Chafetz Chaim

Laws of Lashon Hara · Section 85 of 216

כלל ז י״א

Principle 7 11from Chafetz Chaim

1 Hebrew paragraphs · 1 English

Aa
1

וְדַוְקָא אִם הֵם נִכָּרִים מַמָּשׁ, דְּהַיְנוּ (כו) שֶׁהֵם מַגִּיעוֹת לְעִנְיַן הַסִפּוּר, וְגַם רָאָה אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הַנִּכָּרִים בְּעַצְמוֹ. אֲבָל אִם הֵם רְחוֹקִין מִזֶּה רַק הוּא כְּעֵין דָּבָר הַנִּכָּר קְצָת, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הַנִּכָּרִים בְּעַצְמוֹ (כז) רַק שְׁמָעָן מִפִּי אֲחֵרִים, אֵין לוֹ בָּזֶה שׁוּם יִתְרוֹן כְּלָל.

And this applies only if they are real indications; that is, only if they relate directly to the story, and he saw them himself. But if they are far from it [the story] and are only slight indications, or if he did not see them himself, but only heard about them from others, he has no advantage in this [towards acceptance] at all.

Hebrew text licensed CC BY-SA. English translation by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein, licensed CC BY.