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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