[Avodah] Lashon Hara about non-Jews

[Micha Berger]

An aside on an earlier post of mine... 

I wrote something about the 7 mitzvos BN plus our additional 606. I wasn't
thinking technically. Beris milah after Sinai is a different mitzvah than
that given Yaaqov. I would assume the same is true of the 7MBN. But even
more... the 7MBN are broad -- they include 66 of the 613, not just 7.



On Fri, Dec 28, 2007 at 02:34:34AM +0200, Michael Makovi wrote:
:From: "Doron Beckerman" <beck072 at gmail.com>
:>I understand that there is no prohibition involved in telling Lashon Hara
:>about non-Jews, but someone asked me a question today. Assuming Lashon Hara
:>causes a Hashchasas HaMiddos, (or, alternatively, stems from a Hashchasah of
: >needing to feel superior to Ploni by putting him down), why would the Torah
: >allow us to spread Lashon Hara about non-Jews?

: My rabbi said that though it's permitted, it doesn't mean you want to do it.

That's a general issue. There are many things that are mutar, but clearly
not a good idea.

: I would personally say that it seems like the kind of loophole in a d'oraita
: that is often plugged by a d'rabanan...

And many of them aren't even derabbanan. That's the reason for many
chumros; to avoid something that is technically mutar but raises
challenges that in my case, personally I know I can't handle. Or even,
in the case of most people who are products of today's mileau.

: Here too, I'd say that here, it seems to me that for some technical reason,
: lashon hara is allowed about non-Jews.

First, to spell out what should be obvious, when speaking about shemiras
halashon, saying that LH is mutar doesn't mean motzi sheim ra is. LH
isn't geneivas da'as.

WRT ribis, the pasuq implies what the difference is when taking ribis
from a Jew vs taking it from a non-Jew. It uses the word "achikha". It's
not that ribis is inherently immoral, it's that brothers don't charge
brothers interest.

I would suggest that even if LH is personally destructive when speaking
of a stranger, and thus a good realm for chumrah, it is only univerally
problematic in all times and places to needlessly tell true but derogatory
information about "achikha". And thus the issur is limited in scope.

...
: I am reminded of Rabbi Yehuda heChassid saying that gentiles will be called
: to task for every violation of "love your neighbor". But where is "love your
: neighbor" in the Noachide laws? I suppose it's a sevara.

Particularly since "rei`akha" doesn't even include all Jews!

I think derekh eretz qodmah laTorah applies to BN too. (Which isn't a
fully different answer.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             One who kills his inclination is as though he
micha at aishdas.org        brought an offering. But to bring an offering,
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Fax: (270) 514-1507      parts to offer.        - R' Simcha Zissel Ziv