May 16, 2021 · 00:08:18
Regarding the last episode, of course when discussing family members it should be noted that the impact of speech with them is much more significant. If while degrading the person while speaking, he turns white with embarrassment then additionally there is a transgression of ["Reprove, reprove, your fellow and] do not bear sin because of him." If it was in public as well then the speaker would lose his portion in the next world if he is habituated to this type of behavior. While we relate to this action as intuitively repugnant, the extent to its seriousness needs to be explored. Tosfos and the Shaarei Teshuva both hold of the opinion that halachically one must actually give up his life rather than embarrass another publicly. Chazal also say that it should be "easier for a person to cast himself into a fiery furnace than to embarrass one in public". Chofetz Chaim, Introduction (Lavin) וְאִם גִּנָּהוּ כָּל כָּךְ בַּדְּבָרִים הַנַּ''ל וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם בְּפָנָיו וּבִפְנֵי אֲחֵרִים, (יד) עַד שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנָּה פָּנָיו עַל יְדֵי זֶה, עוֹבֵר גַּם כֵּן עַל לָאו (ויקרא י"ט י"ז) דְּ''לֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא'' שֶׁהִזְהִירָה הַתּוֹרָה בָּזֶה, שֶׁלֹּא לְבַיֵּשׁ אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲפִלּוּ בִּמְקוֹם הַתּוֹכָחָה וּבֵינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶּׁלֹּא לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ קָשׁוֹת עַד שֶׁיַּכְלִימֶנּוּ, קַל וָחֹמֶר שֶׁלֹּא בִּמְקוֹם הַתּוֹכָחָה וּבִפְנֵי אֲחֵרִים. וְכָל זֶה שֶּׁלֹא הָיָה בָּרַבִּים, אֲבָל אִם הִלְבִּין אֶת פָּנָיו בָּרַבִּים, כְּבָר כְּרָתוּהוּ רַזַ''ל מֵעוֹלָם הַבָּא