User:Peter Chastain/Lashon Hara

Disclaimer: This is not an article. Most of it will probably never go into an article, and the rest needs lots of rewriting.

= Peter's notes on Lashon hara =

Also spelled Loshon hora and Leshon hara

Wikipedia article states that it is Lashon hara only if it is true, and that the sin of spreading false rumors is motzi shem ra, but most of the web pages I saw on a Google search do not make that distinction. TBD, find an authoritative source for the definition. (Related question: when was the term lashon hara first used?) Several web references state that telling even good things about someone lashon hara (the rationale being that any kind of talking about someone invites lashon hara). But others say lashon hara is only negative info. TBD, do a lot of research. The Wikipedia article is much too short.

Teaching Mitzvot says:
 * Talmud (Arachin 15b) says it harms 3 persons: teller, listener, and victim.
 * Biblical basis: Exodus 23:1 (false rumors), Leviticus 19:16 (talebearer)
 * Rabbis cite as examples in Torah: Serpent tempting Eve; Yosef ratting out his brothers to Jacob (unclear whether his reports were true); Miriam & Aharon criticizing Moshe for marrying Cushite (Sudanese? Ethiopian?) woman; etc.
 * As bad as idolatry, incest, murder; like denying the fundamental principles of Judaism (Arachin 15b).
 * "What is spoken in Rome may kill in Syria." (Bereshit Rabba 98:23) Actually, the quote is: "Slander is compared to an arrow, not to any other handy weapon, such as a sword, etc., because like an arrow it kills at a distance. It can be uttered in Rome and have its baneful effect in Syria. (TBD find about numbering system: 98th what? 23rd what? The web reference shows this quote being on "p. 68".)
 * 19th blessing added to Amidah.
 * Berachot 17a: guard tongue from speaking evil, lips from speaking falsely.
 * etc...  there's lots more.

TBD, read Chafetz Chaim,

LESHON HA-RA entry The New Encyclopedia of Judaism (TBD, cite this if we quote from it) has some of the same examples and a few others.

Politicians

 * During "Monicagate" at least one commentator said that public accusations about Bill Clinton's behavior consitituted L"H. (TBD: look this up)

Sex abuse

 * Robert Kolker, writing in New York article about David Framowitz's sex-abuse lawsuit against Yeshiva Torah Temimah and Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, says that the prohibitions against L"H and chillul hashem and the mandate for shalom bayit are used to protect molesters. (But that article says this only in a general way and does not say that this mechanism was used to protect Kolko.)

Informing on Jews, to civil governments

 * Jewish Law article gives the views of some contemporary decisors.