Reply To: Hilchos Shmiras Haloshon

A few important points about the above halacha:

1. There are other conditions that I haven’t yet brought, so don’t think this is the only one.

2. It seems to me that this is a very hard condition to fulfill. Before someone speaks L”H in such a case, he must analyze himself very carefully to determine if he is in fact fulfilling it. To speak negatively about somone but not to be speaking from hatred – it seems to me that in order to do this, a person has to: a) be on a very high level & b) be very self-aware.

3. Most importantly – the Chofetz Chaim specifically states that you are not allowed to be speaking from hatred. Not only that, but he says that nowadays we are not allowed to hate anyone even apikorsim. There are probably people in the world who do not have a hard time loving every Jew, and not bearing any hatred whatsoever towards any Jew.

However, I do not find it so easy. (and I would assume that there may be others like me). That is one of the reason that I have a hard time with all the posts trying to find sources for the permissibility of speaking badly of others or considering them apikorsim, etc. It doesn’t help me to love other Jews and I am afraid that it may cause me to have negative feelings towards them and to be more likely to treat them badly or speak badly of them w/o fulfilling all of the conditions or not treat them as well as I could as I am commanded to do, as per the Chofetz Chaim.

Even if it’s true that it is permitted to speak LH about not-Frum Jews in certain circumstances, it is not an obligation. However, it is an obligation to love every Jew and to do whatever I can for them. And it is a big aveira to have hatred towards any Jews. So can we try to find sources that will help me to keep the Mitzvah of loving all Jews as opposed to sources that may lead me to c”v sin in this area?