This article is adapted from my sefer, What Can I Say… Today?” on the laws of Loshon Hora in contemporary times. All halachos mentioned herein are complex and part of a larger framework. The purpose of the article is to raise awareness of these essential halachos. Hence, one should not draw any practical conclusions without first consulting a rav.
Wordless Communication
The prohibition of Loshon Hora is not limited to speech. Thus, the prohibition also applies if the information is conveyed through writing or any other form of communication.
Hinting or Alluding
Furthermore, one transgresses the prohibition of Loshon Hora by merely hinting to the Loshon Hora, even though he did not explicitly say anything negative. Similarly, it is forbidden to relate anything about an individual or his actions that has negative connotations.
Example: Rivka asked Avigail what she thought about Devora, the new girl in the class. Avigail simply sighed and rolled her eyes. Although Avigail said nothing, she has violated the prohibition of Loshon Hora by conveying disapproval of Devora.
Similarly, leaving out the name of the subject does not circumvent the prohibition if the subject’s identity will be apparent to the listener (over the course of the conversation or otherwise). It is the author's opinion that the same is true even if it is merely likely that the listener will discover the identity of the person under discussion. Indeed, even if it is unlikely, but still possible, that the listener will find out, a halachic authority should be consulted. However, when the listener will not discover the identity of the individual under discussion, the prohibition of Loshon Hora does not apply.
Note that where the speaker knows the identity of the individual under discussion, it is forbidden for the listener to respond negatively about that individual, even if he is unaware of his identity.
Example: Eli is telling Manny that an unnamed plumber did a poor job fixing his sink. Manny may not respond by expressing his shock, or his opinion that such an inferior job is inexcusable. Though it is true that Manny does not have any idea about whom he is speaking, Eli is aware of the subject’s identity. Were Manny to talk in such a manner, he would be lowering the status of that individual even further in Eli’s eyes.
Showing a Letter
As an extension of the above, the Chofetz Chaim provides a surprising example of Loshon Hora. He writes that merely showing another a letter which was written poorly constitutes Loshon Hora, as it would diminish the status of the writer in the eyes of the reader.
Example: Shoshana, a thirty-year-old lady, penned a letter written with the vocabulary of a fourth-grader. It would become clear to anyone who reads the letter that Shoshana is intellectually challenged. It constitutes Loshon Hora merely to show this letter to others, as it would cause them to think less of Shoshana.
In this case, nothing was said about the writer of the letter at all. Yet, it is still considered Loshon Hora, as something derogatory about her will become known through this interaction. This example combines both wordless and indirect Loshon Hora into one case.
A Poorly Written Book
Based on this, one may be led to think that it is forbidden to show someone an article or book which was written poorly, as this could cause the reader to lose respect for the writer. In truth, though, this case is permitted. The prohibition above refers to a private letter or something similar. However, in our case, the author himself has publicized his work. It is clear that he wants it to be read. This is comparable to a situation in which the subject of Loshon Hora does not mind if the information is spread. In such a case, the prohibition of Loshon Hora does not apply, as we will discuss at length in a future article.
Note that the above dispensation is limited to merely showing the article or book to another. In all cases, though, it is forbidden to make a critical comment about the article or book when showing it to others.
Obvious Omissions
There in another form of subtle, wordless Loshon Hora. At times one is asked a question about an individual, and he either refuses to answer or answers with glaring omissions in his statement. If the silence or omissions obviously implicate something negative about the individual, this constitutes Loshon Hora. The proper way to respond in such a situation is to answer in a way that these omissions are not apparent. If this is not possible, one is even permitted to alter the facts in order to avoid this implicit form of Loshon Hora. The details of this halacha will be discussed in a future article.
Example: Shimon asks Chaim, “I heard that you used Mr. Friedman to do your taxes. Did he do a good job?” (In this case, Shimon was not in need of an accountant, and he was simply asking out of curiosity.) Chaim was not pleased with Mr. Friedman’s performance. However, he does not want to speak Loshon Hora, so he responds, “Yes, he knows how to add and subtract very well.” This answer is forbidden, as praising an accountant for his basic arithmetic clearly implies that his primary skills are deficient. Instead, Chaim should say truthfully, “I was impressed by his honesty and integrity.” In this way, Chaim focuses on another important aspect of the accountant, and in this case, he did not imply anything negative about the accountant’s skills. Note that were Chaim to feel that the above statement would imply that Mr. Friedman is lacking in his skills (for whatever reason), he may not say it. Instead, he may lie by saying, “Yes, he did a fine job.”
Similarly, it is forbidden to praise an individual while blatantly omitting positive qualities that the listeners would expect to hear. In such a case, the omissions will also imply something negative about the individual, and thus, constitute Loshon Hora.
