One must take extreme care to habituate himself to heed the exhortation of Chazal (Kethuvoth 5a): "The Rabbis taught: 'One must never allow his ears to hear idle talk, for they are 'burnt' first of all the organs.'" That is, just as with a natural fire, if it enters a house, the place that it enters first is first to be burnt, so with the potent spiritual fire, the fire of Gehinnom, which is created by the tumah ["uncleanliness"] by which a man defiles his ears, that organ which is first to be defiled is readied to be seized upon immediately by the heavenly punishment, the fire of Gehinnom. Therefore, as it concerns forbidden speech, the ears are the fist organs involved in the issur, and, consequently, are defiled immediately. And through them the [forbidden] speech enters afterwards into the heart and defiles it (if he accepts it and believes it) by the issur of lashon hara. For he transgresses thereby "You shall not bear a false report," which is "heart-centered." (And so, likewise, with other things that are contrary to the Torah.) This, as we find in Sefer Charedim, in respect to negative commandments which are contingent upon the heart. For this reason, the ears are "readied" first to receive the fire of Gehinnom. And this certainly applies to hearing lashon hara against one's friend, where the sin is exceptionally great.
Therefore, if one recognizes men who are scoffers or speakers of lashon hara, he must be especially careful not to enter their company, even if he does not abet them at all, lest he be punished through them, as we have written many times in the name of Chazal. And according to what we see today, in our many sins, the issur of lashon hara having been blatantly violated, it befits everyone whose heart has been touched by fear of the L-rd not to sit in the company of men unless he knows them to be heedful of forbidden speech [as was the practice of the men of Jerusalem, as we find in Sanhedrin 23a]. For in most instances it is found that such company leads to lashon hara, rechiluth, and other [forms of] forbidden speech.
And, in truth, one who has an understanding heart, should flee the company of "street-corner men" as one flees fire. For why should he enter the company of men whom he will afterwards be obligated to reprove for their forbidden speech? For if he heard their words and neglects to rebut them, he, too, will be punished, as it is written in Sha’arei Teshuvah 197: If a man hears others speaking lashon hara or he hears "all mouths speaking foulness," or he sits in the midst of scoffers, who shame Torah and mitzvoth, and knowing them to be "defiers and despisers," who, if he reproves them, will not heed his words, wherefore, he puts his "hand to his mouth" — he, too, will be punished. For he will not have answered "the fools according to their folly," so that men may come to say of him that he, too, is like them and acquiesces in their words. How much more so is he obligated to answer and rebuke them to accord honor to the Torah and the mitzvoth which they have scorned and scoffed at, and to be jealous of the honor of the clean and the righteous whom they have spoken against. This is one of the reasons for which it is incumbent upon a man to leave the company of the wicked; for he will be punished for hearing their evil words and refraining from answering them. And this is explicitly stated by Solomon (viz. Proverbs 24:1-2)."
And see, my brother: If ten men are standing together and one of them is arrested for a certain offense that he was suspected of, and he is taken to court and tried, and he does not confess — and the other nine are also taken into custody for questioning in his case — though they consider themselves guiltless and have been remanded only to bring the first one's guilt to light, still their heart quakes within them and they are filled with remorse at having been "caught" in the company of the first, who is the cause of all this trouble. Then, afterwards, when with the help of the L-rd, they leave in peace without harm, they take great care not to be in his company again, lest the same thing happen to them. How much more so in our instance, when we know that in the world to come there will be punished both speaker and hearer and all who were with them in this evil company (viz. Chapter XIII in the name of Pirkei d'R. Eliezer) — how much more so must one flee this; and, when the yetzer hara entices him to join their company, to reflect: "It is enough for me that I must stand [in judgment] in the next world for my own sins. Why should I suffer punishment there for the sins of others!" In this way, the yetzer will be subdued.
בּוֹ יְבֹאַר הַרְחָקַת אָדָם מִשְּׁמִיעִת דִּבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים.
In this chapter there will be explained distancing oneself from hearing forbidden speech.
מְאֹד מְאֹד יַרְגִּיל הָאָדָם אֶת עַצְמוֹ לִהְיוֹת זָהִיר בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ בִּכְתֻבּוֹת (דף ה') תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן: לְעוֹלָם אַל יַשְׁמִיעַ אָדָם לְאָזְנָיו דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן נִכְוִין תְּחִלָּה לָאֵיבָרִים [וּבֵאוּר הַדָּבָר, דִּכְמוֹ דְּלֵקַת אֵשׁ הַגַּשְׁמִי, אִם נִכְנָס בְּאֵיזֶה בַּיִת, הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁפּוֹגַעַת תְּחִלָּה דֶּרֶךְ הִלּוּכָה, נִכְוֶה תְּחִלָּה, כֵּן הָעִנְיָן בָּאֵשׁ הָרוּחָנִי הֶחָזָק, שֶׁהוּא אֵשׁ הַגֵּיהִנֹּם שֶׁנִּבְרָא עָל יְדֵי הַטֻּמְאָה שֶׁמְּטַמֵּא אָדָם אֶת אֵיבָרָיו, אוֹתוֹ אֵיבָר שֶׁנִּטְמָא תְּחִלָּה הוּכַן תֵּכֶף לְהֵאָחֵז בּוֹ תְּחִלָּה הָעֹנֶשׁ הַשְּׁמֵימִי, שֶׁהוּא אֵשׁ הַגֵּיהִנֹּם. וְעַל כֵּן בְּעִנְיַן הַקְשָׁבָה לְדִבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים, הָאָזְנַיִם הֵם הָאֵיבָרִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הַמַּתְחִילִים הָאִסּוּר בְּעִנְיַן שְׁמִיעַת הַדָּבָר, וּמִמֵּילָא נִטְמָאִים תֵּכֶף, וְעַל יָדָם נִכְנָס הַדָּבָר אַחַר כָּךְ בַּלֵּב וּמְטַמֵּא אוֹתוֹ אִם מְקַבֵּל אֶת הַדָּבָר וּ מאֲמִין בְּעִנְיַן לָשׁוֹן הָרָע. (וְכֵן כְּהַאי גַּוְנָא בִּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵם שֶׁלֹּא כְּדַת הַתּוֹרָה) שֶׁעָבַר בָּזֶה עַל הַלָּאו דְּ"לֹא תִשָּׂא שֵׁמַע שָׁוְא", שֶׁהוּא תָּלוּי בַּלֵּב, וְכִדְאִיתָא כְּ"סֵפֶר חֲרֵדִים" בְּמִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה הַתְּלוּיוֹת בַּלֵּב. וְעַל כֵּן הָאָזְנַיִם הֵן מוּכָנוֹת רִאשׁוֹנָה לְקַבֵּל עֹנֶשׁ בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם] וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן מִלִּשְׁמֹעַ דִּבְרֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁהֶעָוֹן הוּא הַרְבֵּה יוֹתֵר גָּדוֹל.
One must take extreme care to habituate himself to heed the exhortation of Chazal (Kethuvoth 5a): "The Rabbis taught: 'One must never allow his ears to hear idle talk, for they are 'burnt' first of all the organs.'" That is, just as with a natural fire, if it enters a house, the place that it enters first is first to be burnt, so with the potent spiritual fire, the fire of Gehinnom, which is created by the tumah ["uncleanliness"] by which a man defiles his ears, that organ which is first to be defiled is readied to be seized upon immediately by the heavenly punishment, the fire of Gehinnom. Therefore, as it concerns forbidden speech, the ears are the fist organs involved in the issur, and, consequently, are defiled immediately. And through them the [forbidden] speech enters afterwards into the heart and defiles it (if he accepts it and believes it) by the issur of lashon hara. For he transgresses thereby "You shall not bear a false report," which is "heart-centered." (And so, likewise, with other things that are contrary to the Torah.) This, as we find in Sefer Charedim, in respect to negative commandments which are contingent upon the heart. For this reason, the ears are "readied" first to receive the fire of Gehinnom. And this certainly applies to hearing lashon hara against one's friend, where the sin is exceptionally great.
עַל כֵּן אִם מַכִּיר אֲנָשִׁים, שֶׁהֵם בַּעֲלֵי לֵיצָנוּת אוֹ מְסַפְּרֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, יִזָּהֵר מְאֹד מִלְּהִכָּנֵס בַּחֲבוּרָתָם, אֲפִלּוּ אִם לֹא יְסַיַּע לָהֶם כְּלָל, פֶּן יֵעָנֵשׁ בְּסִבָּתָם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים בְּשֵׁם חֲזַ"ל. וּלְפִי מַה שֶּׁאָנוּ רוֹאִין הַיּוֹם, בַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים, שֶׁנִּפְרָץ אִסּוּר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע לִמְאֹד, רָאוּי לְכָל מִי שֶׁנָּגְעָה יִרְאַת ה' בְּלִבּוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא לֵישֵׁב בַּחֲבוּרַת אֲנָשִׁים אִם לֹא שֶׁמַּכִּירָם שֶׁהֵם נזְהָרִים מִדִּבּוּרִים הָאֲסוּרִים, [וּכְמוֹ שֶׁעָשׂוּ אַנְשֵׁי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וְכִדְאִיתָא בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין כ"ג; עַיֵּן שָׁם], כִּי עַל פִּי רֹב מָצוּי מְאֹד, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַקִּבּוּץ בָּאִים לְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע וּרְכִילוּת וּשְׁאָר דִּבּוּרִים אֲסוּרִים.
Therefore, if one recognizes men who are scoffers or speakers of lashon hara, he must be especially careful not to enter their company, even if he does not abet them at all, lest he be punished through them, as we have written many times in the name of Chazal. And according to what we see today, in our many sins, the issur of lashon hara having been blatantly violated, it befits everyone whose heart has been touched by fear of the L-rd not to sit in the company of men unless he knows them to be heedful of forbidden speech [as was the practice of the men of Jerusalem, as we find in Sanhedrin 23a]. For in most instances it is found that such company leads to lashon hara, rechiluth, and other [forms of] forbidden speech.
וּבֶאֱמֶת מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ לֵב נָבוֹן, צָרִיךְ לִבְרֹחַ מֵחֲבוּרַת אֲנָשִׁים בַּעֲלֵי קְרָנוֹת כְּבוֹרֵחַ מִן הָאֵשׁ. דְּלָמָּה לוֹ לִכָּנֵס לְכַתְּחִלָּה בַּחֲבוּרַת אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁיִּתְחַיֵּב אַחַר כָּךְ לְהוֹכִיחָם עַל דִּבּוּרֵיהֶם הָאֲסוּרִים? דְּאִם יִשְׁמַע לְדִבְרֵיהֶם וְיִלְאֶה לַעֲנוֹתָם, גַּם הוּא יֵעָנֵשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּשַׁעֲרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה בְּמַאֲמָר קצ"ו וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם מְדַבְּרִים לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, אוֹ כִּי יִשְׁמַע כָּל פֶּה דּוֹבֵר נְבָלָה, אוֹ יוֹשֵׁב בְּסוֹד מְשַׂחֲקים בּוֹזֵי תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת וְיוֹדֵעַ כִּי הֵם סַרְבָּנִים וְסַלּוֹנִים, וְאִם יוֹכִיחָם לֹא יַקשִׁיבוּ אֶל דְּבָרָיו, עַל כֵּן יָשִׂים יָד אֶל פֶּה, גַּם זֶה יֵעָנֵשׁ, כִּי לֹא יַעֲנֶה כְּסִילִים בְּאִוַּלְתָּם, פֶּן יֹאמְרוּ לוֹ, כִּי הוּא כְּמוֹ הֵם וְכִי הוֹדָה עַל דִּבְרֵיהֶם, אַף כִּי יִתְחַיֵּב לַעֲנוֹת וְלִגְעֹר בָּהֶם לָתֵת גֹּדֶל לַתּוֹרָה וְלַמִּצְוֹת אֲשֶׁר בָּזוּ, לָעֲגוּ לָהֶם, וִיקַנֵּא לִכְבוֹד נָקִי וְצַדִּיק אֲשֶׁר יָשִׂיחוּ, וְזֶה אֶחָד מִן הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר יִתְחַיֵּב הָאָדָם לַעֲזֹב בַּעֲבוּרָם חֶבְרַת הָרְשָׁעִים, כִּי יֵעָנֵשׁ בְּשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם הָרָעִים וְיִלְאֶה לַעֲנוֹתָם, וְזֶה הַדָּבָר מְפֹרָשׁ בְּדִבְרֵי שְׁלֹמֹה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְגוֹ'. עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ.
And, in truth, one who has an understanding heart, should flee the company of "street-corner men" as one flees fire. For why should he enter the company of men whom he will afterwards be obligated to reprove for their forbidden speech? For if he heard their words and neglects to rebut them, he, too, will be punished, as it is written in Sha’arei Teshuvah 197: If a man hears others speaking lashon hara or he hears "all mouths speaking foulness," or he sits in the midst of scoffers, who shame Torah and mitzvoth, and knowing them to be "defiers and despisers," who, if he reproves them, will not heed his words, wherefore, he puts his "hand to his mouth" — he, too, will be punished. For he will not have answered "the fools according to their folly," so that men may come to say of him that he, too, is like them and acquiesces in their words. How much more so is he obligated to answer and rebuke them to accord honor to the Torah and the mitzvoth which they have scorned and scoffed at, and to be jealous of the honor of the clean and the righteous whom they have spoken against. This is one of the reasons for which it is incumbent upon a man to leave the company of the wicked; for he will be punished for hearing their evil words and refraining from answering them. And this is explicitly stated by Solomon (viz. Proverbs 24:1-2)."
וּרְאֵה אָחִי, שֶׁאִם יַעַמְדוּ עֲשָׂרָה אֲנָשִׁים בְּיַחַד, וְיִתָּפֵשׂ אֶחָד מֵהֶן בַּקּוֹלָר עַל אֵיזֶה עַוְלָה, שֶׁנִּשְׁמַע עָלָיו שֶׁעָשָׂה שֶׁלֹּא כַּהֹגֶן, וְיִקְּחוּהוּ לְבֵית הַשּׁוֹפְטִים לִדְרֹש וְלַחֲקֹר אוֹתוֹ הֵיטֵב עַל אוֹדוֹת הָעַוְלָה שֶׁנִּשְׁמַע עָלָיו, וְהוּא לֹא הוֹדָה עַל זֶה, וְנִלְקְחוּ אַחַר כָּךְ בַּקּוֹלָר גַּם הַתִּשְׁעַת הַנּוֹתָרִים לְדָרְשָׁם גַּם כֵּן עַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אוּלַי עַל יְדֵי זֶה יִתְגַּלֶּה הָעִנְיָן, אַף שֶׁהֵם מְשַׁעֲרִים בְּעַצְמָם, כִּי הֵם חַפִּים מִפֶּשַׁע, וְלֹא נִלְקְחוּ בַּקּוֹלָר רַק שֶׁעַל יָדָם יִתְגַּלֶּה תַּרְמִית לִבּוֹ שֶׁל הָרִאשׁוֹן, עִם כָּל זֶה נִשְׁבָּר לִבָּם בְּקִרְבָּם וּמִצְטַעֲרִים מְאֹד עַל שֶׁהָיוּ בִּמְסִבָּה אַחַת עִם הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה בָּא לָהֶם כָּל הַתְּלָאָה הַזֹּאת. וְאַחַר כָּךְ כְּשֶׁעוֹזְרָם ה', שֶׁהֵם יוֹצְאִים בְּשָׁלוֹם בְּלִי פֶּגַע, הֵם נִזְהָרִים עַד מְאֹד מִלִּהְיוֹת צֶוֶת עִם אִישׁ כָּזֶה, פֶּן יִקְרֶה לָהֶם עוֹד כָּכָה. וְעַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה בְּעִנְיָנֵנוּ, שֶׁיָּדוּעַ שֶׁלֶּעָתִיד לָבוֹא יֵעָנְשׁוּ גַּם הַמְסַפֵּר גַּם הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ גַּם כָּל הַנִּלְוִים אֲלֵיהֶם בַּחֲבוּרָתָם הָרָעָה הַזּוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב לְמַעְלָה בְּפֶרֶק י"ג בְּשֵׁם פִּרְקֵי דְּר' אֱלִיעֶזֶר, כַּמָּה צָרִיךְ לִבְרֹחַ מִזֶּה, וּכְשֶׁמְּסִיתוֹ הַיֵּצֶר לִכָּנֵס בְּתוֹךְ חֲבוּרָתָם, יַחֲשֹׁב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ: דַּי לִי בַּמֶּה שֶׁאֶעֱמֹד בָּעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן בַּעֲוֹנוֹתַי, וּמַה לִּי לִסְבּל בָּעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן עֹנֶשׁ מֵעֲוֹנוֹת זוּלָתִי? וְעַל יְדֵי כָּךְ יִנָּגֵף הַיֵּצֶר.
And see, my brother: If ten men are standing together and one of them is arrested for a certain offense that he was suspected of, and he is taken to court and tried, and he does not confess — and the other nine are also taken into custody for questioning in his case — though they consider themselves guiltless and have been remanded only to bring the first one's guilt to light, still their heart quakes within them and they are filled with remorse at having been "caught" in the company of the first, who is the cause of all this trouble. Then, afterwards, when with the help of the L-rd, they leave in peace without harm, they take great care not to be in his company again, lest the same thing happen to them. How much more so in our instance, when we know that in the world to come there will be punished both speaker and hearer and all who were with them in this evil company (viz. Chapter XIII in the name of Pirkei d'R. Eliezer) — how much more so must one flee this; and, when the yetzer hara entices him to join their company, to reflect: "It is enough for me that I must stand [in judgment] in the next world for my own sins. Why should I suffer punishment there for the sins of others!" In this way, the yetzer will be subdued.