/gossiper obsesses, perhaps distortedly, about the evil done by other people. What are the risks of casting, and then making public, judgements about other people?
אָסוּר לְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּת חֲבֵרוֹ אֲפִלּוּ עַל (א) אֱמֶת גָּמוּר וְזֶה נִקְרָא בְּפִי חֲזַ"ל בְּכָל מָקוֹם לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, (דְּאִם יֵשׁ בְּהַסִפּוּר שֶׁלּוֹ (ב) תַּעֲרוֹבוֹת שֶׁל שֶׁקֶר וַעֲבוּר זֶה נִתְגַּנָּה חֲבֵרוֹ יוֹתֵר הוּא בִּכְלַל מוֹצִּיא שֵׁם רָע וַעֲוֹנוֹ גָּדוֹל הַרְבֵּה יוֹתֵר), וְהַמְסַפֵּר עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט, טז): (ג) "לֹא תֵלֵךְ רָכִיל בְּעַמֶּיךָ", (ד) וְזֶה גַּם כֵּן בִּכְלַל רְכִילוּת הוּא.
It is forbidden to speak demeaningly of one's friend, even if it be absolute truth. And this is termed everywhere by Chazal "lashon hara." (For if there were in his words an admixture of falsehood, by which his friend is demeaned even more, this is in the category of "motzi shem ra" [spreading a false report], in which his sin is far greater). And the speaker [of lashon hara] transgresses a negative commandment, viz. (Vayikra 19:16): "Do not go talebearing among your people." And this [lashon hara] is also in the category of rechilut.
How would you react if the passage stated, "It is forbidden to speak praisingly of one's friend, even if it be absolute truth." Do you make a difference between friend, acquaintance, business partner, romantic/marital partner, and stranger on this point?
(א) אָסוּר לְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, אַף שֶׁהוּא אֱמֶת, אֲפִלּוּ בִּפְנִי יָחִיד. וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן בִּפְנִי רַבִּים. וְכָל שֶׁיִּתְרבּוּ הַשּׁוֹמְעִים, יִתְרבֶּה עֲוֹן הַמְסַפֵּר, מִפְּנִי שֶׁחֲבֵרוֹ מִתְגַּנְּה יוֹתֵר עַל יְדֵי זֶה, שֶׁנִּתְפַּרְסֵם גְּנוּתוֹ בִּפְנִי כַּמָּה אֲנָשִׁים, גַּם שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה מַכְשִׁיל כַּמָּה אֲנָשִׁים בְּאִסוּר שְׁמִיעַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע {הסכמת כל הפוסקים}.
Chofetz ChaimThe Prohibition Against Lashon Hara, Principle 2, Seif 1
It is forbidden to speak lashon hara against one's friend, even if it is true, even before one, and, more so, before many. And the more listeners, the greater the sin of the speaker; for his friend is more greatly demeaned thereby, his taint being publicized before several people. Also, in doing so, he makes several people go astray in the issur of listening to lashon hara.
The Chofetz Chaim is concerned with how individual violations of lashon hara risk leading others astray. Is the concern a basic emphasis on the necessity for honesty? Or is there, in addition, a particular concern for spiritual welfare herein implicated?
מבמערבא אמרי לשון תליתאי קטיל תליתאי הורג למספרו ולמקבלו ולאומרו
In the West (Palestine) they say "Lashon Hara kills three people: The speaker, the receiver and that of which is it is spoken"
Does it matter who "starts" or "instigates" the act of lashon hara? Do any of our previous sources inform our perspectives on this question?
וְאִם נֶאֶמְרוּ דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בִּפְנֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה כְּבָר נִשְׁמַע הַדָּבָר וְנוֹדַע. וְאִם סִפֵּר הַדָּבָר אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת אֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם לָשׁוֹן הָרַע. וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא יִתְכַּוֵּן לְהַעֲבִיר הַקּוֹל וּלְגַלּוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר:
If such evil be spoken in the presence of three persons, the matter is thereby considered public. Thus, if one of the three who heard it repeat it to others no sin of an evil tongue is found therein, provided that in re-telling it he had no intention to spread the rumor and advertise it still more.
Compare this quote to source five. On what basis does Rambam's view disagree with the Chofetz Chaim's?
(א) ונשמרת מכל דבר רע. . ודרשו רז"ל, מכל דבר רע אלו עריות ולשון הרע. עריות, ממה שכתוב ולא יראה בך ערות דבר, וזהו שאמר מכל דבר רע. לשון הרע הוא שאמר מכל דבר רע כלומר דבור רע, וזהו לשון הרע. ורצה הכתוב להזהיר על שתים אלה לפי שהן עבירות חמורות והשכינה מסתלקת בשבילן. מכאן אמר רבי פנחס בן יאיר זהירות מביאה לידי זריזות, זריזות מביאה לידי נקיות, נקיות מביאה לידי פרישות, פרישות מביאה לידי טהרה, טהרה מביאה לידי קדושה, קדושה מביאה לידי יראת חטא, יראת חטא מביאה לידי ענוה, ענוה מביאה לידי חסידות, חסידות מביאה לידי רוח הקודש.
(1) ונשמרת מכל דבר רע, ”you shall guard against anything evil.”Another meaning of דבר רע, is “using one’s tongue loosely, irresponsibly, לשון הרע, badmouthing others...” Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair (the epitome of piety) derives from the sequence of our verses here that care not to violate a negative commandment will lead to a person becoming eager in striving to fulfill positive commandments. This is turn will lead to one becoming ritually pure of body. The next stage of one’s spiritual ascent will be פרישות, suppression of sinful thoughts. This in turn will lead to a state of purity of spirit followed by the attainment of a level of sanctity. Having attained that level one will graduate to יראת חטא, an abhorrence of sin, which in turn will lead to the virtue of humility. Once a person has acquired this virtue he will progress to the virtue of piety which in turn will enable him to acquire holy spirit.
Reflect on Rabbeinu Bahya's order of spiritual development. Does the "care not to violate a negative commandment" seem to "lead to a person becoming eager in striving to fulfill positive commandments"? How so? What (possible) role does time and intentionality vis-a-vis time play in this scheme?
Olat Re’iyah vol. II, pp. 60-61
In qualitative terms, the heart’s inner holiness transcends entire worlds. But quantitatively, it may be overwhelmed and stifled by the rush of everyday life. Therefore, God provided us with a second, external gift: the power of holy speech. When we verbalize God’s holy words in Torah study and prayer, we are able to revive the dormant holiness of the inner heart. The lofty kernel, our true essence, is like a princess who was kidnapped against her will. We may rescue her by employing our faculty of holy speech. This is the secret power of speech when it articulates the hidden treasures residing in the soul.
What is your definition of holy speech? How may we each work on cultivating habits of holy speech?