סימן ל סעיף ב
יֵשׁ עָוֹן גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה עַד מְאֹד, וְהוּא בִּכְלָל לָאו זֶה, וְהוּא לָשׁוֹן הָרָע. וְהוּא הַמְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּת חֲבֵרוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאוֹמֵר אֱמֶת. אֲבָל הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁקֶר, נִקְרָא מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רַע עַל חֲבֵרוֹ. אֲבָל בַּעַל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע, זֶה שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְאוֹמֵר: כָּךְ וְכָךְ עָשָׂה פְּלוֹנִי, כָּךְ וְכָךְ הָיוּ אֲבוֹתָיו, כָּךְ וְכַךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי עָלָיו, וְאוֹמֵר דְּבָרִים שֶׁל גְּנַאי. עַל זֶה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב יַכְרֵת ה' כָּל שִׂפְתֵי חֲלָקוֹת לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֶת גְּדוֹלוֹת. הַמְקַבֵּל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע הוּא גָּרוּעַ יוֹתֵר מִן הָאוֹמְרוֹ, וְלֹא נֶחְתַּם גְּזַר דִּין עַל אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶלָּא עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרַע בִּלְבָד (רמב"ם פרק ז').
There is a much graver sin [than tale bearing] which is classified under this prohibition and that is slander;6The laws against slander do not apply when you wish to protect someone from harm. For example, if you know that someone plans to cheat in business, or that he plans to borrow money and not repay the loan, or that the person who wishes to marry someone’s daughter is a evil and corrupt man, then it is a mitzvah to inform the concerned party. (Pis’chei Teshuvah 156, also Chafeitz Chayim, Rechilus 9) which is, speaking of someone's shame, even if it is true. But a person who spreads lies [about others] is guilty of besmirching someone's name. A slanderer is a person who says, "So and so has done such and such; so and so were his parents; such and such a thing I heard about him," and he relates shameful things. Regarding such a person, Scripture states,7Psalms 12:4. "May Hashem cut off all smooth [talking] lips, the tongue that speaks haughty words."8The Gemara Yoma 9a states that the expression “haughty words” in this verse refers to lashon hara. Anyone speaking lashon hara displays haughtiness, for he places himself above God’s law. A person who accepts slanderous gossip is worse than the one who spreads it. The heavenly decree9Barring them from entering the Land of Israel. against our forefathers, in the wilderness was sealed, only because [they committed] the sin of slander.10The meraglim (spies) who explored the land spoke badly about it and the people accepted their slanderous report.
תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא שנאמר הליכות עולם לו אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות (נדה ע"ג.)