Negative Commandment #79

Sefer Ha’mitzvos Ha’Katzar (The concise book of mitzvos) By the Chofetz Chaim

This book lists the Torah mitzvos that can be observed today

Second Section – the Negative Commandments

79. It is a negative commandment, “do not embarrass another person.”

As it states in Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:17, “and do not bring sin on yourself because of him.” This certainly applies to embarrassing a person in public, as this is a great sin. Our Sages, of blessed memory, state in Bava Metzia 59a, “one who embarrasses another person in public, does not get a portion in the World to Come.” Therefore, one should be careful not to embarrass another person, no matter if the person is great or small, nor call him by a name that embarrasses him. This applies to a matter between a man and another man, but in Heavenly matters, if a person sinned and did not repent, and he did not listen to rebuke done in private, he should be rebuked in public. His sin should be publicized until he returns to doing good.

This applies in all places and at all times, for men and for women.

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