TEN RULES OF  SHMIRAS HALOSHON
LOSHON HORA MEANS THE MAKING OF A  DEROGATORY OR DAMAGING REMARK TO SOMEONE. THE TORAH FORBIDS ONE TO DENIGRATE THE BEHAVIOR OR CHARACTER OF A PERSON OR TO MAKE ANY REMARK THAT MIGHT CAUSE PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL OR FINANCIAL HARM.
HERE ARE TEN BASIC RULES TO REMEMBER

1. IT IS LOSHON HORA TO CONVEY A DEROGATORY   
    IMAGE OF SOMEONE EVEN  IF THAT IS  TRUE AND
    DESERVED.(FALSE DEROGATORY STATEMENTS ARE   
    CALLED MOITZI-SHEM-RA)
2. A STATEMENT WHICH IS NOT ACTUALLY
    DEROGATORY BUT CAN ULTIMATELY CAUSE
    SOMEONE PHYSICAL, FINANCIAL, OR EMOTIONAL       
    HARM IS ALSO LOSHON HORA.
3. IT IS LOSHON HORA TO HUMOROUSLY RECOUNT AN     
    INCIDENT THAT CONTAINS EMBARRASSING OR
    DAMAGING INFORMATION ABOUT A PERSON EVEN   
    IF THERE  IS NOT THE SLIGHTEST INTENT THAT     
   THEY SHOULD SUFFER ANY HARM OR HUMILIATION.
4. LOSHON HORA IS FORBIDDEN EVEN WHEN YOU
    INCRIMINATE  YOURSELF AS WELL.
5. LOSHON HORA CANNOT BE  COMMUNICATED IN   
   ANY WAY , SHAPE, OR FORM (I.E; THROUGH 
   WRITING, BODY LANGUAGE, VERBAL HINTS, ECT.).
6. TO SPEAK AGAINST A COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE IS A   
     PARTCULARLY SEVERE OFFENSE.HARMFUL     
    REMARKS ABOUT CHILDREN ARE ALSO LOSHON   
   HORA.
7. LOSHON HORA CANNOT BE RELATED EVEN TO
    CLOSE  RELATIVES, INCLUDING ONE'S SPOUSE.
8. EVEN IF THE LISTENER HAS PREVIOUSLY HEARD     
    THE DEROGATORY ACCOUNT OR THE INFORMATION   
   HAS BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND THE   
   SUBJECT WILL SUFFER NO FURTHER HARM BY ITS     
   REPETITION, IT
    NEVERTHELESS SHOULD NOT BE REPEATED.
9. R'CHILUS WHICH IS TELLING ONE PERSON
    DEROGATORY STATEMENTS THAT ANOTHER
    PERSON SAID ABOUT THEM, IS FORBIDDEN BECAUSE 
    IT CAUSES ANIMOSITY BETWEEN PEOPLE.
10. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO LISTEN TO LOSHON HORA OR   
      R'CHILUS. IF SOMEONE INADVERTENTLY HEARS   
      LOSHON HORA, IT IS FORBIDDEN TO BELIEVE THAT
      IT IS TRUE. ONE SHOULD GIVE THE PERSON THE     
      BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. ASSUME THE
      INFORMATION IS  INACCURATE OR THAT THE   
      PERSON DOES NOT REALIZE THEY ARE DOING
      SOMETHING WRONG.


NOTE: THERE ARE TIMES WHEN LOSHON HORA IS PERMITTED OR EVEN REQUIRED, I.E; WHEN WARNING A PERSON ABOUT POTENTIAL HARM, FOR EXAMPLE, A POTENTIAL BUSINESS OR MARRIAGE PARTNER.  THE QUESTIONS OF WHEN YOU ARE ALLOWED OR EVEN REQUIRED TO SPEAK LOSHON HORA ARE COMPLICATED. A RABBINIC AUTHORITY WITH EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD OF SHMIRAS HALOSHON SHOULD BE CONSULTED IN ANY OF THESE CASES.

          Thank you for not speaking Loshon Hora.
                     
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       Tizko Lamitzvot

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