Lashon Hara
In Mishlei (Proverbs) we can read:
Prov 18:21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue... Tongue is a strong tool!
James said:
Jam 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.
Jam 3:8 ... the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an
unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Jam 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we
men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Jam 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My
brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Jam 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet [water] and
bitter?
Jam 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a
vine, figs? so [can] no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Lashon Hara. What is it? It is translated from Hebrew as "evil tongue".
Let us read these lines:
Psalms 34:12 What man [is he that] desireth life, [and] loveth [many] days, that he may see good?
Psalms 34:13 Keep thy tongue (in Hebrew: lashon) from
evil (in Hebrew: ra), and thy lips from speaking guile.
Exod 23:1 Thou shalt not raise a false report...
Lev 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down [as] a talebearer among thy people...
There are some quotations from Jewish sources below.
''Loshon Hora literally means "evil tongue." In our day and age we
would call it "derogatory speech." The Torah has three
classifications of Loshon Hora. The first, classical Loshon Hora - what one
says is true, but defamatory. The second, Motzie Shem Ra, ("bringing out a
bad name") - defaming through a lie. The third, Rechilus, ("tale bearing")
- telling someone what another person did or said about them. All of them are
forbidden. One is not allowed to speak, listen to or believe Loshon Hora -
except for very specific situations to prevent loss and damage.'' (http://www.aish.com/SSI/articleToPrint.asp?PageURL=/torahportion/shalomweekly/Tazria_5759.xml&torahportion=Tazria)
''You are forbidden to make a derogatory comment - the person did something
wrong, has faulty character traits or lacks a virtue - even if it's true.''
(http://www.aish.com/SSI/articleToPrint.asp?PageURL=/torahportion/shalomweekly/Tazria_5759.xml&torahportion=Tazria
More: read Rabbi Z. Pliskin. Guard
Your Tongue)
''But those who make it a habit to talk about others in a derogatory manner
("Did you hear.....", "Do you know she.....", etc.) are
labeled ba'alei lashon hara (lit. masters of Lashon Hara, in that such speech
is an integral part of themselves), and their transgression is far more severe.
They regularly create a chilul Hashem (desecration of the name of G-d; cf. Lev.
22:32) because of their rebellious manner. Though they may view their
activities as social tools, such behavior cuts them off from many good things
in the world around them.'' (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan. "Chafetz
Chaim" http://www.torah.org/learning/halashon/chapter1.html)
There is one famous Hasidic story about Lashon Hara. ''A man went through the
community slandering his Rabbi. Feeling suddenly remorseful, he begged the
Rabbi for forgiveness. "What can I do to make amends," he said. The
Rabbi told him to take a feather pillow - cut it open - scatter the feathers to
the wind - and then return to see him the next day. The man did as he was told.
He came back to see the Rabbi and said, "Rabbi, am I forgiven now?"
"No," said the Rabbi. "Now you must go and gather all the
feathers." "That's impossible," said the man. "Of course it
is. And though you may regret what you have done, it is as impossible to repair
the damage caused by your words as it is to recover the scattered
feathers." '' (http://www.hillel.org/jewish/archives/bereshit/noach/1997_noach.htm)