עוֹד רָאִיתִי לִכְתֹּב דָּבָר אֶחָד בְּפֵרוּשׁ מִפְּנִי שֶׁרָאִיתִי שֶׁהַרְבֵּה אֲנָשִׁים מֻרְגָּלִין בָּזֶה, וְהוּא כְּשֶׁדּוֹרֵשׁ אֶחָד בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ אָסוּר עַל פִּי הַדִּין לְהַלְעִיג מִמֶּנּוּ וְלוֹמַר, שֶׁאֵין בִּדְרָשׁוֹתָיו מַמָּשׁ וְשֶׁאֵין מַה לִּשְׁמֹעַ, וּבַעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים, רָאִינוּ שֶׁהַרְבֵּה אֲנָשִׁים פְּרוּצִּין בָּזֶה, וְלֹא יַחְשְׁבוּ הַלַּעַג הַזֶּה לְאִסוּר כְּלָל, וְעַל פִּי הַדִּין הוּא לָשׁוֹן הָרָע גְּמוּרָה, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי דִּבּוּר כָּזֶה מָצּוּי הוּא שֶׁגּוֹרֵם הֶזֵּק לַחֲבֵרוֹ בְּמָמוֹנוֹ וְכַמָּה פְּעָמִים צַעַר וּבִיּוּשׁ גַּם כֵּן, כִּי לוּ יְהִי שֶׁהוּא דְּבַר אֱמֶת, הֲלֹא לָשׁוֹן הָרָע אָסוּר אֲפִלּוּ עַל אֱמֶת, כִּי מַה תּוֹעֶלֶת מְכַוֵּן הַמַּלְעִיג וּמִתְלוֹצֵּץ אַחַר זֶה בְּלֵיצָּנוּתוֹ, כִּי אִם בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ הוּא, אַדְּרַבָּה, צָרִיךְ לְיַעֵץ לוֹ אַחַר כָּךְ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְּמוֹ וּלְהַעֲרִיךְ לְפָנָיו, שֶׁיֹּאמַר בָּאֳפָנִים אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁבְּאֹפֶן זֶה שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר עַתָּה, אֵין דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָּעִים, וּבְעֵצָּה זוֹ הָיָה מְּקַיֵּם גַּם כֵּן "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ", וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ עַל יְדֵי זֶה לְלַעַג בְּפִי הַבְּרִיּוֹת, (כה) וְלֹא מְהַנִּי בָּזֶה הֶתֵּרָא דְּאַפֵּי תְּלָתָא * כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְתִּי הֵיטֵב בִּבְאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים.
I have also found it fitting to write of another thing explicitly, for I have found many people to be habituated to it. That is, when someone lectures in the house of study it is forbidden according to the din to mock him and to say that there is nothing to his lectures and there is nothing to hear. And in our many sins we see many people to be remiss in this, not considering this mockery as an issur at all. But according to the din it is absolute lashon hara. For through such speech it often happens that he causes monetary loss to his friend, and, sometimes, pain and shame, too. For even if it were true, lashon hara is forbidden even if true. For what benefit does this mocker and jester hope to gain by his levity? If he is a sincere person, to the contrary, he should counsel him [the lecturer] afterwards, in private, and suggest other ways to present his lecture. For in his present approach [mockery], his words are not attended to; and by this [the above] counsel [to the lecturer] he would also fulfill (Vayikra 19:18): "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself." In any event, he should not render him a mockery in the mouths of men. And the heter of apei telata is of no avail here as I have clearly explained in the Be'er Mayim Chayim.