- It is forbidden to speak derogatorily about a person, even if the information is true, this is defined as lashon hara. If one includes a lie or an exaggeration of the truth, it is considered ‘motzi shem ra’, whose punishment is greater. In any one of these cases, he has violated the commandment, You shall not go as a gossipmonger among your people.
2. Besides violating this negative commandment which refers explicitly to lashon hara and rechilus, the speaker commits many additional sins, as mentioned in the introduction.