12. One who wants to repent for the sin of lashon hara, if the listeners did not accept what he said, and he didn’t cause any hurt or damage to the subject, he must regret his action, confess that what he did was wrong, and commit not to transgress this sin again. However, if he caused damage or hurt to his friend, he is required to beg his forgiveness, even in a case where his friend is unaware that he caused him harm.
1. One is forbidden to speak about a person who refused to do him a favor, even if he knows that this person was able to help him but refused to do so the speaker transgresses the commandment ‘Do not bear a grudge’, and at times also ‘Do not take revenge’]. This is so even when the speaker was not the one affected by this act, therefore it is forbidden for Levi to speak about how Reuven did not help Shimon.
