And know also that the issur of lashon hara obtains even if he demeans him before a Jew; how much more so if he demeans him before gentiles! For aside from his shaming the honor of Israel and desecrating the honor of Heaven thereby, he also causes great evil thereby to his friend. For if he speaks demeaningly of his friend before a Jew, he will not be immediately believed. But if he speaks about a Jew to a gentile, [telling him] that this Jew is a deceiver and a wronger of men and the like, he will believe this immediately and spread it to all and cause him harm and grief. How much more so, if he goes and informs against a Jew before gentiles, is his sin too great to bear. For he enters by this into the class of "the informers," and his din is like that of a heretic and of those who deny Torah and the resurrection, "Gehinnom ending, but they not ending." (viz. Rosh Hashana 17a). Therefore, every many of Israel must greatly guard himself against this. And one who transgresses this and goes and informs against a Jew before them is like one who would insult and blaspheme and lift his hand against Moshe Rabbeinu, may peace be upon him (viz. Choshen Mishpat 26).
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*כמו שידוע, שיש אנשים שוכרין עדים ומעלילין על חבריהן להוציא ממונם שלא באמת ובישר בפני שופטי המלכות. (הגהה זו, כנראה, מחמת הצנזורה).
וְדַע עוֹד, דְּאִסוּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא אֲפִלּוּ אִם מְגַנְּה אוֹתוֹ בִּפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִם מְגַנֵּהוּ בִּפְנִי נָכְרִים, דַּעֲוֹנוֹ גָּדוֹל הַרְבֵּה יוֹתֵר, כִּי מִלְּבַד שֶׁהוּא מְבַזֶּה כְּבוֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמְחַלֵּל כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם עַל יְדֵי זֶה, עוֹד הוּא גּוֹרֵם בָּזֶה רָעָה רַבָּה לַחֲבֵרוֹ, כִּי אִם יְסַפֵּר עַל חֲבֵרוֹ בִּפְנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל עִנְיַן גְּנוּת, לֹא יַחְלִיט תֵּכֶף לִדְבָרָיו, אֲבָל אִם יְסַפֵּר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּפְנֵי נָכְרִי, שֶׁהַיִּשְׂרָאֵל הַזֶּה הוּא רַמַּאי וּמְאַנֶּה לַבְּרִיּוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֵּא בָּזֶה, יַחְלִיט תֵּכֶף לָזֶה וִיפַרְסֵם דָּבָר זֶה בִּפְנִי כֹּל, (וּכעֵין זֶה אִיתָא בַּתּוספות בְּבָבָא בַּתרָא דַּף ל"ט, בַּמֶּה שִׁפֵּרשׁוּ הַנָּפְקָּא מִנַּה בֵּין לָשׁון הָרָע, לְמֶחָאָה, עַיֵּן שָׁם) וִיסֻבַּב לוֹ הֶזֵּק וְצַּעַר מִזֶּה. וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִם הוּא הוֹלֵךְ וּמַלְשִׁין עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּפְנִי נָכְרִים, בְּוַדַּאי עֲוֹנוֹ גָּדוֹל מִנְּשֹא, כִּי הוּא נִכְנָס עַל יְדֵי זֶה בִּכְלַל הַמַּלְשִׁינִים, וְדִּינוֹ שָׁוֶה לְאֶפִּיקוֹרֵס וְהַכּוֹפְרִים בַּתּוֹרָה וּבִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים, שֶׁגֵּיהִנֹּם כָּלֶה, וְהֵם אֵינָם כָּלִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בְּמַסֶכֶת ראשׁ הַשָּׁנָה {דף י"ז}, עַל כֵּן צָּרִיךְ כָּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁמֹר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִזֶּה עַד מְאֹד. וּמִי שֶׁעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְהוֹלֵךְ וּמַלְשִׁין * עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּפְנֵיהֶם, הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאִלּוּ חֵרֵף וְגִדֵּף וְהֵרִים יָד בְּתוֹרַת משֶה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּפְסָק בְּחֹשֶן מִּשְׁפָּט {סימן כ"ו}*.
And know also that the issur of lashon hara obtains even if he demeans him before a Jew; how much more so if he demeans him before gentiles! For aside from his shaming the honor of Israel and desecrating the honor of Heaven thereby, he also causes great evil thereby to his friend. For if he speaks demeaningly of his friend before a Jew, he will not be immediately believed. But if he speaks about a Jew to a gentile, [telling him] that this Jew is a deceiver and a wronger of men and the like, he will believe this immediately and spread it to all and cause him harm and grief. How much more so, if he goes and informs against a Jew before gentiles, is his sin too great to bear. For he enters by this into the class of "the informers," and his din is like that of a heretic and of those who deny Torah and the resurrection, "Gehinnom ending, but they not ending." (viz. Rosh Hashana 17a). Therefore, every many of Israel must greatly guard himself against this. And one who transgresses this and goes and informs against a Jew before them is like one who would insult and blaspheme and lift his hand against Moshe Rabbeinu, may peace be upon him (viz. Choshen Mishpat 26).
*כמו שידוע, שיש אנשים שוכרין עדים ומעלילין על חבריהן להוציא ממונם שלא באמת ובישר בפני שופטי המלכות. (הגהה זו, כנראה, מחמת הצנזורה).