There are things which are forbidden because of the "dust" of lashon hara. As when one says about another: "Who would have said about Ploni that he would be the way he is now!" or "Don't talk about Ploni. I don't want to talk about what happened or what will happen," and the like. Also in the category of the "dust" of lashon hara is speaking in one's praise before his enemies; for this will cause them to speak demeaningly of him. And it is forbidden to be profuse in praise of him, even if not before his enemies; for through this he will come to demean him in the end, saying: "except for this one bad trait that he has." Or the listeners will say: "Why do you speak so much in his praise? Does he not have this and this trait?"
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*ומזה נלמד דהוא הדין לכל כיוצא בזה, אם רוצה לדבר עם אחד אודות מי, והוא משער שאין לבו שלם עם אותו פלוני, (ד) ויבוא על ידי זה לגנותו, דאסור לדבר עמו אודותיו.
(א) יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֲסוּרִין מִטַּעַם אֲבַק לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, כְּגוֹן שֶׁאוֹמֵר, מִי הָיָה אוֹמֵר עַל פְּלוֹנִי, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא עַתָּה אוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֵר, שִׁתְקוּ מִפְּלוֹנִי, (ב) אֵינִי רוֹצֶּה לְהוֹדִיעַ מָה אֵרַע וּמַה יִּהְיֶה, וְכַיּוֹצֵּא בִּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ. וְכֵן הַמְסַפֵּר (ג) בְּשִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ בִּפְנִי שׂוֹנְאָיו, גַּם כֵּן בִּכְלַל אֲבַק לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא, דְּזֶה גּוֹרֵם לָהֶם, שֶׁיְּסַפְּרוּ בִּגְנוּתוֹ* . וְאִם (ה) הוּא מַרְבֶּה לְסַפֵּר בְּשִׁבְחוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי שׂוֹנְאָיו אָסוּר, כִּי עַל יְדֵי זֶה רָגִיל בְּעַצְמוֹ לְגַנּוֹתוֹ לְבַסוֹף לוֹמַר: חוּץ מִמִּדָּה רָעָה זוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁהַשּׁוֹמְעִין יְשִׁיבוּהוּ: לָמָּה אַתָּה מַרְבֶּה בְּשִׁבְחוֹ וַהֲלֹא מִדַּת כָּךְ וְכָךְ בְּיָדוֹ?
There are things which are forbidden because of the "dust" of lashon hara. As when one says about another: "Who would have said about Ploni that he would be the way he is now!" or "Don't talk about Ploni. I don't want to talk about what happened or what will happen," and the like. Also in the category of the "dust" of lashon hara is speaking in one's praise before his enemies; for this will cause them to speak demeaningly of him. And it is forbidden to be profuse in praise of him, even if not before his enemies; for through this he will come to demean him in the end, saying: "except for this one bad trait that he has." Or the listeners will say: "Why do you speak so much in his praise? Does he not have this and this trait?"
*ומזה נלמד דהוא הדין לכל כיוצא בזה, אם רוצה לדבר עם אחד אודות מי, והוא משער שאין לבו שלם עם אותו פלוני, (ד) ויבוא על ידי זה לגנותו, דאסור לדבר עמו אודותיו.