<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 10:31:12AM -0700, Liron Kopinsky wrote:<br>: The end of the 3rd perek of Megillah (25b) seems to say that if it is known<br>: that someone is an adulterer that it is permissible to embarrass them in<br>: public....<div><br></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">It's also interesting that much of 25b deals with avodah zarah and how you are allowed to mock it. Then near the end Rav Ashi says that if someone has a bad reputation and people say he is immoral and commits adultery, you can embarrass him b'gimel and shin (which is not too pleasant). However, it does NOT say that one can do it in public. Perhaps you can infer that but it doesn't specifically say "in public." Also, immediately afterwards it says that if people say something complimentary and good about someone, you can praise that person. I see it as a balance to the first scenario.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">My question is: without witnessing it, how would you know if someone is an adulterer? Just because people say it doesn't make it so.</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;">ri</span></font></div></body></html>