Human Dispositions Chapter 7

הַמְרַגֵּל בַּחֲבֵרוֹ עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט טז) "לֹא תֵלֵךְ רָכִיל בְּעַמֶּיךָ". וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין לוֹקִין עַל דָּבָר זֶה עָוֹן גָּדוֹל הוּא וְגוֹרֵם לַהֲרֹג נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. לְכָךְ נִסְמָךְ לוֹ (ויקרא יט טז) "וְלֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ". צֵא וּלְמַד מָה אֵרַע לְדוֹאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי:

One who spies on his fellow transgresses a negative commandment, as it states (Leviticus 19:27), "Do not go talebearing among your people." And even though we do not give lashes on the thing, it is a great transgression and it causes the killing of many souls in Israel. Therefore, it is adjacent [in the same verse] to, "do not stand upon the blood of your neighbor." Go out and learn [this] from that which happened to Deog the Edomite.

אֵי זֶהוּ רָכִיל. זֶה שֶׁטּוֹעֵן דְּבָרִים וְהוֹלֵךְ מִזֶּה לָזֶה וְאוֹמֵר כָּךְ אָמַר פְּלוֹנִי כָּךְ וְכָךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי עַל פְּלוֹנִי. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא אֱמֶת הֲרֵי זֶה מַחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם. יֵשׁ עָוֹן גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה עַד מְאֹד וְהוּא בִּכְלַל לָאו זֶה וְהוּא לָשׁוֹן הָרַע. וְהוּא הַמְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּת חֲבֵרוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאוֹמֵר אֱמֶת. אֲבָל הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁקֶר נִקְרָא מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רַע עַל חֲבֵרוֹ. אֲבָל בַּעַל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע זֶה שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְאוֹמֵר כָּךְ וְכָךְ עָשָׂה פְּלוֹנִי וְכָךְ וְכָךְ הָיוּ אֲבוֹתָיו וְכָךְ וְכָךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי עָלָיו וְאָמַר דְּבָרִים שֶׁל גְּנַאי. עַל זֶה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (תהילים יב ד) "יַכְרֵת ה' כָּל שִׂפְתֵי חֲלָקוֹת לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֶת גְּדֹלוֹת":

Who is a talebearer (rachil)? One who carries things and goes from one to another and says, "So did x say, such and such did I hear about x." Even though it is the truth, he destroys the world. There is a much greater sin than this - and it is included in this negative commandment - and that is evil speech (lashon hara). And that is the one who speaks disparagingly about his fellow, even though it is true. But one who speaks falsely is called the producer of a bad reputation (motzi shem ra) about his fellow. But about this master of evil speech that sits and says, "X did so and so; so and so were his ancestors; so and so did I hear about him," and says disparaging things - about this one, the verse states (Psalms 12:4), "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, every tongue that speaks arrogance."

אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים שָׁלֹשׁ עֲבֵרוֹת נִפְרָעִין מִן הָאָדָם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְאֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וְגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים. וְלָשׁוֹן הָרַע כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם. וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר בְּלָשׁוֹן הָרַע כְּאִלּוּ כּוֹפֵר בָּעִקָּר. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים יב ה) "אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ לִלְשֹׁנֵנוּ נַגְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ". וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים שְׁלֹשָׁה לָשׁוֹן הָרַע הוֹרֶגֶת. הָאוֹמְרוֹ. וְהַמְקַבְּלוֹ. וְזֶה שֶׁאוֹמֵר עָלָיו. וְהַמְקַבְּלוֹ יוֹתֵר מִן הָאוֹמְרוֹ:

The sages said (Yerushalmi Peah 1:1) there are three sins [for which] people are punished in this world and have no share in the world to come: Idolatry, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed. And evil speech is equal to them all. And the sages also said (Yerushalmi Peah 1:1) that anyone who speaks evil speech is a heretic, as it states (Psalms 12:5), "They say, 'By our tongues we shall prevail; with lips such as ours, who can be our master?'” And the sages also said (Arakhin 15b) [that] evil speech kills three people: The person who said it, the person who hears it, and the person who it was said about. And the person who hears it more so than the person who says it.

וְיֵשׁ דְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵן אֲבַק לָשׁוֹן הָרַע. כֵּיצַד. מִי יֹאמַר לִפְלוֹנִי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כְּמוֹת שֶׁהוּא עַתָּה. אוֹ שֶׁיֹּאמַר שִׁתְקוּ מִפְּלוֹנִי אֵינִי רוֹצֶה לְהוֹדִיעַ מָה אֵרַע וּמֶה הָיָה. וְכַיּוֹצֵא בַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ. וְכָל הַמְסַפֵּר בְּטוֹבַת חֲבֵרוֹ בִּפְנֵי שׂוֹנְאָיו הֲרֵי זֶה אֲבַק לָשׁוֹן הָרַע שֶׁזֶּה גּוֹרֵם לָהֶם שֶׁיְּסַפְּרוּ בִּגְנוּתוֹ. וְעַל זֶה הָעִנְיָן אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה (משלי כז יד) "מְבָרֵךְ רֵעֵהוּ בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל בַּבֹּקֶר הַשְׁכֵּים קְלָלָה תֵּחָשֶׁב לוֹ". שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ טוֹבָתוֹ בָּא לִידֵי רָעָתוֹ. וְכֵן הַמְסַפֵּר בְּלָשׁוֹן הָרַע דֶּרֶךְ שְׂחוֹק וְדֶרֶךְ קַלּוּת רֹאשׁ כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר בְּשִׂנְאָה. הוּא שֶׁשְּׁלֹמֹה אָמַר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ (משלי כו יח) "כְּמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶה זִקִּים חִצִּים וָמָוֶת" (משלי כו יט) "וְאָמַר הֲלֹא מְשַׂחֵק אָנִי". וְכֵן הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרַע דֶּרֶךְ רַמָּאוּת וְהוּא שֶׁיְּסַפֵּר לְתֻמּוֹ כְּאִלּוּ אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁדָּבָר זֶה שֶׁדִּבֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרַע הוּא אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁמְּמַחִין בּוֹ אוֹמֵר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁדָּבָר זֶה לָשׁוֹן הָרַע אוֹ שֶׁאֵלּוּ מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל פְּלוֹנִי:

There are things that are derivatives (literally, dust) of evil speech. How is this? [One who says,] "Who will tell x that he should [continue] to be like he is now"; or "Be quiet about x, I don't want to tell what happened and what was [with him]"; and similar to these matters. And any one who speaks positively about his fellow in front of [the latter's] enemies, behold this [too] is a derivative of evil speech, as this one is causing [these enemies] to speak disparagingly about [the one he spoke abut]. And in this fashion, Shlomo said (Proverbs 27:14), "One who blesses his companion loudly in the early morning, it will be a considered a curse for him," as from his benefit will come his injury. And so [too], one who speaks evil speech in the way of joking and lightheadedness, meaning to say that he does not speak with hatred. That is what Shlomo said in his wisdom (Proverbs 26:18-19), "Like a madman shooting firebrands, arrows and death, [...] and says, 'was I was not joking.'” And so [too], one who speaks evil speech in the way of deceit - and that is when he speaks innocently, as if he did not know that this thing that he spoke is evil speech. But rather, when he is rebuked about it, he says, I did not know that this thing is evil speech," or "that such were the actions of x."

אֶחָד הַמְסַפֵּר בְּלָשׁוֹן הָרַע בִּפְנֵי חֲבֵרוֹ אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בְּפָנָיו, וְהַמְסַפֵּר דְּבָרִים שֶׁגּוֹרְמִים אִם נִשְׁמְעוּ אִישׁ מִפִּי אִישׁ לְהַזִּיק חֲבֵרוֹ בְּגוּפוֹ אוֹ בְּמָמוֹנוֹ, וַאֲפִלּוּ לְהָצֵר לוֹ אוֹ לְהַפְחִידוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה לָשׁוֹן הָרַע. 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:

It is the same whether one speaks evil speech in front of his fellow (the subject of the evil speech) or not in front of him. And one who recounts things that, if they will be heard, cause damage to his fellow - to his body or to his property - or even will [just] upset him or frighten him; behold, this is evil speech. And if it said in front of three [listeners], the matter is already heard and [considered] known. And [so,] if one of the three recounts the thing another time, there is no evil speech in this - and that is when he does not intend to amplify it and reveal it more.

כָּל אֵלּוּ הֵם בַּעֲלֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרַע שֶׁאָסוּר לָדוּר בִּשְׁכוּנָתָם וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לֵישֵׁב עִמָּהֶם וְלִשְׁמֹעַ דִּבְרֵיהֶם. וְלֹא נֶחְתַּם גְּזַר דִּין עַל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶלָּא עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע לְבַד:

All of these are masters of evil speech, such that it is forbidden to live in their neighborhood and - all the more so - to sit with them and hear their words. And the decree on our forefathers in the wilderness was only decreed because of evil speech alone.

הַנּוֹקֵם מֵחֲבֵרוֹ עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לֹא תִקֹּם. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה עָלָיו דֵּעָה רָעָה הִיא עַד מְאֹד. אֶלָּא רָאוּי לוֹ לָאָדָם לִהְיוֹת מַעֲבִיר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו עַל כָּל דִּבְרֵי הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהַכּל אֵצֶל הַמְּבִינִים דִּבְרֵי הֶבֶל וַהֲבַאי וְאֵינָן כְּדַאי לִנְקֹם עֲלֵיהֶם. כֵּיצַד הִיא הַנְּקִימָה. אָמַר לוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ הַשְׁאִילֵנִי קַרְדֻּמְךָ, אָמַר לוֹ אֵינִי מַשְׁאִילְךָ. לְמָחָר צָרִיךְ לִשְׁאֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, אָמַר לוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ הַשְׁאִילֵנִי קַרְדֻּמְךָ, אָמַר לוֹ אֵינִי מַשְׁאִילְךָ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁלֹּא הִשְׁאַלְתַּנִי כְּשֶׁשָּׁאַלְתִּי מִמְּךָ, הֲרֵי זֶה נוֹקֵם. אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁיָּבוֹא לוֹ לִשְׁאֹל יִתֵּן בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם וְלֹא יִגְמל לוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר גְּמָלוֹ. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּאֵלּוּ. וְכֵן אָמַר דָּוִד בְּדֵעוֹתָיו הַטּוֹבוֹת (תהילים ז ה) "אִם גָּמַלְתִּי שׁוֹלְמִי רָע וָאֲחַלְּצָה" וְגוֹ':

One who takes revenge against his fellow transgresses a negative commandment, as it states (Deuteronomy 19:18), "Do not take revenge." And even though he is not given lashes, it is a very evil disposition. Rather, it is fitting that a person be indulgent above his instincts about all matters of the world - as to those that understand, they are all matters of vanity and emptiness and it is not worthwhile to take revenge for them. What is revenge? His fellow said to him, "Lend me your hatchet." He said [back] to him, "I will not lend [it] to you." The next day, [the fellow] needs to borrow from him: His fellow said to him, "Lend me your hatchet." He said [back] to him, "I will not lend to you, the [same] way you did not lend to me when I asked you." Behold, that is taking revenge. Rather, when [his fellow] comes to borrow, he should give it to him with a full heart, and not treat him like [the other] treated him. And so [too], all that is similar to these. And so did David say in his good characteristics (Psalms 7:5), "If I have dealt evil to my ally; and I who rescued, etc."

וְכֵן כָּל הַנּוֹטֵר לְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט יח) "וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ". כֵּיצַד הִיא הַנְּטִירָה. רְאוּבֵן שֶׁאָמַר לְשִׁמְעוֹן הַשְׂכֵּר לִי בַּיִת זֶה אוֹ הַשְׁאִילֵנִי שׁוֹר זֶה וְלֹא רָצָה שִׁמְעוֹן. לְיָמִים בָּא שִׁמְעוֹן לִרְאוּבֵן לִשְׁאֹל מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹ לִשְׂכֹּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְאָמַר לוֹ רְאוּבֵן הֵא לְךָ הֲרֵינִי מַשְׁאִילְךָ וְאֵינִי כְּמוֹתְךָ לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּם לְךָ כְּמַעֲשֶׂיךָ. הָעוֹשֶׂה כָּזֶה עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תִטֹּר. אֶלָּא יִמְחֶה הַדָּבָר מִלִּבּוֹ וְלֹא יִטְּרֶנּוּ. שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֵר אֶת הַדָּבָר וְזוֹכְרוֹ שֶׁמָּא יָבוֹא לִנְקֹם. לְפִיכָךְ הִקְפִּידָה תּוֹרָה עַל הַנְּטִירָה עַד שֶׁיִּמְחֶה הֶעָוֹן מִלִּבּוֹ וְלֹא יִזְכְּרֶנּוּ כְּלָל. וְזוֹ הִיא הַדֵּעָה הַנְּכוֹנָה שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּתְקַיֵּם בָּהּ יִשּׁוּב הָאָרֶץ וּמַשָּׂאָם וּמַתָּנָם שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם זֶה עִם זֶה:

And so [too], anyone who begrudges one from Israel transgresses a negative commandment, as it states (Leviticus 19:18), "and do not begrudge the children of your people." What is a grudge? Reuven said to Shimon, "Rent me this house" or "Lend me this ox," and Shimon did not want. Some days [later] Shimon comes to Reuven to borrow [something] form him or to rent [something] from him, and Reuven said to him, "Here you are - I am lending you and I am not like you. I will not pay you [back] according to your deeds." One who does like this transgresses against "do not begrudge." But rather, he should erase the matter from his heart and not begrudge him, as all the while that he begrudges the thing and remembers it, he may came to take revenge. Therefore the Torah was exacting about a grudge until he erases the iniquity from his heart and not remember it at all. And this is the correct disposition that allows that civilization be possible through it - and [also] commerce of people, one with the other.