Lashon hara is the halakhic term for derogatory speech about a person, which emotionally or financially damages them or lowers them in the estimation of others. Lashon hara differs from defamation in that lashon hara is truthful speech rather than lies. Lashon hara is considered to be a very serious sin in the Jewish tradition. The communicator of lashon hara violates the prohibition of lo telech rachil b'ameicha.
Definition
Speech is considered to be lashon hara if it says something negative about a person or party, is not seriously intended to correct or improve a negative situation, and is true. Statements that fit this description are considered to be lashon hara, regardless of the method of communication that is used, whether it is through face-to-face conversation, a letter, telephone, or email, or even body language. By contrast, hotzaat shem ra – also called hotzaat diba or motzi shem ra – consists of lies, and is best translated as "slander" or "defamation". Hotzaat shem ra is worse an even graver sin than lashon hara. The act of gossiping is called rechilut, and is also forbidden by halakha.
Etymology
The phrase consists of the noun lashon, the definite articleha, and the adjective ra. The Hebrew noun lashon means "tongue" and – as in many languages – "speech" or "language". The phrase is generally translated as "evil speech". The term corresponds to the idea of an "evil tongue" in other cultures, such as the Latin mala lingua, the French mauvaise langue, and the Spanish mala lengua.
Chafetz Chaim
Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan wrote two major halakhic works on the evil tongue: Chafetz Chaim and Shmirat HaLashon, both 1873. The Chafetz Chaim lists 31 speech-related commandments mentioned in the Torah. An English adaptation, Guard Your Tongue, anthologizes the teachings of these two books.
''Baalei lashon hara''
The expression baalei lashon haraliterally means "masters of evil tongue", and it refers to habitual speakers of lashon hara. The serious prohibition of communicating lashon harah relates foremost to somebody who incidentally did so. Someone who makes it his habit to talk lashon harah about others is called a ba'al lashon hara. By repeatedly communicating so, lashon hara became an integral part of this person, and his/her sins are far more severe, because this person regularly creates a chillul Hashem, a "desecration of the name of HaShem". Lashon hara, rechilut and motzi shem ra are not accepted social tools in Judaism, because such behavior cuts the person who does in this manner off from many good things in the world around them. It is often phrased that one should stay away from people who communicate lashon hara, because any day, one will almost certainly become an object of derogatory communication by the same people.
Exceptions
There are times when a person is permitted or even required to disclose information whether or not the information is disparaging. For instance, if a person’s intent in sharing negative information is for a to’elet, a positive, constructive, and beneficial purpose that may serve as a warning to prevent harm or injustice, the prohibition against lashon hara does not apply. Hotzaat shem ra, spouting lies and spreading disinformation, is always prohibited. It is important to note that even with positive intentions, there are many important limitations regarding when it is permitted to speak lashon hara.
