LEV614 The twentieth principle (of repentance) is doing whatever one can to return the many from sin, as the pasuk says (Yechezkel 18:30), "Repent and bring [others] back from all your iniquities" -- from here we learn that this is one of the principles of repentance. The pasuk also says [this verse] "Reprove your fellowman, and do not bear a sin because of him" -- from here we see that if he does not reprove the other person, he will be punished for his [own] sins (by not rebuking others, his repentance for his own sins will be lacking, and he will be punished (Kanfei Yonah). And David [HaMelech], a"h, said in the psalm [that is the foundation for the principles] of repentance (Tehillim 51:15): "I will teach the iniquitous Your ways, and sinners will return to You."

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV601 [This verse]. However, when the matter is clear to all – – it is known, tested, and investigated--that the sinner hates rebuke and will not listen to the voice of his instructors, nor turn an ear to his teachers, concerning this the pasuk says (Mishlei 9:8), "Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you." Our Sages said (Yevamos 65b), "Just as it is a mitzvah to say what is listened to, so it is a mitzvah to not say what is not listened to," (Beitzah 30a), "Better that they be unintentional [sinners], than willful ones" (By rebuking him, he will only cause him to sin more. See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 608:2 for the conditions to this exemption).

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV599 "Reprove your fellowman, and do not bear a sin because of him" [this verse]. We have herein been admonished not to bear sin as a result of our neighbors' sinning, by failing to reprove them. If one person sins, once his sin becomes public knowledge the entire congregation is punished because of him, if they fail to reprove him with the rod of their chastisement (Mishlei 22:15). Similarly, the pasuk states (Yehoshua 22:20), "Did not Achan the son of Zerach commit a sacrilege regarding the consecrated item, and wrath fell upon the entire assembly of Yisrael, and that man was not the only one to perish for his sin?" The pasuk also says (Devarim 29:28), "The exposed sins are ours and our children's forever." Even the nations of the world said (Yonah 1:7), "...that we may know on whose account this disaster is happening to us"; how much more does this obligate Yisrael, who are collectively responsible for each other! (See Sanhedrin 27b). In order to be saved from the punishment associated with this [sin], it is fitting to select men of truth and look for men of valor from the entire populace, in order to place them as the overall supervisors in every marketplace and living quarter -- to oversee their neighbors, reprimand them for any act of iniquity, and eradicate the evil.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV611 The first category [of flatterers] is [one] who recognizes or sees or knows that his fellowman's hand is [tainted] with iniquity and that he embraces deceit (Yirmeyahu 8:5), or that he sins through lashon hara or verbal abuse – – but smooth-talks him with an evil tongue and says, 'You have committed no wrong." Not only has the flatterer committed the transgression of withholding reproof, as [this verse] says ... but he further sins by saying, "You have not sinned, as the pasuk says (Yirmeyahu 23:14), "They have strengthened the hands of evildoers." This is a serious transgression (Iyov 31:28) in the hand of the foolish flatterer; for he is not a zealous for the truth, but abets falsehood, declaring evil to be good and making light into darkness. He also places a pitfall before the sinner from two vantage points: firstly -- [as a result of this] the sinner does not regret his evil; secondly -- he repeats his foolishness the next day since the wicked flatterer has praised him and his heart's desire (Tehillim 10:3; I.e., has praised him for doing whatever he wants). Besides this, he will bear punishment for the harm he caused to the person whom the sinner wronged, by justifying the one who sinned against him; and aside from that, he will be punished for [his] false words, as the pesukim says, "You will destroy speakers of deceit" (Tehillim 5:7), and "One who justifies an evildoer and who condemns a righteous person -- both are an abomination of Hashem" (Mishlei 17:15). This applies even more so if the iniquity of his fellowman is public knowledge; for when the flatterer says to him before others, "You are pure, without iniquity," he has desecrated and demeaned both the law and justice. (Continued at [[DEUT15]] Deuteronomy 1:17 afraid GATES 375).

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV604 Private reproof of a peer and social protest are complex and even potentially dangerous--although valuable--types of speech. The Talmud takes the Torah's command to "Reprove your kinsman" [this verse] as the source for the notion that one must reprove a peer who is observed doing something unseemly (B. Arakhin 16b). Maimonides interprets this precept to mean that one who sees his peers sinning, or following "a path that is not good," must bring him back to the good and inform him that he is sinning (M.T. Laws of Ethics 6:7). [This verse] closes with the admonition "but incur no guilt because of him," which the Talmud interprets to mean that one must not reprove a person in a manner that causes "his face to change," that is, humiliate him, as evidenced through his changed facial complexion (B. Arakhin 16b). Maimonides takes this command a step further in ibid. 6:8, where he rules that it is forbidden to "humiliate a [fellow] Jew, and all the more so in public." Such humiliation is a "great sin" although it cannot be punished by a human court. A person must reprove another in private with gentle words, letting him know that the reproof is only for his own good (ibid. 6:7). (By Alyssa M. Gray, "Jewish Ethics of Speech")

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV602 [Verbal abuse is objectionable] even when it relates to a mitzvah, for Scripture states [this verse]: "Continually reprove your fellowman" – and our Sages of blessed memory commented (Arachin 16b): "Even if his face changes color? Therefore it states [this verse]: 'but do not bring a sin upon yourself [when reproving] him.'" From all of the above you can see how far–reaching this prohibition is and how harsh is its punishment.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV598 … one should not judge the piety of a deed by the initial impression it makes. Rather, one must appraise, as far as his intelligence will permit, the overall implications until he is able to objectively assess what will serve him better – doing [the deed] or not doing [it]. [For example,] the Torah has commanded us [this verse]: "Continually reprove your fellow man." So on numerous occasions one undertakes to rebuke sinners at a place or time where his words will not be accepted, thereby causing them to press onward with their wickedness and to desecrate the name [of the Eternal], adding rebellion to the sins [already committed]. Acting in such a manner is not piety, and one should rather be silent, as our Sages of blessed memory have said (Yevamos 65b): "Just as it is a mitzvah to say what will be heard, it is also a mitzvah not to say what will not be heard." [Likewise,] it is obvious that a person ought to run to fulfill a mitzvah and try to be among those who occupy themselves with its performance. But there are times when this may lead to disputes, and then a mitzvah will be debased and the name of Heaven will be desecrated more than it will be honored. Under such circumstances, it is surely incumbent upon the pious person to forgo the performance of the mitzvah rather than to pursue it.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV612 The law of love imposes a responsibility upon the Jew not only for his fellow's material well-being but also for his religious development. Should you observe your neighbor doing something wrong you are commanded to rebuke him. However, the utmost caution must be used not to cause him any shame or embarrassment: "… Thou shall not hate thy brother in the heart; thou shall surely rebuke thy neighbor and not incur any sin because of him"; i.e., do not incur any sin in the process of rebuking him. [Torat Kohanim on this verse].

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV616 Up to which point must one reprove? Rav said: Until he is smitten for reproving (Erchin 16b)

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV605 R. Ila'a said in the name of R. Elazar b. R. Shimon: Just as it is a mitzvah to say what will be heeded, so it is a mitzvah not to say what will not be heeded [it being written: "Reprove, reprove" -- reprove him who accepts reproof] (Yevamoth 65b, see Rashi).

SHOW FULL EXCERPT