The Power of Speech
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Share(טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃
(16) Do not go about as a talebearer among members of your people. Do not stand upon (i.e. stand idly by) the blood of your fellow [Israelite]: I am יהוה.
(יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃
(17) You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kin but incur no guilt on their account.
Rashi on Leviticus 19:16:
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"...
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 19:16:
The meaning of I am the Lord is, I see what you do in secret.
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"...
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 19:16:
The meaning of I am the Lord is, I see what you do in secret.
(יג) מִֽי־הָ֭אִישׁ הֶחָפֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים אֹהֵ֥ב יָ֝מִ֗ים לִרְא֥וֹת טֽוֹב׃ (יד) נְצֹ֣ר לְשׁוֹנְךָ֣ מֵרָ֑ע וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ מִדַּבֵּ֥ר מִרְמָֽה׃ (טו) ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב בַּקֵּ֖שׁ שָׁל֣וֹם וְרׇדְפֵֽהוּ׃
(13) Who is the man who is eager for life,
who desires years of good fortune? (14) Guard your tongue from evil,
your lips from deceitful speech. (15) Shun evil and do good,
seek integrity and pursue it.
Note: The Hebrew phrase chafetz chayim, translated above as “eager for life,” is the title of the most well-known volume about lashon hara, published in 1873 by Yisrael Meir Kagain (Polish 19th century Rabbi who became known as the Chafetz Chayim).
(א) לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא אַל־תָּ֤שֶׁת יָֽדְךָ֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע לִהְיֹ֖ת עֵ֥ד חָמָֽס׃
(1) You must not carry false rumors; you shall not join hands with the guilty to act as a malicious witness:
There are 3 categories of malicious (prohibited) speech:
1) Talebearing (rechilut): The act of spreading anything about another person that may cause them emotional, physical, or financial harm (no bad intent)
2) Evil speech (lashon hara): The act of saying anything negative about another person, even if true (bad intent)
3) Defamation (motzi shem ra): The act of saying anything negative about another person that is false
Over time, these categories came to be classified generally as lashon hara.
1) Talebearing (rechilut): The act of spreading anything about another person that may cause them emotional, physical, or financial harm (no bad intent)
2) Evil speech (lashon hara): The act of saying anything negative about another person, even if true (bad intent)
3) Defamation (motzi shem ra): The act of saying anything negative about another person that is false
Over time, these categories came to be classified generally as lashon hara.