Arakhin 31

רבה בר רב הונא

Rabbah son of R'Huna said: Whatsoever is said before three is not considered slander.

כל מילתא דמיתאמרא באפי תלתא לית בה משום לישנא בישא

Why?

מ"ט

Your friend has a friend, and your friend's friend has a friend.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By making his statement before three he expects their spreading it in his name, as something that will become known. Cf. R. Jose's attitude just above.');">¹</span>

חברך חברא אית ליה וחברא דחברך חברא אית ליה

When R'Dimi came [from Palestine].

כי אתא רב דימי אמר מאי דכתיב

he said: What is the meaning of the verse: He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXVII, 14. The expression seems too strong, his tactlessness might call for reproof, but why is it a curse?');">²</span>

(משלי כז, יד) מברך רעהו בקול גדול בבוקר השכם קללה תחשב לו

It refers, for example, to the case of one who happened to stay in a house where they laboured much on his behalf, and next morning he goes out into the street and says: May the Merciful One bless So-and-so, who laboured so much on my behalf.

כגון דמיקלע לאושפיזא וטרחו קמיה שפיר למחר נפיק יתיב בשוקא ואמר

Whereupon people will hear it and come and plunder him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If that praise indicates that the host has much, violent men may go to rob him; normally. such praise will subject the host to the importunities of indecent people eager to be fed by him.');">³</span>

רחמנא ניברכיה לפלניא דהכי טרח קמאי ושמעין אינשי ואזלין ואנסין ליה

R'Dimi, brother of R'Safra, learnt: Let no man ever talk in praise of his neighbour, for through [talking his praise he will come<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He will say: 'With the exception of this or that bad habit', thus dispraising his neighbour. Aliter: 'it will come' etc. His praise will arouse the hostile remarks of the envious.');">⁴</span>

תני רב דימי אחוה דרב ספרא

to disparage him.

לעולם אל יספר אדם בטובתו של חבירו שמתוך טובתו בא לידי רעתו

Some there are who say: R'Dimi, brother of R'Safra, was ill.

איכא דאמרי

R'Safra entered to inquire about his state of health.

רב דימי אחוה דרב ספרא חלש על רב ספרא לשיולי ביה אמר להו

He said, May it come [home] to me<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., I believe to have merited reward, in that . .');">⁵</span>

תיתי לי דקיימי כל דאמר רבנן

that I have kept whatever the Rabbis have enjoined.

א"ל

He said to him: Hast thou also kept [their command]: Let no man ever talk in praise of his neighbour.

הא מי מקיימת לעולם אל יספר אדם בטובתו של חבירו שמתוך טובתו בא לידי גנותו

for through talking in his praise he will come to disparage him?

אמר להו

He answered: I have not heard it, for had I heard it, l would have kept it.

לא שמיעא לי ואי הוה שמיעא לי קיימתה

R'Samuel B'Nahmani said in the name of R'Johanan: Because of seven things the plague of leprosy is incurred: [These are:] slander, the shedding of blood, vain oath,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The taking of the Lord's name in vain being a great offence. Or, perjury: the example chosen shows that the latter is meant.');">⁶</span>

א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יוחנן על שבעה דברים נגעים באין

incest, arrogance, robbery and envy.

על לשון הרע ועל שפיכות דמים ועל שבועת שוא ועל גילוי עריות ועל גסות הרוח ועל הגזל ועל צרות העין

Because of slander, as it is written: Whoso slandereth his neighbour in secret, him will I destroy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CI, 5. 'Destroy' here has been explained as signifying afflict with leprosy. v. supra 15b.');">⁷</span>

על לשון הרע דכתיב

For 'blood-shed', as it is written: And let there not fail front the house of Joab one.

(תהלים קא, ה) מלשני בסתר רעהו אותו אצמית

hath an issue or that is leper.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. III, 29.');">⁸</span>

על שפיכות דמים דכתיב

For a vain oath', as it is written: And Naaman said: be content, take two talents,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings V, 23 and 27.');">⁹</span>

(שמואל ב ג, כט) ואל יכרת מבית יואב זב ומצורע וגו'

and it is written: The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings V, 23 and 27.');">⁹</span>

ועל שבועת שוא דכתיב

For 'incest', as it is written: And the Lord plagued Pharaoh.

(מלכים ב ה, כג) ויאמר נעמן הואל קח ככרים וכתי'

with great plagues.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XII, 17.');">¹⁰</span>

(מלכים ב ה, כז) וצרעת נעמן תדבק בך וגו'

Because of 'arrogance'.

ועל גילוי עריות דכתיב

as it is written: But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up so he did corruptly, and he trespassed against the Lord, his God.

(בראשית יב, יז) וינגע ה' את פרעה נגעים וגו'

and the leprosy broke forth in his forehead.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Chron. XXVI, 16 and 19.');">¹¹</span>

ועל גסות הרוח דכתיב

Because of 'robbery', as it is written: And the priest shall command that they empty the house,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIV, 36.');">¹²</span>

{דברי הימים ב כז } ובחזקתו גבה לבו עד להשחית וימעול בה' אלהיו {דברי הימים ב כז } והצרעת זרחה במצחו

in connection with which a Tanna taught: Because he had gathered money that was not his own, the priest comes and scatters it.

ועל הגזל דכתיב

And because of 'envy', as it is said: Then he that owneth the house shall come,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. v. 35.');">¹³</span>

(ויקרא יד, לו) וצוה הכהן ופנו את הבית תנא

referring to which the school of R'Ishmael taught: He who would reserve his house for himself.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Will suffer from house leprosy. v. Yoma 11b.');">¹⁴</span>

הוא כונס ממון שאינו שלו יבא הכהן ויפזר ממונו

But that is not so, for R''Anani B'Sason said: Why is the portion about the priestly garments<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Ex. XXVIII and XXIX.');">¹⁵</span>

ועל צרות העין דכתיב

placed next to the portion about the sacrifices?

(ויקרא יד, לה) ובא אשר לו הבית [וגו'] ותנא דבי ר' ישמעאל

It is to tell you that just as sacrifices procure atonement, so do the priestl garments.

מי שמיוחד ביתו לו

The tunic procures atonement for bloodshed, as it is written: And they dipped the coat in the blood.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXXVII, 31. A hint that the coat covers (as it was covered by) blood.');">¹⁶</span>

איני

The breeches procure atonement for incest, as it is written: And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVIII, 42.');">¹⁷</span>

והא אמר ר' ענני בר ששון

The mitre procures atonement for those of arrogant mind, in accord with what R'Hanina taught; for he said: Let that which is [placed] high procure atonement for acts of haughtiness.

למה נסמכה פרשת בגדי כהונה לפרשת קרבנות

The girdle procures atonement for sinful thoughts of the heart, [for it atones] where it is [worn].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The girdle was supposed to have been wide enough to cover his heart.');">¹⁸</span>

לומר לך

The breastplate procures atonement for [error in] legal decisions, as it is written: And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVIII, 15. 'Of' equivalent for 'error in' judgment.');">¹⁹</span>

מה קרבנות מכפרין אף בגדי כהונה מכפרין

The ephod procures atonement for idolatry, as it is written: And without ephod or teraphim.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hosea III, 4, interpreting thus: 'Because there was no ephod. there were teraphim (idols) .');">²⁰</span>

כתונת מכפרת על שפיכות דמים דכתיב

The robe procures atonement for slander, for the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let that which emits a sound,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVIII, 33. The robe had small bells on its hem so that one might hear the approach of the high priest. Slander. too, is audible.');">²¹</span>

(בראשית לז, לא) ויטבלו את הכתנת בדם

procure atonement for an act of sound [the voice].

מכנסים מכפרים על גילוי עריות דכתיב

The [golden] plate procures atonement for impudent deeds, for there it is written: And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVIII, 38.');">²²</span>

(שמות כח, מב) ועשה להם מכנסי בד לכסות בשר ערוה

and it is written there: Yet thou hadst a harlot's forehead!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. III, 3. The argument is from analogy of phrase.');">²³</span>

מצנפת מכפרת על גסי הרוח כדרבי חנינא דא"ר חנינא

- This is no contradiction: The one results when his actions were effective, the other when they were not effective.

יבא דבר שבגובה ויכפר על מעשה גובה

If his acts were effective, the plague of lepros visits him, if his actions were not effective, the robe procures atonement.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to the reaching above, slander is visited by plagues. whereas now we are taught that the priestly robe procures atonement for it.');">²⁴</span>

אבנט מכפרת על הרהור הלב אהיכא דאיתיה (דכתיב

But R'Simeon said in the name of R'Joshua B'Levi: For two things we do not find any atonement through sacrifices, but we do find atonement for them through something else, [viz. ,] bloodshed and slander.

(שמות כח, לה) והיה על לב אהרן)

Bloodshed through the heifer whose neck is to be broken, and slander through incense.

חושן מכפר על הדינין דכתיב

For R'Hanina taught: We have learnt that the incense procures atonement, as it is written: And he put oil the incense and mode atonement for the people.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num XVII, 12.');">²⁵</span>

(שמות כח, טו) ועשית חושן משפט

And the School of R'Ishmael taught: For what does incense procure atonement?

אפוד מכפר על עבודה זרה דכתיב

For slander.

(הושע ג, ד) אין אפוד ותרפים

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let that which is [offered]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The incense is offered in the Holy of Holies, which therefore is 'in secret', v. Yoma 44a. That 'slander' is described here as something said in secret endorses the view of Rabbah v. R. Huna supra 16a.');">²⁶</span>

מעיל מכפר על לשון הרע אמר הקב"ה

in secret [come and] procure atonement for what was done in secret.

יבא דבר שבקול ויכפר על מעשה הקול

Now we have a contradiction from [one teaching concerning] bloodshed as against another [teaching touching] bloodshed; and a contradiction from [one teaching about] slander against [another about] slander? - There is no contradiction between the two teachings about bloodshed; one speaks of the case where it is known who has killed him, and the other where it is unknown.

ציץ מכפר על מעשה עזי פנים כתיב הכא

But where it is known who has killed him, he ought to be executed? - It speaks of a case where he did it deliberately, but without having been forewarned.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For a murderer to be executed he must have been forewarned, and his deed must have been seen by two witnesses.');">²⁷</span>

(שמות כח, לח) והיה על מצח אהרן וכתיב התם

Neither is there a contradiction between the two teachings about slander; the one was committed in secret,

(ירמיהו ג, ג) ומצח אשה זונה היה לך

לא קשיא

הא דאהנו מעשיו הא דלא אהנו מעשיו אי אהנו מעשיו אתו נגעים עליה אי לא אהנו מעשיו מעיל מכפר

והא"ר סימון אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי

שני דברים לא מצינו להם בקרבנות כפרה בדבר אחר מצינו להם כפרה שפיכות דמים ולשון הרע

שפיכות דמים בעגלה ערופה ולשון הרע

בקטרת דתניא ר' חנינא

למדנו לקטרת שמכפרת דכתיב

(במדבר יז, יב) ויתן את הקטרת ויכפר על העם ותנא דבי רבי ישמעאל

על מה קטרת מכפרת

על לשון הרע אמר הקב"ה

יבא דבר שבחשאי ויכפר על מעשה חשאי

קשיא שפיכות דמים אשפיכות דמים קשיא לשון הרע אלשון הרע

שפיכות דמים אשפיכות דמים לא קשיא

הא דידיע מאן קטליה הא דלא ידיע מאן קטליה

דידיע מאן קטליה בר קטלא הוא

במזיד ולא אתרו ביה

לשון הרע אלשון הרע ל"ק

הא בצינעא