# Slander

<div dir="rtl">לָשׁוֹן הָרָע</div>

Source: https://ajew.org/reader/sefer-hamidos/1/52


## Segment 1

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הַמְסַפֵּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא אוֹמֵר לַשַּׂר שֶׁל גֵיהִנֹּם: אֲנִי עָלָיו מִלְמַעְלָה וְאַתָּה עָלָיו מִלְמַטָּה. וְתַקָּנָתוֹ – יַּעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה וְיַשְׁפִּיל דַּעְתּוֹ גַּם עַל־יְדֵי זֶה לֹא יָבוֹא לִידֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע.

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1. One who slanders, the Holy One Blessed is He says to the Official of Hell, "I am on him from above, and you are onto him from below." His remedy is to engage in Torah and humble his self opinion. Also through this he will not come to slander.


## Segment 2

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עַל־יְדֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע מַגְדִּיל עֲווֹנוֹתָיו כְּנֶגֶד שָׁלֹשׁ עֲבֵרוֹת.

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2. Through slander, one enlarges his sins to the proportion of the three sins.


## Segment 3

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מִלְּתָא דְּמִתְאַמְרָה בְּאַפֵּי מָרָא אוֹ בְּאַפֵּי תְּלָתָא, לֵית בַּהּ מִשּׁוּם לִשְׁנָא בִּישָׁא.

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3. A matter said in the presence of the person being discussed, or in the presence of three listeners, is not accounted as slander.


## Segment 4

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הַאי לִשְׁנָא בִּישָׁא, אַף־עַל־גַּב דְּלִקְבּוּלֵי לָא מִבָּעֵי, לְמֵיחַשׁ מִיבָּעֵי.

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4. This slander, even though it should not be accepted (outright as true), it warrants suspicion.


## Segment 5

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מִי שֶׁדּוֹבֵר רָע עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְסוֹף שֶׁיֶּחֱלֶה עַל פִּיו.

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5. One who speaks negatively about the People of Israel, in the end he will have illness on his mouth.


## Segment 6

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כְּשֶׁאֵין אַהֲבָה בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעֲשִׂים הוֹלְכֵי רָכִיל, וְעַל־יְדֵי הוֹלְכֵי רָכִיל נַעֲשִׂים לֵצִים.

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6. When there is not love between the Jewish People, gossipers are made, and through gossipers, scoffers are made.


## Segment 7

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בְּנֵי־אָדָם שֶׁאוֹהֲבִים זֶה אֶת זֶה, מֻתָּר לוֹמַר זֶה לָזֶה מֵאֵיזֶה דָּבָר שֶׁשָּׁמַע מֵאֵיזֶה אָדָם, גַּם חֲבֵרוֹ מֻתָּר לְקַבֵּל דְּבָרָיו וְאֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם לִשְׁנָא בִּישָׁא.

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7. People who love one another, it is permitted for them to tell each other things they heard from someone else, and the one who hears is permitted to accept his words, and this does not constitute slander.


## Segment 8

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עַל־יְדֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע אֵין לָאָדָם חֵשֶׁק לִלְמֹד, גַּם מְבַזֶּה אֶת הַצַּדִּיק.

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8. Through slander, a man does not have desire to learn (Torah), also he derides the Tzaddik.


## Segment 9

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מִלָּשׁוֹן הָרָע נִצּוֹל עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת.

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9. From slander one is saved through truth.


## Segment 10

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כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹמֵר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִלָּשׁוֹן הָרָע, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה לֹא יַחֲרֹשׁ רָעָה עַל חֲבֵרוֹ.

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10. When one guards himself from slander, he will also not contemplate bad on his fellow.


## Segment 11

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מִי שֶׁאֵין מְקַבֵּל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע עַל צַדִּיק, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה יִזְכֶּה לְהִמָּנוֹת עִם הַצַּדִּיקִים.

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11. One who does not accept slander about a Tzaddik, through this he will merit to be counted among the tzaddikim.


## Segment 12

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גַּסּוּת מֵבִיא אֶת הָאָדָם לְדַבֵּר בִּגְנוּת בְּנֵי־אָדָם.

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12. Coarseness brings a person to speak disparagingly about others.


## Segment 13

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לָשׁוֹן הָרָע אֵין אוֹמְרוֹ, עַד שֶׁכּוֹפֵר בָּעִקָּר וְחוֹטֵא בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ.

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13. Slander, one doesn't say until one comes to denying the core of faith and sinning in the Heavens and earth.


## Segment 14

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מֻתָּר לוֹמַר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע עַל בַּעַל הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת.

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14. It is permissible to say slander about one who causes strife.


## Segment 15

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מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, אֵין לוֹ מְחִילָה עוֹלָמִית.

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15. One who says false slander on his fellow (lit. lets out a bad reputation – based on a lie), he doesn't ever get forgiveness.


## Segment 16

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עַל־יְדֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע אֵין מְקַבֵּל פְּנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה.

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16. Through slander, one cannot receive the countenance of the Divine Presence.


## Segment 17

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הַמְסַפֵּר בְּלָשׁוֹן הָרָע וְהַמְקַבְּלוֹ, רָאוּי לְהַשְׁלִיכוֹ לַכְּלָבִים.

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17. One who says slander, and one who listens to it, it is fitting to thrown hm to the dogs.


## Segment 18

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תִּקּוּן לְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע – אֲמִירַת הַקְּטֹרֶת.

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18. A rectification for slander is the recitation of the (passages describing the) incense-offering.


## Segment 19

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עַל־יְדֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע נְגָעִים בָּאִים עָלָיו וּמַגְדִּיל עֲווֹנוֹת עַד לַשָּׁמַיִם וְרָאוּי לְסָקְלוֹ בְּאֶבֶן.

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19. Due to slander, plagues, come upon him, and his sins are magnified till the heavens, and it is fitting to stone him.


## Segment 20

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עַל־יְדֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע נִתְפָּס בִּתְפִיסָה.

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1. Through slander, one is caught and incarcerated.