It's a harsh rebuke, a stark reminder of the damage that lashon hara – evil speech – can inflict.
The writer directly confronts his friend, accusing him of believing falsehoods without any investigation. accepting gossip as truth, amplifying lies, and even taking pride in it. “You have derived pleasure from their words and even aided in strengthening their lies, imprinting in your mind that their falsehood is true," he writes, a line that stings with accusation.
The writer doesn't stop there. He reminds his friend of the fundamental Jewish principle of due diligence: "Testimony is only accepted before a judge, and that you are obligated to investigate and inquire through seven examinations and inquiries as commanded upon you." It's a call for responsibility, urging him to seek truth instead of blindly accepting slander.
Why is this so important? Why is lashon hara such a big deal?
Well, the text goes on to quote a powerful passage from Tractate Pesachim (115b), attributed to Rabbi Akiva: "Anyone who engages in lashon hara and bears false witness against his fellow is deserving of being cast to the dogs." Strong words. It emphasizes just how destructive gossip and false accusations can be, comparing it to a capital offense. The Torah itself states, "You shall not bear false witness" (Exodus 20:13).
Then the passage references Tractate Avot (2:4), offering a more nuanced perspective: "Do not judge your fellow until you have reached his place." In other words, don't be so quick to condemn someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes.
To illustrate this, the writer then brings up the story of Jeroboam son of Nebat. According to this account, found in rabbinic literature, Jeroboam saw Solomon seemingly endorsing foreign worship practices after his marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh. Jeroboam publicly rebuked Solomon, but the verse says here, he was perhaps too quick to judge. The implication is that Jeroboam, like the friend being addressed, was too eager to condemn without fully understanding the situation. We see here a cautionary tale about jumping to conclusions and the potential consequences of doing so.
The writer then returns to the present, accusing his friend of even surpassing Jeroboam's misdeeds! He claims the friend has incited people against their community and traditions, simply because they adhere to traditional Jewish texts like the Mishnah (the earliest code of rabbinic law), Talmud, Rambam, and Shulchan Aruch, rather than embracing what the writer calls a "fabricated book," presumably the Zohar.
This is where the personal sting of the letter becomes clear. It's not just about abstract principles of gossip and slander; it's about a specific conflict, a division within the community over differing interpretations of Jewish law and tradition. It’s a powerful reminder that accusations and condemnations can tear apart communities and destroy relationships.
This passage is a powerful reminder of the importance of seeking truth, avoiding gossip, and judging others fairly. It challenges us to examine our own actions and motivations, asking whether we are contributing to a culture of understanding and compassion, or perpetuating a cycle of negativity and division. Are we listening to understand, or listening to condemn? It's a question worth pondering.
9) You, our friend, are not exempt from these matters, as you have not refrained from committing any of these actions. Rather, you have believed their words and accepted their falsehoods without the presence of a judge, without investigation, inquiry, or examination. You have derived pleasure from their words and even aided in strengthening their lies, imprinting in your mind that their falsehood is true. You went so far as to write, "I can no longer deny it," and so on. And you have not taken to heart that testimony is only accepted before a judge, and that you are obligated to investigate and inquire through seven examinations and inquiries as commanded upon you. All the more so when they have performed their deeds in darkness, and they have slipped their tongues to you in secret with their words, seeking to find fault and you would be obligated to silence them with reproof. This is nothing but an evil inclination that you enjoy and yearn for their gossip and slander. May the Merciful One save us from this mindset! It is possible that you, too, are adding your own false slander in order to gain honor at the expense of your friends. In Chapter Eruvin of Tractate Pesachim (115b), we learn in the name of Rav Sheshet, in the name of Rabbi Akiva: Anyone who engages in lashon hara (evil speech) and bears false witness against his fellow is deserving of being cast to the dogs, as it is stated, "To a dog, you shall throw it" (Exodus 22:30). And it is explicitly written, "You shall not bear false witness" (Exodus 20:13), and our Sages have expounded on the punishment for lashon hara in various ways. In Tractate Avot, it is stated: "Do not judge your fellow until you have reached his place" (Avot 2:4). This means that one should not pass judgment on others until they have experienced the same circumstances. This can be illustrated by the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat. When Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh, she brought him all kinds of foreign worship practices. Once, when Solomon went to sleep, the day darkened, and she called upon the craftsmen of wood and stone, who worked in the art of carving and sculpting. They created for his bed something resembling the sky, with the sun, moon, stars, and constellations. And in the morning, as the city awakened and he rose from his sleep to open the doors of the temple, for the keys to the temple were under his authority, he saw that the sky was bright with stars and constellations. He mistakenly thought that it was still daytime and returned to sleep. He slept for another four hours until he realized and recognized on his own that the night is not so long. And regarding that specific hour, we learned the testimony about the constant offering of the dawn that is brought within the four hours, during the morning selection. Before the summer dawned, Jeroboam son of Nebat went to the entrance of his house, and a voice passed by, saying, "Wicked one, how long will you sleep and nullify the morning offering? Why do you slumber? Arise and call upon your God!" A heavenly voice emerged and said to him, "You wicked son of a wicked man, in the future, you will cause many deliberate sacrifices of Israel to be nullified, and you will hold him liable for unintentional transgressions as if they were intentional." And against his will! This is indicated by the verse, "Like the stumbling of Ephraim in guilt, so Israel stumbled because of Baal, and they died" (Hosea 13:1). This refers to the matter of Jeroboam, who was from the tribe of Ephraim. "Stumbling" is an accusation against Solomon, and "Israel" refers to Jeroboam, the ruler and king of Israel. The heavenly voice responded to him that he would be held accountable for worshiping Baal and would eventually die, and so on. You magnify and surpass the evil deeds of Jeroboam son of Nebat. After you brought us to the prison of falsehood and slander in our exalted government! You incited the entire people to go to the house of Alamin, commanding them to be covered in dust on their heads for no reason. Not because we nullified a light commandment, and not because we violated a severe commandment, God forbid, but rather because we followed the customs of our ancestors and established our studies based on Mishnah, Talmud, Rambam, and Shulchan Aruch to learn and teach, to observe and practice. We did not learn from your fabricated book, the Zohar, as it is not our custom.
