May 2017

Chofetz Chaim Daily 5 Sivan The sefer Chofetz Chaim was written to educate the public in keeping the laws of LH and Rechilus. Content is gathered from Rishonim and Poskim. The main text is concise law. Sources are spelled out in the Beer Mayim Chaim.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 4 Sivan. Intro. Widespread nonobservance of hilchos LH is because of: 1)Ignorance of the laws 2)False heterim. This is primarily because there was no sefer that clearly spelled out all the halachos.

Chofetz Chaim Daily New Cycle. 1 Sivan. Introduction. Praised is Hashem who gave us the Torah, and brought us into Eretz Yisrael! Alas, at end of Bayis Sheni, Sinas Chinam and LH forced us into this long and harsh exile. Hashem is ready and able to redeem us; He is waiting for us to do teshuva.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 2 Sivan. LH is the primary sin we need to rectify to merit redemption because 1)it caused the current exile 2)the LH of the miraglim also caused exile 3)LH prolonged the Egyptian exile 4)the Torah curses LH sinners 5)A Baal LH is equal to a kofer. See sefer for elaboration.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 3 Sivan Some reasons why LH is so terrible 1)When people speak/listen to LH, the satan gets the ability to prosecute & the heavenly court gets the right to listen to sins 2)LH damages the potency of prayers and Torah learning that comes from the mouth 3)LH is a habit that piles up many sins very quickly.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 29 Iyar. Conclusion. If your information is not first hand, you can say it IF 1)the listeners know that, & will make more serious inquiries 2)they won’t break it off because of you. The Chofetz Chaim concludes his sefer by saying that the main idea is to think before you speak!!

Chofetz Chaim Daily 28 Iyar. Conclusion. If you think the in-laws aren’t going to support the amount promised, you can tell if a) you are positive b) it is a ‘make it or break it’ issue for the boy 3)the boy is really all he’s made to be. If they already made the t’naim, you may say only if you know they will act Al Pi Din, and not just break it off.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 27 Iyar. Conclusion. Serious negativities of a shidduch include: hidden illness, apikorsus and pritzus. Asur to tell about a boy’s lack of Torah knowledge. If they are concerned, they could have him tested. Whenever you’re allowed to speak, you must make sure to fulfill all the conditions in Rechilus Chapter 9:2.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 26 Iyar Shidduch Scenario: Be careful. If you know serious negative info about a potential shidduch, you must tell other side. Chofetz Chaim warns against destructive labeling i.e. to call a sincere & simple person “not so sharp”. Besides ruining potential matches, it degrades being sincere. Asur to degrade someone b/c of their parents or ancestors.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 23 Iyar 9:13 If the buyer will cause the seller any unrightful loss, it is asur to tell him that he was overcharged. The Chofetz Chaim bemoans the common practice of people degrading other’s purchases. If the buyer has no claim min hadin, there is no toeles. Most often the sayer isn’t educated enough to be able to determine the correct current value of the item!

Chofetz Chaim Daily 24 Iyar 9:14 If someone suspects YOU of wronging him, and you know who really did it, you may not tell (unless all conditions met). You may say it wasn’t me. 9:15 Ex: You put something aside for buyer. Ploni comes, pays, and takes the item. You do not protest. When original buyer returns with $, you may not tell him its ploni’s fault. It is asur to say ploni’s name, even if you accept blame. All hilchos LH do not apply to people who are public kofrim.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 25 Iyar In a case of potential partnership, one should not assume that ploni’s poor financial situation makes him a bad candidate for a partnership. BUT in such a scenario, where you may not want him as your partner, you shouldn’t recommend him either. That may be bad advice.

Chofetz Chaim Daily 22 Iyar 9:11 If the buyer already made a purchase AND HAS A VALID CLAIM (was cheated more than 1/6 & not too long since purchase), you should tell buyer if you fulfill these conditions: a) don’t exaggerate b)intend litoeles* c)try to rebuke seller first d)try alternative method first e)make sure the buyer won’t tell seller your name. *be sure that the buyer is the type to try to recoup his loss. If he’ll just be upset, then may not tell him. On the contrary you should lie and praise his purchase!

Chofetz Chaim Daily 21 Iyar 9:10 If you see that a store intends to cheat a customer, (overpriced more than 1/6, uses false scales, pretends junk is quality), you must warn the customer to stay away.