Lashon Hara: Flatterers And Those That Hate The Truth

The third gate of Shahuba has a entire section about forbidden speech and different types of people that are a danger to society, are a danger to themselves. They get punished severely in this world and many of them actually lose. Now when we think of someone that says something that's forbidden, we're thinking of someone that said something bad. You're making fun of somebody. You are uh you know um insulting someone. That's what we think about when we think about this is bad. What about if I compliment you a whole lot? The average person would say, "Wow, that makes you a really nice person." That that's not a sin. Well, news that could be not only a sin, but a sin so grave a person that is doing it, that's speaking, giving compliments could lose. Why? It depends who you're speaking about. So, says the following. He says there is a certain section of people that are not only a danger to themselves, but they're a danger to society and they get a punishment that is very very severe. Severe to the extent where they can lose. What is this? the class of flatterers, people that are flatterers. And he says the subject of flatterers is deep and there's nine different types. Nine categories. Nine different types of flatterers. Not all built the same are the same. The first category is a flatterer. Someone that is says you're the best. You're amazing. Constantly gives compliments to people. Why should this be bad? This should be wow. What this guy is a fantastic human being. He loves everyone. What a sadic he is. He loves everyone. Says absolutely not. The class of flatterers who recognizes or sees or knows that his fellow is tainted with sin and embraces deceit or that he sins through lash himself and verbal abuse but still decides to smooth talk him with an evil tongue and says you have committed no wrong. Not only has the flatterer committed the transgression of withholding the rebuke the reproof from him as the puk says you must rebuke your fellow man and do not bear a sin because of him but he also further sinned by saying you have not sinned as the puk says in Jeremiah 23:14 they have strengthened the hand of the evildoers They've stranded the hand of the the people that are doing bad by telling them no what you're doing is not bad. No, no, your business is kosher. You what? You donate 20% right from the cash trans business. You're sadik. You're you're good. It's allowed. You're you're there's no I wish I had a million sadikim like you doing cash advance robbing the goim. That rabbi that gave their to the guy doing illegal business. That rabbi gave that tail to the guy who's driving on Shabbat because he donates a lot of money. That rabbi told him, "No, no, you're a good guy. You're sadik." Well, he knows he drives on Shabbat. He knows he cheats on his wife. He knows he cheats in business. He knows. But he tells him he's a good guy. He tells him he's a righteous person. He's not doing anything wrong. Says you're worse than him. Not only did you not rebuke, but you actually gave him strength to continue sinning. So now, not only does he not think he's making a mistake, but he actually thinks that what he's doing is it's a mitzvah. No, I'm providing a service to the public, Rabbi. They need money. I'm providing it to them. They can't get it anywhere else. Let them not get it anywhere else. Then it's better they don't get it from anywhere else than get it from you that you're robbing them. Now, such a flatterer continues and says, "This is a serious transgression in the hand of the foolish flatterer. For he is not zealous for the truth, but abetss falsehood, declares evil to be good, making light into darkness. He also places a pitfall before the sinner from two vantage points. First, as a result of this, the sinner does not regret his evil because you told him he's doing good. He's not doing mistakes. He doesn't regret it. So, that's already the first that's the the critical step number three of chuva. Without regret, there's no chuva. You could stop the sin, but if you don't get to the level of regret, it's not complete chuva. So if how's the guy going to regret what he's doing if you tell him he's doing okay? He's never going to get the regret. Meaning he's never going to complete. You're simply taking from this person and throwing the garbage. That's the first crime only. That's just the first crime. And second, he repeats his foolishness the next day. Since the wicked flatterer has praised him in his heart's desire, this guy will continue sinning. He didn't just not only tell him he's doing good, so he's okay with everything, all the skeletons that he buried, but he's going to continue doing it. There's no reason for him to change. He told him he's doing fine. Besides this, he will bear punishment for the harm he caused to the person whom the sinner wronged by justifying the one who sinned against him. All of his victims, all the people he steals money from, he overcharges them, he lies to them, cheats them, all of their all of their suffering will come on to that person that told him it's everything's okay. That rabbi told him, "You're a sadik." All of that goes on him also. All of this guy's victims, your your your students victims, all of that goes on that person also. All of their suffering. Well, he'll get punished for it. He becomes an owner of the business without getting any of the financial benefit. He gets all the sins from the benefits from the some of the from the uh business. All the sins. If I only told him once, once is more than enough. and says he'll bear the punishment for the harm he caused to the person whom the sinner wronged by justifying the one that sinned against him. And aside from that, he will be punished for his false words. The fact that he lied, that's another sin. As it says in taleim, you will destroy speakers of deceit. All these fake speakers, all of these people that are telling people everything's okay. You don't have to change. Hashem owes you. Hashem needs to please you. You know, like all these we keep talking against the freedman, the all these fakers says who makes a promise in the Torah. What you will destroy speakers of deceit. All of these liars is going to take them personally. Oneonone, he's going to destroy them. He's not even going to send them. That's that's what that's what that's what the Torah tells us. People like this would take revenge against these people personally. That's what David is telling us here and is quoting him and also says one who justifies an evildoer and he who condemns a righteous person both are an abomination of Hashem cuz people that are justifying telling them that all these people everybody's okay everyone's abah they continue sinning hem is going to give everyone ganed the rebi's going to save them this one's going has saved them. All that nonsense. Not only they're removing people's desire to do chuva and they're telling the the people that are doing wrong against Hashem. He's justifying it, but what happens with those people? Those people also end up condemning the righteous people that say the truth. Ah, he's too strict. This guy keeps saying you can't drive on Shabbat. What is he talking about? He's fanatic. He's extreme. I don't agree with you. Wouldn't agree with me? why I wrote this. That's what happens because those not only they tell people that they're fine, but they also cause them to hate the truth. They cause them to hate the truth. This applies even more so if the sin of his fellow man is public knowledge. For when the flatterer says to him before others, you're pure without any sin, he has now desecrated and demeaned both the law and justice person and now tells people everyone knows this guy is driving but he says ah here's the here's the everyone gives the guy in front of everyone. This guy not only made the sins in the beginning, but now he did it in front of everyone. What he's got we got waiting for him. What he's got waiting for him. And this is the best case scenario. It gets worse after this. In the next section 188, he says a person must expose himself to danger rather than bear upon him his soul the sin of such transgression. He says it's better you jump into a fire. You jump into a volcano. Then do what what we just talked about. Go jump over a bridge. Give yourself corona virus. Then go and be a flatterer. Tell people things that in reality you know is a lie. You know it's a lie. You know the guys on a regular basis goes against regularly on purpose. No. I don't care. I don't care. He knows he's not in Shabbat. No, but I live really far. Okay, so go to different. No, but there's no big desert, so move. No, but what do I do until I move finer or rental? I don't know what to tell you. Don't go. Point is, you can't drive at Shabbat. No, but the rabbi says it's okay. Okay. The rabbi has a very nice villa in Gome with you together, both you guys. Thanksgiving every day. says it's better that a person expose himself to danger then give than be such a flatterer and he mash goes all out over here tells people how horrible it is to be a flatterer. The second category of flatterer is a person who praises an evildoer in front of others whether or not he's present. Not by justifying the sinner's larseny or denying his accountability. Like he doesn't say that what he's doing is right. He's not that guy. He's not saying no no he's a tadik. His business is needed. He's a good guy. No. He says no no this guy's worse though. What does he do? What does this guy do? He doesn't even deny that this guy's a thief. doesn't deny this guy's a thief. He doesn't deny this guy's Shabbat. What does he say? He says that he's a good person. Yeah, I know he drives on Shabbat and he's married to a gua and he steals some people and he has a few bodies buried in his backyard, but he's such a good guy though. Says this person is even worse than the one we just talked about. Calling this person a good person is a sin. worse than everything we just talked about. Meaning next calling him a good person. Why? What's wrong with there's a lot wrong with it? Why is a lot wrong with it? Says the puk says in Mish 28:4, "Those who forsake the Torah praise the wicked. For had he not forsaken a Torah, he would not have praised one who violates its words." and abrogates its mitzvot. If you gave phrases to that means you're rash yourself that means you're and that's what the says in the uh commentary on Korakhat says people are saying yeah but this guy is rash no the people that supported him why do all the people that supported also get punished is they're worse than him why they supported him and anyone that supports rasha is worse himself. Why says the one that supports the by saying you're okay, everything's okay, he gives him power because in essence, this guy wouldn't continue if it wasn't for the support you would give him. There's a small chance he wouldn't continue just because he's not getting support. He knows people don't like him. But the fact that you like him, that's enough reason for him to continue. And calling him a good person is a form of support. No, but he's got Jewish heart. The dog has a Jewish heart, too. Jewish heart. What Jewish heart? Do chuva. Do chuva. That's what he is. That's what a Jewish heart is. Jewish heart is does chouva. I continue sinning with your support. How's he going to do chuva? If you really cared about his Jewish heart, tell him to do chuva. So here he says, even if he only praises the evildoer for the good that he possesses, speaking well of him to others regarding his upright qualities. This too is a sickly evil. He says it's not even that he says he's a good person. He simply compliments something that he does. Yeah, but he's very good at his job. Not allowed. No form of compliment is allowed to be given to. Yeah, but you know he built that building. You know he donated to that thing. Not allowed. Not allowed. The compliment person in public. Not allowed. Why? He's a person that violates Hashem's name on a regular basis. What if it's a parent? Who says you have to compliment him in public? Not in public. compliment the person the parent to them to themselves. That's a different story. What's the goal? What's the reason? We're talking about here that he's doing it in public. He's doing it in front of other people cuz in essence that speech is not for the sake of that person anymore. It's you're telling you're you're telling other people he's a good person. So now they're going to rely on that information and use it for whatever else and say, "Oh, he's good at building it for building. He's good at looking. I'm going to use him for looking. He's good at eating. I'm going to use him for In essence, you're giving him you're this testimony. You're his you're you're his credibility. You're his you're vouching for him that he's good at he may be horrible murderer and all of these other things, but he's good at this. You vouch for him. No good. But as far as complimenting a parent, you're not doing it to strange people. You're complimenting the parent to their face. What value does complimenting a parent that's from stranger? What are you going to do? Say, oh, I want you to be my parent also. I mean, you can say, you know, I have a uh good parents or just simply not uh uh not say anything bad. But the point is is that uh this one thing has uh a very clear difference here is that here he's saying is that even if the person that you're talking about is not there and you're talking about the other people which means that it's it's the words and how they affect the other people not that person himself not the himself. It's how your words will be utilized by these other people cuz now they think he's good. Now they think he's generous. Now they think he's uh something. So a person has to be very very careful. Like I said, you have to choose your words very carefully uh when you are speaking about other people. Now sometimes you have a situation where it's uncomfortable. Somebody puts you on the spot. He says, "Is he good at what he does?" And the guy's right there. And the guy's right there. You know, he's a And you know, he's terrible. You know, he's terrible. He's not good at his job. Not that he's a thief. He's not a thief. He's not like uh takes money from people. He doesn't do the job. But, uh, you know, he's not good. Well, you hired him one time and instead of building you a kitchen, he built your bathroom. So, he's not good. So, but somebody put you on the spot and he's right next to it. What are you gonna do? You have to tell the guy and you have to get yourself out of this situation where you have to tell the guy you have to judge yourself. It all depends on what you need. I'm not exactly the uh the expert. Not the expert. But that's assuming he's not a bad person. He's just not necessarily good at his job. But if he's a bad person, if he's dangerous, you have to warn the girl. You have to tell him outright. No, no, no. Don't use him. Oh, he's making he's a thief. If the person is intentionally wicked, you have to warn people. But if he's just not good, it's different. You can tell people you judge, you got this, that, you know, I don't uh I don't necessarily have the same needs as you. I don't have the same test taste as you and so on. But again, you don't have to don't lie about what you got. Listen, I you know, I got a bathroom instead of uh if he ask you specifics. But try to get yourself to uh not be the uh the cause of uh loss. But at the same token, don't lie. But if he's a wicked person, he's danger to society, you must warn people. Must warn people. And he continues and he goes on and uh it's a uh one of the interesting parts is that in uh section 190 he starts off by saying despise as the puk says in proverbs 29:27 is a man of iniquity. A sinner is an abomination to the hate. We're not talking about that don't even know they not talking about this guy grew up in a kibbu. He doesn't even know what Shabbat is. He thought it's like a a table. We're talking about people that know, people that go to Bit Kessa, but they drive 20 years already. They have unethical businesses and they know it's unethical. It's not like somebody's cheating them. They're bad people. Sadikim hates such people. One who is not a member of the even if he does not despise and curse the wicked, at least he should not bless them. Even if you're at Sadik and you're not at such a high level that you hate the you actually have to be at a high level to hate because you have to first of all know who's sometimes you're the but you hate other people call them. So first of all you have to be at a certain level to hate thee because you hate them for the sake of Hashem not for the sake of you. You got to hate them because they're making fun of you. You don't care if people make fun of you. You hate them because they're making fun of Hashem. The desecrating Hashem's name has nothing to do with you. If they insult insult you personally, don't even respond. They insult you personally, you don't respond at all. You know how many times people have made videos about me? You never heard about it. Why? It's about me. They just call me names for no reason. You're never going to hear their names. Why? I don't really care. But if somebody desecrates Hashem's name, even if he doesn't know I exist, he's gonna I'm gonna make sure he knows now. Why? I want to make sure everybody knows that he's hasha. Well, it's about Hashem. And even if you're not a sadik, you try to be a sadik. But if you're not even a sadik and you're not even trying to be a sadik, you're not even trying to hate the wicked says at least don't praise the wicked. Don't compliment them. Why? Because you start complimenting you become yourself. And he continues the third level. And I mean this is nine levels. It's a whole series. Point being is a person needs to be very very careful with speaking about people in general good or bad because it's not just about speaking about it's even things like flattering. You have to put so much thought into the words that come out of your mouth. It explains us why don't speak very much if it's not They just simply don't speak much. If it's not if it's not words of wisdom, they just don't speak. Why? Because they know that they could potentially fail. And that's why the says that the mundane conversation of the the students need to learn from. Why? Because even their mundane conversation is we are meant to be a light unto the nations, not to follow their misguided practices. Remember, every Jew has to remember that he's a Jew and she's a Jew. [Music]