Question: Why is it wrong to believe someone when they say something about someone else? Isn’t that an example of judging unfavorably (assuming that the person is lying)? Why shouldn’t… Read more »
Category: Slander (Lashon hara)
Repenting for gossip
Question: Dear Rabbi, I need your help understanding something in Torah. It’s the issue of Lashon Hara. I am guilty of gossiping (a lot) throughout my life. I gossipped due… Read more »
Secretary in school and lashon hora
Question: What is the heter for the secretary in a school to type all the school grades (even the low grades and behavior problems) into the computer system. There is… Read more »
Re: the punishment of the person about whom lashon hara is spoken
Question: BH In the article about lashon hara, it is stated that even the person about whom lashon hara is said, is punished. What is the basis for this–especially, if… Read more »
I kno that the speaker and the listener get son for speaking Loshon Horaah. Does the subject the person spoken abt also get sin?
Question: I kno listener n speaker of loshon horah get sin. Does the subject the person spoken abt also get sin? Answer: The Midrash says that loshon hora kills three… Read more »
Is reporting a bad Amazon seller מסירה
Question: Hello Rabbi Thanks for the service. I am an Amazon seller in the Judaica field. One of my competitors is hurting us by undercutting our prices. This is defiantly… Read more »
Getting into situations where I probably will be hearing Lashon Hara
Question: If I know I’ll probably be hearing Lashon Hara while doing an act of chessed and I know that it’s very possible that I won’t have the courage to… Read more »
Lashon hara
Question: Is it lashon hara to say the name of a person that choked in your school today? Answer: A person that unfortunately choked is not an embarrassment to the… Read more »
Shidduchim and mental illness
Question: Hello, I have a close friend which I have known for many years and I want to set her up with potential shidduchim bh. However, she was diagnosed with… Read more »
share a picture
Question: Is it permissible to show a picture of a friend to my mother who is interested in a shidduch for my brother, without my friend knowing about it? … Read more »
Lashon Horah by posting a video
Question: 1) If one posts a video of someone else acting inappropriately, is that lashon horah? He isn’t “saying” anything? 2) If someone is acting inappropriately and one tells others… Read more »
Avak Rechilus when reminding about someone who didn’t listen
Question: Is it considered Avak Rechilus when I remind my mother that a sibling of mine didn’t listen to her and didn’t do the job she asked him to do?… Read more »
Lashon horah about a public speaker
Question: I find that many questions about lashon horah come up when discussing a shiur or lecture. Examples: 1) May one say that a certain speaker is “too dramatic”? 2)… Read more »
Slandering on the web
Question: 16 Av 5777 – August 8, ’17 I am working at a Kitchen Cabinet place, where there are set rules that I cannot allow delivery of merchandise before receiving… Read more »
Loshon Hora being equaled to all sins combined
Question: The Chofetz Chaim says that loshon hara is equal to all sins combined. He does quote the Yerushalmi 1:1 which says, “ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולן”. The Yerushalmi does not… Read more »
Loshon Hora
Question: One rabbi constantly talks loshon hora about 2 other rabbi’s for various reasons. He tried slandering 1 rav for the fact that some of his kids went OTD and… Read more »
Reform ‘convert’ pretends to be Jewish
Question: I am aware of a reform ‘convert’ in my city who travels often. He is in his early 50’s. He lets himself get counted for minyan in several orthodox… Read more »
Lashon Hara and psychological treatment
Question: Prominent arbiters have ruled that a child or grown up may “bad mouth”, criticize, express anger in therapy sessions towards their parents and others and the therapist may facilitate… Read more »
Advertise a telephone recording
Question: Good morning, on my android phone, I use a program (ACR) which allows me to record all phone calls, incoming and outgoing. Usualy I use it as a reminder,… Read more »
Loshon Hora
Question: Are you allowed to listen to loshon hora about a Jew from a non-Jew? Answer: One should not listen, because as a result of what he heard from the… Read more »
Loshon Hara in work place.
Question: Its has happened on several locations that my boss has asked me if a specific group of coworkers have been doing their job. This information can be found with… Read more »
Lashon Hara (clarity)
Question: Hello, I was wondering if I may have clarity on the specifics of lashon hara. You mentioned that if a statement can not be interpreted negatively, then it is… Read more »
Lashon Hara (specific)
Question: Hello, I have 3 short specific questions regarding lashon hara. 1. If the intent is good (making conversation, being nice) would it be fair to say the sentiment is… Read more »
Online Reviews
Question: Is there anything halachically or hashkafically wrong with writing a negative review online for a jewish establishment i.e. restaraunt etc. for which the customer had a bad experience? Answer:… Read more »
Lashon Hara during personal prayer?
Question: Hello, My question is: Is it possible to speak lashon hara during personal prayer (hitbodedut)? If sometimes I speak about other people to G-d so that I can try… Read more »
Lashon haea
Question: I emailed rabbi w Answer: Where do you want to publicize what you wrote? Sources:
loshon hara follow up
Question: I’d like a rav to read my review of the company I had a bad experience with and tell me if its ok to keep posted online or should… Read more »
Lashon hara q
Question: Hello to what extent can I say on websites how I disliked a school run by Jews without being over lashon hara thanks Answer: It is not loshon horo… Read more »
Loshon hara about a book
Question: Someone on a frum online writers forum posted an enthusiastic recommendation for a book. The author is a frum yeshiva man. I happened to have read part of the… Read more »
Answering Questions in Shidduchim
Question: Hello I was recently called foe shidduch information about a guy that I know from yeshiva. The caller asked if I would consider him a considerate person. I wouldn’t… Read more »
Negative Web Reviews and Lashon Hara
Question: Dear Rabbi, BH I got married last summer. Despite a really beautiful wedding we have been having terrible problems with the photographer we used ever since. Besides not fulfilling… Read more »
Loshon Hara in Article on Products
Question: I was asked to write a short article comparing two brands of a food item, both brands are Jewish companies. Is it loshon hara to promote one brand over… Read more »
Is Mimicking Lashon Hara
Is mimicking someone lashon hara? If it’s something funny that happened can you mimic the situation and what that person said? Answer: This depends on the circumstances, and on the… Read more »
Complaining Against Employee
I’m taking some online courses. I made a mistake when I registered and was charged $400 for not registering in the proper order. An employee in the college registration office… Read more »
Lashon Hara in the Workplace
This is a question in hilchos lashon hara in the workplace. Here is the scenario: Employee A works for a company as an account manager responsible for a set of… Read more »
Revealing Who Boy has Dated
Is it permitted for a shadchanit to reveal other girls that a prospective boy has already gone out with or is it lashon hora? The information may help to clarify… Read more »
Lashon Hara to Relieve Tension
Can a person speak to a parent or spouse about things that bother them in order to release tension. These things might be loshon hara about a relative or boss… Read more »
Lashon Hara against Ex-Wife for Shidduch
When searching for a shidduch, what details or personal information may one disclose about a former wife to a shadchan, potential wife or anybody else relating to the failure of… Read more »
Criticizing Habits as Lashon Hara
If an individual or couple sit down and start criticizing another individual/couple/family about some of their habits, is that considered LaShon HaRa or is it more technically Motzi Shem Ra?… Read more »
Lashon Hara Affecting Future Generation
What league lashon hara with the problems of future generations? For example if a person makes the lashon hara this sin can be a problem for children or grandchildren of… Read more »
Reporting on Unprofessional Teacher
I work for a school where I’ve been asked to do QA on teacher’s recorded lectures. One particular series of lectures is not up to par. The teacher did not… Read more »
Publicizing Rabbi’s Inappropriate Conduct
If a rav (or group of rabbanim) is convinced that another rav is involved in serious aveiros such as arayos and abuse, due to email evidence, multiple individual testimonies etc.,… Read more »
Saying “I Don’t Want to Speak About It”
If a person was belittled in public. The person remained quiet. If a friend calls the “victim” to ask about it, and the victim said that he wished not to… Read more »
Spreading Known Information – Lashon Hara?
Is talking about something everybody already knows still Lashan Hara? Could you provide sources for further learning? Thanks. Shana Tova. Answer: Lashon Hara — gossiping — is a negative character… Read more »
Lashon Hara in the Gemara
What is the source in the Talmud for what Lashon hara is? How do we know how to define it? How do we explain, what seemingly appears to be lashon… Read more »
Embarrassing Somebody who did Wrong
Are you allowed to embarrass someone if they have done something wrong? Answer: No, even if somebody has done something wrong, one should not embarrass them, but rather inform them… Read more »
Informing on Somebody Stealing
If your friend tells you they are stealing, do you tell someone or keep their trust? Answer: In general one should tell the right people – not to get the… Read more »
Informing on Lying
If friend #1 lies to friend #2. Do I tell friend #2 about it? Answer: In principle no, because this will be considered lashon hara. However, if the lie is… Read more »
Lashon Hara About Oneself
Can someone speak loshon hara to themselves about someone? Or is another person required? Answer: There is no prohibition of lashon hara about oneself. Nonetheless, it is not recommended to… Read more »
Correcting Spoken Lashon Hara
If someone inadvertently spoke lashon hara, can he or she remedy it by being melamed zechus (make it out for good) for the person, or say that you were mistaken…. Read more »