Shmirat Haloshon

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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 174 – Public Revelations and Suspicious Silence
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One may not believe rechilus even if it was related in public. The fact that a person is unafraid to publicly relate information that is cause for ill will is not proof of its authenticity and certainly not of its accuracy.
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Furthermore, even if an accusation is made in the presence of the subject and the accused fails to respond, one may not interpret his silence as self-incrimination. The person may have been flustered and at a loss for words, of he may have chosen to remain silent rather than cause an escalation of the verbal abuse hurled at him.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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The Way of Our Ancestors
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The Midrash states that four sources of merit figured prominently in the redemption from Egypt: The Jews did not adopt Egyptian names, did not speak in the way of the Egyptians, were not guilty of immorality and did not speak loshon hora (Vayikra Rabbah 32:5).
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Tanna D’Vei Eliyahu Rabbah (ch. 23) relates:
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When the Jews were in Egypt, they assembled and sat down together, for they were united as one. They established a covenant to do kindness with one another; to safeguard in their hearts the covenant of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov; to serve their Father in Heaven alone; not to forsake the language of their father Yaakov’s house; and not to learn the language of the Egyptians, so as not to follow the ways of idol worshipers.
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The Egyptians would ask them: “Why do you not serve our gods, for if you did, your workload would be lightened?’’ The Jews responded: “Did our forefathers forsake our Father in Heaven, that we should now do the same?’’
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When the Jews circumcised their sons, the Egyptians suggested, “Perhaps if you do not observe this law, your difficult labor will be lightened.’’ The Jews responded: “Did our forefathers forget the covenant into which they entered with our Father in Heaven, that we should now do the same?’’
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When Jews would marry and celebrate the Seven Days of Feasting that follow, the Egyptians asked, “Why do you celebrate? Soon you will be forced to perform your slave labor!’’ The Jews responded, “We shall celebrate — you can do with us as you please. Those who are destined to die, shall die. Those who are destined to live, shall live.’’
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Let us follow in the ways of our ancestors, to do kindness with one another and faithfully uphold their covenant to serve no one but Hashem. Let us pay no heed to enticements and arguments to the contrary, just as the Jews paid no heed to the Egyptians’ words.
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May we merit the fulfillment of the prophecy, “As in the days when you departed Egypt, will I show him wonders’’ (Michah?7:15) — speedily and in our time.
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SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM
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Day 175 – Beyond Reproach
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Halachah does recognize that there are individuals who are so precise, both in perception as well as in their conveying of facts, that hearing their account is tantamount to witnessing the act in person. One would be permitted to believe even rechilus told by such individuals, but could not share the information with others.
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?As stated in the laws of loshon hora, the Chofetz Chaim contends that no one today can claim to posses this degree of integrity; therefore, one should not rely on this halachah in practice.
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SEFER SHMIRAS HALOSHON
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A Public Appeal
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Through the kindness of Hashem, I have now attained the age of “strength” (the eighties - see Tehillim 90:25), and virtually my entire life I have not diverted my mind from pondering the matter of speech, which involves numerous positive and negative commandments. To our misfortune, many among the multitudes have no regard whatsoever for the matter of shmiras haloshon; to their minds, it is nothing more than a matter of custom and propriety for those who wish to be zealous in it.
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I direct my words to those who have some understanding of the Torah’s precepts, people whose hearts would undoubtedly be distressed for months on end were they to mistakenly eat meat that is unkosher. It is rare that these same people would feel such distress upon realizing that they have accepted as fact malicious talk about a certain individual, thereby transgressing the Torah prohibition against believing loshon hora. The reason for this apparent contradiction is that this prohibition is not taken seriously by the multitudes...
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Ramban understands the commandment to recall the episode of Miriam’s affliction (Devarim 24:9) as an obligation to admonish one’s children and transmit to future generations how exceedingly shameful is this sin. In this way, the prohibition against speaking loshon hora will be fluent upon their lips. For this sin is great and brings with it many bad things — and people tend to transgress it regularly.
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Moreover, inspiring others regarding the seriousness of this sin goes a long way toward insuring that one will himself refrain from speaking the forbidden (from a letter of the Chofetz Chaim, Iyar 5686 [1926]).

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