SEFER CHOFETZ CHAIM — Hilchos Rechilus 4:1-3
Henoch walks out of beis din, tired and defeated. As he nears the corner, he meets his good friend, Baruch. “Henoch, why so glum? Don’t tell me the beis din issued their psak (ruling) today?”
“They sure did,” Henoch replies, “and it’s worse than I ever imagined. Not only does Shmuel not owe me any money, I actually owe him for causing him a loss by dissolving the partnership.”
“What?” Baruch responds with outrage. “Those dayanim (judges) don’t know what they’re doing! I learned the Gemaras about just this sort of case, and it’s clear to me that you should have won. This beis din really shortchanged you.”
That night at supper, Henoch tells his wife, “Those dayanim were out to get me. I know, because my friend Baruch, who is somewhat of an expert in these laws, told me that I should have won the case.”
Baruch has committed a terrible wrong by causing Henoch to feel animosity towards the dayanim and by convincing him that their ruling was incorrect. This is rechilus of the highest order.
Baruch might reason: “Henoch already knows the facts of the case; I just told him my view of the matter.”
The Chofetz Chaim states:
The prohibition of rechilus applies even if the speaker is not revealing anything new to the listener, for he also is aware of what the other party has said or done. However, he [i.e. the listener] has not come to the understanding that the other party has done anything wrong towards him, and the speaker awakens this feeling within him. This is considered rechilus, for the speaker has added something new to the situation, namely, his words have brought hatred into the heart of the listener towards the other party.”
The Chofetz Chaim then discusses the following scenario:
Reuven and Shimon are present as Levi makes a derogatory comment concerning Yehudah. Reuven reports this to Yehudah. Shimon reasons, “I guess that now I can tell Yehudah that I was also there when Levi made his comment. After all, I’m not telling Yehudah anything that he does not already know!”
Shimon is wrong. If Yehudah had any doubts whether or not Reuven’s report was true, Shimon’s report will confirm it. Even if Yehudah has already accepted Reuven’s report as fact, Shimon is wrong to repeat it. Hearing the report from a second person can only strengthen Yehudah’s anger towards Levi, and will convince him yet further that Levi did, indeed, make those comments. It may very well be, says the Chofetz Chaim, that Shimon’s report will cause a full-scale feud to erupt.
How does one repent for speaking rechilus? As with any sin bein adam l’chaveiro (between man and his fellow), he must seek forgiveness from the person whom he wronged. He must also seek forgiveness from Hashem, as we have discussed in Day 47 regarding the sin of lashon hara.
IN A NUTSHELL
Never tell someone that beis din misjudged his case.
Never strengthen someone’s rechilus by saying, “I was there too.”
-A project of Mesorah Publications –
