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Lesson #37

Please verbalize or
have in mind that you are studying this material as a merit for a specific
single and/or Jewish singles throughout the world.

Halachah

Removing yourself
from suspicion when it may incriminate another

#1

1. I am an upholsterer.  Yesterday, a co-worker noticed a set
   of chairs that were poorly upholstered and he asked me if I knew who
   upholstered those chairs. He obviously suspects me.  What should my
   response be? 

1. You may tell him that it wasn’t you who upholstered those
   chairs.  However, if by removing yourself from the picture it’s possible
   that he might figure out who upholstered those chairs, it would be an
   extra measure of righteousness not to exclude yourself from suspicion.  An
   even greater measure of righteousness would be to take the blame yourself
   so that the true culprit will not be discovered.  This was the level of
   righteousness of a number of our sages in the Mishna.

#2

1. What if there was only one other person, besides myself,
   who could have upholstered those chairs?  By stating that it was not me,
   I’m implicating the other fellow as the faulty upholsterer.  Is this
   permitted?

1. If it is a real fault, i.e. it’s shoddy workmanship and it
   indicates a worker who doesn’t do his work with integrity, then you may
   remove yourself from suspicion, even if it will incriminate the other
   fellow.  However, if it’s only a fault in the eyes of the beholder, i.e.
   your co-worker just doesn’t like the way the job was done, then the
   Chofetz Chaim is in doubt whether you may remove yourself from suspicion
   when it will incriminate someone else.

Aggadah

This section is
formatted as a conversation between Oded and Menaseh.   Oded is encouraging his
friend Menaseh to be more careful in guarding his tongue from evil speech.  The
thoughts in this section are primarily based on the sefer, Shmiras Haloshon.

Oded:  We mentioned 7 possible causes that can lead a
person to freely speak loshon horah.  They were:

·       
Anger

·       
Frivolity

·       
Arrogance

·       
Hopelessness

·       
Abandonment

·       
Complaining nature

·       
Rationalization

Menaseh:  Today we are ready to discuss cause #5,
abandonment.  Can you start off and explain what you mean by abandonment?

Oded:  Sure!  Since many people have abandoned the
mitzvah of guarding against the sin of loshon horah and instead speak freely,
it can rub off on you and cause you to be careless about your speech as well.

Menaseh:  I understand.  How can one fight against
this influence?

Oded:  Reflect on the following.  Imagine, if G-d
forbid, you and the people of your city, were ill with a terrible disease.  All
the local doctors are unable to find a cure for this illness.  Then you hear of
a famous doctor who is coming to your city.  This doctor, has a reputation for
being one of the world’s best doctors and has had much success in healing all
sorts of ailments.  Would you not call on this doctor to treat you and perhaps
cure you from this terrible illness?

Menaseh:  Of course I would!

Oded:  Now, if one of your friends would ask you:
“Why are you more eager to run to this doctor than everyone else?”  What would
you respond?

Menaseh:  I would tell him: “Fool!  This is a matter
which my life is dependent on!  Even if I only have a small doubt that he might
heel me, should I look and see what others are doing?  How much more so, this
doctor, who is famous throughout the world for healing many ailments.  Should I
concern myself with these fools and abandon my life?

Oded:  I agree with you whole heartedly!

Menaseh:  But how does this relate back to loshon
horah?

Oded:  We will tie it all together, tomorrow.

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Sources

Halachah

1) Sefer Chofetz Chaim Sec. 1 Chap. 10
Par. 17

2) Sefer Chofetz Chaim Sec. 1 Chap. 10 Be’er Mayim
Chaim 43

Agaddah

Sefer Shmiras Haloshon Sha’ar Hatevunah Chap. 15