And now let us return to our subject. Our having written (in section 2) that even hearing lashon hara is an issur of the Torah — that is, to go and hear. But if one was sitting in the company of people who had gathered for a certain purpose, and they began to speak forbidden things, and he feels that his words of reproof would be of no avail to them, [what he should do] depends upon the following: If it is possible for him to leave them or to place his fingers in his ears, it is a great mitzvah for him to do so, as Chazal have said in Kethuvoth (5a). But if it is impossible for him to leave, and he feels that this device of putting his fingers in his ears is also very difficult for him (for they would mock him and he certainly could not do this), in any event, let him see to it to gird himself at this time of trial, and "battle the war of the L–rd with his evil inclination," not to stumble, in any event, into the issur of the Torah of hearing and accepting lashon hara. This entails three requirements of which he must take great heed, so that he rescue himself from the issur of the Torah which inheres in this sin:
a) He must resolve within himself with a firm resolve, not to believe the demeaning things they say about their friends.
b) He should not be "comfortable" in hearing these forbidden things.
c) He must discipline himself not to reveal to the speakers any movement from which it would appear that he agrees with what they are saying.
וְעַתָּה נַחֲזֹר לְעִנְיָנֵנוּ הַנַּ"ל, דְּמַה שֶּׁכָּתַבְנוּ בְּסָעִיף ב"דַּאֲפִלּוּ שְׁמִּיעַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא אִסוּר תּוֹרָה, הַיְנוּ לֵילֵךְ וְלִשְׁמֹעַ, אֲבָל אִם יָשַׁב בַּחֲבוּרַת אֲנָשִׁים, שֶׁנִּתְקַבְּצוּ (ח) לְעִנְיַן מָה, וְהִתְחִילוּ לְדַבֵּר דְּבָרִים אֲסוּרִים, וְהוּא מְשַׁעֵר, (ט) שֶׁדִּבְרֵי תּוֹכַחְתּוֹ לֹא יוֹעִילוּ לָהֶם מְאוּמָה, תָּלוּי בָּזֶה (י) אִם אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לֵילֵךְ מִמְּסִבָּתָם, אוֹ לְהַנִּיחַ אֶצְּבָּעוֹ בְּאָזְנָיו, מִצְּוָה רַבָּה הוּא עוֹשֶׂה בָּזֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲז"ל בִּכְתֻבּוֹת, {דף ה'} אֲבָל אִם אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לְהִשָּׁמֵט מִּמְּסִבָּתָם, וּמְשַׁעֵר בְּעַצְּמוֹ, שֶׁעֵצָּה זוֹ דְּהֲנָחַת אֶצְּבָּעוֹ בְּאָזְנָיו, גַּם כֵּן קָשֶׁה לוֹ מְאֹד (יא) מִפְּנִי שֶׁיִּלְעֲגוּ עָלָיו, וּבְוַדַּאי לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה עֵצָה זוֹ, עַל כָּל פָּנִים יִרְאֶה אָז לְזָרֵז אֶת עַצְמוֹ וּלְהַעֲמִיד עַל נַפְשׁוֹ בְּעֵת צָרָה כָּזוֹ וְלִלְחֹם מִלְחֶמֶת ה' עִם יִצְרוֹ, כְּדֵי (יב) שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּשֵׁל עַל כָּל פָּנִים בְּאִסוּר דְּאוֹרַיְתָא שֶׁל שְׁמִיעַת וְקַבָּלַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע. וְלָזֶה צָרִיךְ ג' פְּרָטִים, שֶׁיִּזָּהֵר בָּהֶן מְאֹד וְיִנָּצֵל עַל יְדֵי זֶה עַל כָּל פָּנִים מֵהָאִסוּר תּוֹרָה, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּהֶעָוֹן הַנַּ"ל:
And now let us return to our subject. Our having written (in section 2) that even hearing lashon hara is an issur of the Torah — that is, to go and hear. But if one was sitting in the company of people who had gathered for a certain purpose, and they began to speak forbidden things, and he feels that his words of reproof would be of no avail to them, [what he should do] depends upon the following: If it is possible for him to leave them or to place his fingers in his ears, it is a great mitzvah for him to do so, as Chazal have said in Kethuvoth (5a). But if it is impossible for him to leave, and he feels that this device of putting his fingers in his ears is also very difficult for him (for they would mock him and he certainly could not do this), in any event, let him see to it to gird himself at this time of trial, and "battle the war of the L–rd with his evil inclination," not to stumble, in any event, into the issur of the Torah of hearing and accepting lashon hara. This entails three requirements of which he must take great heed, so that he rescue himself from the issur of the Torah which inheres in this sin:
a) He must resolve within himself with a firm resolve, not to believe the demeaning things they say about their friends.
b) He should not be "comfortable" in hearing these forbidden things.
c) He must discipline himself not to reveal to the speakers any movement from which it would appear that he agrees with what they are saying.
א יַחְלִיט בְּנַפְשׁוֹ בְּהֶסְכֵּם גָּמוּר, (יג) שֶׁלֹּא לְהַאֲמִין לְהַדִּבְרֵי גְּנוּת, שֶׁמְּסַפְּרִין עַל חַבְרֵיהֶם.
ב (יד) לֹא יִהְיֶה נִיחָא לֵה בִּשְׁמִיעַת סִפּוּרֵיהֶם הָאֲסוּרִים הָאֵלֶּה.
ג (טו) גַּם יַעֲמִיד עַל עַצְּמו, שֶלּא לְהַרְאות לִפְנִי הַמְסַפְּרִין שׁוּם תְּנוּעָה, שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה מִּמֶּנָּה, שֶׁהוּא מַסְכִּים לְדִבְרֵיהֶם, אַךְ יֵשֵׁב כְּאֶבֶן דּוּמֵם. וְאִם יוּכַל לְהַרְאוֹת לִפְנֵיהֶם פָּנִים נִזְעָמִים, שֶׁיָּבִינוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁהוּא אֵינוֹ מַסְכִּים לְדִבְרֵיהֶם הַהֲבָלִים, בְּוַדַּאי הוּא טוֹב יוֹתֵר.