What is lashon hara?
Lashon hara (literally "evil tongue") is the Jewish term for derogatory or harmful speech about another person: even when it's completely true. Judaism takes the power of words with extraordinary seriousness, treating harmful speech as a grave wrong because of the damage it does to people and relationships. Guarding one's speech (shmirat halashon) is considered a major area of Jewish ethics. The radical part for many: lashon hara isn't only about lies: true negative talk counts too.
What counts as lashon hara?
- Lashon hara, saying something negative or damaging about someone, even if true.
- Rechilut, gossip that stirs up conflict between people ("so-and-so said this about you").
- Motzi shem ra, outright slander, spreading falsehoods, considered the most severe. There are nuanced exceptions, for example, sharing necessary information to protect someone from harm, but the default is restraint.
Why does Judaism take speech so seriously?
Because words shape reality: they can build people up or tear them down, and damage from speech can't simply be taken back. The early-20th-century sage known as the Chofetz Chaim devoted landmark works to these laws, and many people study a small amount daily to grow more mindful of how they speak. It's ethics applied to the most constant thing we do: talk.
In short: lashon hara is harmful speech about others, even if true, and Judaism treats guarding one's words as a serious ethical discipline.
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