Study Arakhin folio 16A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
רבה בר רב הונא: כל מילתא דמיתאמרא באפי תלתא, לית בה משום לישנא בישא. מאי טעמא? חברך חברא אית ליה, וחברא דחברך חברא אית ליה.
i.e., Rabba bar Rav Huna says: Any matter that was said in the presence of 3 people does not have the status of lashon hara if one subsequently repeats it. What is the reason? The reason is that your friend has a friend, and your friend’s friend has a friend. Once the information has been stated in the presence of 3 people, it can be assumed that it will spread and become public knowledge, as each person will tell someone else.
כי אתא רב דימי אמר: מאי דכתיב ״מברך רעהו בקול גדול בבוקר השכם קללה תחשב לו״? כגון דמיקלע לאושפיזא וטרחו קמיה שפיר, למחר נפיק יתיב בשוקא ואמר: רחמנא ניברכיה לפלניא דהכי טרח קמאי, ושמעין אינשי ואזלין ואנסין ליה.
The Talmud continues its discussion of good and bad speech. When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia he said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “He that blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it should be counted a curse to him” (Proverbs 27:14)? For example: when one is invited to a host, and they look after him very well. The following day the guest goes out and sits in the marketplace and says: May God bless so-and-so, as this is how well he looked after me. And all the people in the marketplace hear and go to this host and afflict him by expecting him to look after all of them in the same way, and he is compelled to spend his money on them. It turns out that the praise and blessing the guest lavished upon his host brought a curse upon him.
תני רב דימי אחוה דרב ספרא: לעולם אל יספר אדם בטובתו של חבירו, שמתוך טובתו בא לידי רעתו.
Similarly, Rav Dimi, the brother of Rav Safra, teaches: A person should never speak about the goodness of another in the presence of others, as through speaking about his goodness he will come to speak about him in a derogatory manner, as he will eventually note the exceptions to his goodness, or his listeners will temper his praise by mentioning that individual’s bad qualities.