EXOD753 The Torah has exhorted us not to accept slander because of the possibility of its being false, as it is written [this verse]: "And you shall not accept a false report." He who speaks slander will also hasten to accept it; and know that when the hearer acknowledges the slander, he is just like the speaker. For all who hear him acknowledging it will say that since he acknowledges it, it must be true. And even if he does not acknowledge it, but just listens to it and makes it appear to others as if he is giving ear to what is being said and believing it, he thereby causes the others to believe it, too, and he thereby also abets the speaker of the slander. For if he rebuked the slanderer, the latter would restrain himself from telling him more. But now that he listens to him and encourages him, he thereby causes him to speak more. And we have been exhorted through (ibid.): "And you shall not accept a false report," not to believe slander in our hearts--to impress upon our minds that the words are true and to cause the objects of the slander to be demeaned in our eyes.

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EXOD755 R. Cahana said: It is written: "Do not receive a false report," which may also be read as "Do not spread." This [the first] is an exhortation to a judge not to hear the words of one litigant before the other arrives, and [the second] an exhortation to a litigant not to plead his case before the judge before his fellow litigant arrives (Sanhedrin 7b).

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EXOD756 R. Shesheth said in the name of R. Elazar b. Azaryah: All who bear an evil report, and all who accept an evil report, and all who testify falsely against their neighbor are fit to be thrown to the dogs, it being written: "to the dog shall you throw him," followed by: "Do not receive a false report," which may also be read as: "Do not spread" (Pesachim 118a).

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EXOD757 "Do not bear a false report" [this verse]. We have been admonished herein not to accept lashon hara, just as the Targum says, "Do not accept a false report." [Even if the one speaking lashon hara claims it is true, the listener may not believe the report, and must treat it as falsehood (see paragraph 213).

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EXOD760 See [[EXOD378]] Exodus 20:7 swear GATES 223

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EXOD761 Shlomo, a"h, further said (Mishlei 26:28), "A subdued person (dakav) hates a lying tongue." This means that a person who is humble, subdued, and low-spirited [Yeshayahu 57:15], hates a lying tongue; he does not want it and will not listen to it. For a humble person desires that people be esteemed and he is pained when they are shamed and dishonored. The vav of the word dakav takes the place of the heh [See Devarim 23:2. Cf. Yeshayahu 57:15; Tehillim 90:3, 143:3], which is part of the root [of the word dakah], similar to the vav of the word anav.  Others interpret this pasuk as follows: one who possesses a lying tongue hates those who subdue and reprimand him, and he no longer brings people's negative reports to them. We have [therefore] been admonished through the pasuk [this verse], "Do not bear a false report," not to believe reports of lashon hara in our hearts--not to give them credence in our thoughts, [which leads to] deprecating the one against whom they were said.

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EXOD762 The class of those who speak lashon hara is divided into six categories. The first category--one who ascribes a fault to another when he has no such fault; sometimes he may [even] ascribe a negative trait in place of the beautiful one [that he really has]. This person's heart has gathered for him [Tehillim 41:7] the attributes of two evil classes: the class of liars and the class of those who speak lashon hara. We have been admonished by the Torah not to accept lashon hara [i.e., one who hears lashon hara may not believe that it is true], lest it be false and a lie, as the pasuk says [this verse], "Do not bear a false report." [See paragraph 42]. Shlomo, a"h, said (Mishlei 17:4), "An evil person pays attention to iniquitous speech; a liar listens to destructive talk." This means that there are two classes of people who accept lashon hara: one--a wicked, malicious person (the same language as [Yeshayahu 9:16], "For they are all flatterers and wicked") [This verse is brought as proof that the word me'ra in Mishlei 17:4 means an evil person, just as it does here in Yeshayahu 9:16], who suspects innocent people and enjoys finding fault, guilt, and dishonor in his fellow man. [Thus,] when he hears a person's friends relating lashon hara about him [Iyov 36:33; see Ralbag], the malice in his heart incites him to believe the truth of these things. The second class--a liar; he too listens and believes the destructive talk. Since he does not distance [himself] from falsehood [Exodus 23:7], he has no problem accepting lies and bearing false reports. Consequently, he is quick to accept lashon hara. "A liar listens"--this means a person of falsehood [The verse literal (sic) translates as "falsehood listens." Rabbeinu Yonah explains that it means a person of falsehood, i.e., a liar] similar to (Yirmeyahu 9:5), "Your lodging is in the midst of deceit," i.e., amidst people of deceit; and (Tehillim 109:4), "But I am prayer," i.e. a man of prayer.

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EXOD758 First, one should be familiar with the basic halachic principles regarding lashon hara and rechilus. (“Lashon hara” means speaking disparagingly of another person, and “rechilus” means informing another person of the negative things that someone else said about him or did to him.) Both lashon hara and rechilus are forbidden even if what the speaker says is true, as we will explain later, with Hashem's help, based on the consensus of all the poskim. Second, the prohibition of lashon hara and rechilus applies whether the person who is being spoken about is present or absent. Third, there is no distinction made between one who speaks lashon hara and who accepts the lashon hara, as we will explain later. One is considered to have “accepted lashon hara if he believes, in his heart, the speaker’s negative comments. Even if one does not add any of his own words to the speaker's comments, but merely believes the lashon hara or rechilus that he heard, he is still considered “one who bears a false report,” and has violated the prohibition of לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא, “Do not bear a false report" (Shemos 23:1). Every one of these principles has many offshoots and facets, as is the case with all other aspects of the Torah.

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EXOD759 One who speaks or believes lashon hara also violates the prohibition of לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא. “Do not bear a false report" (Shemos 23:1). Even though the pasuk uses the word תִשָּׂ֖א, bear, referring to the listener, the word can also be read תשיא, caused to bear, referring to the speaker. Consequently, this prohibition includes both the listener and the speaker.

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EXOD764 See [[LEV525]] Leviticus 19:16 talebearer BLOCH 148-9

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