Four types of persons are not worthy of the Divine Presence(i.e., God does not enter their midst): idlers, insincere flatterers, liars, and those who talk with an evil tongue.
The Torah states: "You shall not go about as a tale bearer among your people" (Lev. 19:16).
A tale bearer is one who goes about saying, "I heard this and this about so and so."
Even if what he says true, he still transgresses the commandment.
Tale bearing is a great sin and can cause great bloodshed (literally or figuratively) and that is why this precept is immediately followed by the one, "...And you shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor."
There is an even greater sin that is included in the prohibition and this is an evil tongue, lashon hara.
This refers to one who goes about discrediting another, telling uncomplimentary things about him even if they are true.
One who speaks outright falsehoods is called a spreader of evil, malicious, and false reports, or a motzi shem ra.
He is the lowest of the low and is regarded as a "moral Leper."
A Hasidic tale tells of a man who went about the community slandering the rabbi and spreading malicious falsehoods about him.
One day he felt remorse at what he was doing and visited the rabbi to beg his forgiveness.
He indicated that he was willing to do amending to make amends.
he rabbi told him to take several feather pillows from his home, cut them open and scatter the feathers to the wind.
While it was a relatively simple matter to execute.
Having done as he was told, he came to so inform the rabbi.
"Now," said the rabbi, "go gather up all the feathers.
For despite your obviously sincere remorse and willingness to correct the evil that was done, it is about as possible to repair the damage done by your words as it will be to recover all the feathers.,
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RABBI HAYIM HALEVY DONIN To Be a Jew p.52-53 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 72-89175 1972
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