The Punishment for Lashon Hara

The Torah states: "Do not go about as a tale-bearer among your people," which refers to the sin of lashon hara (evil speech), when someone says: "This is what so-and-so did to so-and-so." Even if one speaks the truth about another person, it is still a grave sin (if not for a beneficial purpose, according to the permitted conditions).

Rabbeinu Bachya, who was among the great early scholars, wrote in his book Chovot HaLevavot (Gate of Humility): "One of the pious men said that many people will come on the day of judgment before the heavenly court, and when they are shown their deeds in the book of their merits, they will find many good deeds they never performed. They will be told that these were done by those who spoke lashon hara about them and spoke disparagingly of them. Similarly, when people find merits missing from their records, they will be told, 'Your merits were lost when you spoke lashon hara about others.' And some will find sins in their book of obligations that they never committed, and they will be told, 'These sins were added to you because of the lashon hara you spoke about certain individuals.'"

One should not be surprised that a person loses their merits because of the lashon hara they habitually tell, for the Rambam wrote (Laws of Repentance, Ch. 3): "These are the ones who have no portion in the World to Come: heretics, those who deny the Torah... and those who speak lashon hara." It is thus clear that the nature of the sin of lashon hara is to cause a person to lose their merits. It is just that the spiritual abundance that was already bestowed because of the mitzvot performed by the one who spoke lashon hara will be transferred to the person who was disparaged.

The Gaon Rabbi Shlomo Kluger z"l alluded to this in the words of King Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes (5:5): "Do not let your mouth bring sin upon your flesh, and do not say before the angel that it was an error. Why should Hashem be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?" Our Sages explained in the Midrash that this verse refers to one who speaks lashon hara. The explanation of the verse is as follows: since he spoke lashon hara against his fellow, many of his fellow's sins are transferred to his account, and many of the mitzvot he performed are transferred to his fellow's account. Thus, when this person comes before the heavenly court, they open his book of sins and read to him even sins he never committed, and he cries out to the angel "it was an error," claiming there is a mistake in the heavenly accounting. He also protests about his mitzvot that do not appear in his book of merits, saying this too is an error. This is what is meant by "do not say before the angel that it was an error," for indeed Hashem "was angry at your voice" for speaking lashon hara about your fellow, and therefore all his sins were transferred to your ledger, and your mitzvot were transferred to his ledger. Hashem has destroyed the work of your hands and given it to your fellow who is better than you, about whom you spoke disparagingly.

Therefore, everyone should be extremely careful about the sin of lashon hara, especially when it serves no beneficial purpose, and be meticulous not to speak ill of his fellow, and Hashem will remember this favorably. And if someone else speaks against him, he should not be angry about it; on the contrary, he should rejoice because merits he did not work for at all have been credited to his account. May Hashem help us to guard against the sin of lashon hara, and prepare for us a language to speak in the name of Hashem.

Rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, courtesy of "Halacha Yomit"