CHOFETZ CHAIM Desirer of Life: The Law Evil Speech and Gossip

SeferCHOFETZ CHAIMDesirer of LifeRabbiYisrael Meir HaKohen KaganThe "Sefer Chafetz Chaim" [or Chofetz Chaim or Hafetz Hayim] - Desirer of Life- Is the magnum opus of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, who later became known simply as The Chofetz Chaim. The book deals with Jewish ethics and laws of speech, and is considered the authoritative source on the subject. The title of the work Chafetz Chaim by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan is taken from Psalms: Come, children, hearken to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, who loves days to see goodness? Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceitfully. Shun evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. The subject of the book is Hilchos Shmiras Halashon [laws of clean speech]. Rabbi Kagan provides copious sources from the Torah, Talmud, and Rishonim [early commentators] about the severity of Jewish law on tale-mongering and gossip. Lashon hara, meaning evil speech [or loosely gossip and slander and prohibitions of defamation], is sometimes translated as prohibitions of slander, but in essence is concerning the prohibitions of saying evil/bad/unpleasant things about a person, whether or not they are true.