Lashon hara (or loshon horo, or loshon hora) (Hebrew: לשון הרע; "evil tongue") is the halakhic term for speech about a person or persons that is negative or harmful to them, even though it is true.[4] It is speech that damages the person(s) who is talked about either emotionally or financially, or lowers them in the estimation of others.[5]
Lashon hara differs from the more severe prohibition of hotzaat shem ra, "making a bad name," in that hotzaat shem ra consists of untrue statements.
Lashon hara is considered to be a very serious sin in the Jewish tradition. The communicator of lashon hara (which is included in rechilut) violates the Torah prohibition of lo telech rachil b'ameicha,[4][6][7] translating to "thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people" (Leviticus 19:16 KJV).
- ^ 'hotzaat shem ra' / 'hotzaat diba' - spreading a bad name
- ^ 'motzi shem ra' - lit. putting out a bad name, see Tazria#Leviticus chapter 13, Metzora (parsha)#Leviticus chapter 14 2
- ^ 'rechilut' - talebearing that incites hatred and resentment
- ^ a b "Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 7". www.sefaria.org. Archived from the original on 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
- ^ Telushkin, Joseph. A Code of Jewish Ethics: Volume 1 - You Shall Be Holy. New York: Bell Tower, 2006. p. 332.
- ^ לֹא-תֵלֵךְ רָכִיל בְּעַמֶּיךָ – Leviticus 19:16
- ^ Morgenstern, Arthur B. "The Prohibition of Communicating Lashon Hara". Ethics of Speech - Shmiras ha-Lashon. Project Genesis Inc. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.