28 Amy Scheinerman

among your people.” Even though this transgression is not punished

by lashes, it is a severe sin and can cause the death of many Jews .

Therefore,[the warning]:“Do not stand still over your

neighbor’s blood” is placed next to it in the Torah (ibid.). See what

happened[because of] Doeg , the Edomite.

2. Who is a gossiper? One who collects information and[then] goes

from person to person, saying:“This is what so and so said,”“This is

what I heard about so and so.” Even if the statements are true, they bring about the destruction of the world. There is a much more serious sin than[gossip], which is also included in this prohibition: lashon

hara, i.e., relating deprecating facts about a colleague, even if they are true.[Lashon hara does not refer to the invention of lies;] that is referred to as defamation of character(motzi shem ra al chaveiro).

Rather, one who speaks lashon hara s someone who sits and relates: “This is what so and so has done; His parents were such and such,” “This is what I have heard about him,” telling uncomplimentary things. Concerning this[transgression], the verse(Psalms 12:4) states: “May God cut off all guileful lips, the tongues which speak proud things...”

3. Our Sages said:“There are three sins for which retribution is exacted from a person in this world and,[for which, nonetheless] he is denied a portion in the world-to-come: idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and murder. Lashon hara is equivalent to all of them.” Our Sages also said:“Anyone who speaks /ashon hara is like one who denies God as[implied by Psalms 12:5]:“Those who said: With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us?” In addition, they said:“Lashon hara kills three[people], the one who speaks.36 It, the one who listens to it, and the one about whom it is spoken. The one who listens to it[suffers] more than the one who speaks it.

4. There are certain matters that are considered“the dust of lashon hara” avak lashon hara). What is implied?[For example, a person says:]“Who will tell soand- so to continue acting as he does now,” or “Do not talk about so and so; I do not want to say what happened,” or