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shmirashaloshonof

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dominoeffectH o w t o S t o p t h e D a m a g e

Chofetz Chaim Heritage FoundationThe Zichron Yaakov Tzvi Center for the Teachings of the Chofetz Chaim

ע ר ו צ מ ע י ר ז ת ת ש ר פa p r i l 2 1 , 2 0 1 8 ÷ 6 I y a r 5 7 7 8

The Nuclear Weaponization of Loshon Hora

Strategies The Ten Rules of WhatsApp

5 6 7

Participating Rabbonimnationwide

shabbosshmiras

haloshonofRabbi Yankel Rubanowitz TORONTO ONRabbi Chagai Rubin WEST HARTFORD CTRabbi Mordechai Rubin LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Bezalel Rudinsky MONSEY NYChief Rabbi David Sabba MONTREAL QUERabbi Yitzchak Sakhai VAN NUYS CA Rabbi Rahamim Sassoon BROOKLYN NYRabbi Chaim Schabes MONSEY NYRabbi Shaya Schechter MONSEY NYRabbi Moshe Schecter CHICAGO ILRabbi Moshe Scheinberg CHICAGO ILRabbi Mordechai Scheiner BROOKLYN NYRabbi Moshe Scheiner PALM BEACH FLRabbi Avrohom Schnall MONSEY NYRabbi Avrohom Schorr BROOKLYN NYRabbi Akiva Schreiber LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Allen Schwartz NEW YORK NYRabbi Shmelka Schwartz LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Mordechai D. Sekula TOMS RIVER NJRabbi Seplowitz MONSEY NYJRabbi Berel Shachar LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Henoch Shachar LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Daniel Shaliehsaboo GREAT NECK NYRabbi Ephraim Shapiro N. MIAMI BCH FLRabbi Mordekai Shapiro FLUSHING NYRabbi Moshe Shechter CHICAGO ILRabbi Avrohom Shemano LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yosef Shemtov LOS ANGELES CARabbi Aryeh Sherwinter LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Tzvi E.M. Shmeltzer JACKSON NJRabbi Yonason Shippel NEW YORK NYRabbi Rafael Shmulevitz TORONTO ONRabbi Ariel Shoshan SCOT TSDALE AZRabbi M. Shuchatowitz BALTIMORE MD Rabbi Shimon Silver PIT TSBURGH PARabbi Shlomo Singer PASSAIC NJRabbi Simcha Snaid LOUISVILLE KYRabbi Moshe Snow BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yosef Sonnenschein WATERBURY CTRabbi Zalman Sorotzkin LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yehoshua Sova LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Boruch M. Spiegel LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Nosson Spiegel MONSEY NYRabbi Menachem Spira PASSAIC NJRabbi Avrohom Spitzer LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Michel Spitzer BROOKLYN NYRabbi Doniel Staum NEW HEMPSTEAD NYRabbi Shlomo Stein LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Tzvi Steinberg DENVER CORabbi Ruvain Stengel SUNNYSIDE NYRabbi Aher Stern LAWRENCE NY Rabbi Mordechai Stern LAWRENCE NYRabbi Yitzchok Sternberg MONSEY NYRabbi Chaim Strauchler TORONTO ONRabbi Avrohom Stulberger VALLEY V. CARabbi Marc Sultan BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yitzchok Summers LOS ANGELES CARabbi Michael Taubes TEANECK NJ Rabbi L. Teitelmann NEW HYDE PARK NYRabbi Moshe Teitelmann CEDARHURST NY

Rabbi Shmuel Tendler LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Mordechai Terebelo PHILADELPHIA PARabbi Yaakov Tesser ABERDEEN NJRabbi Eytan Tokayer BROOKLYN NYRabbi Heshy Tomor LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Kalmen Topp LOS ANGELES CARabbi Moshe Travitsky BEN SALEM PARabbi Mayer B. Turin TOMS RIVER NJRabbi Boruch B Twerski MONSEY NYRabbi Bentzion Twerski MILWAUKEE WIRabbi Chaim Twerski LINCOLNWOOD ILRabbi Efraim Twerski CHICAGO ILRabbi Avrohom Union LOS ANGELES CA Rabbi Yosef Veiner MONSEY NYRabbi Ephraim Wachsman MONSEY NYRabbi Aron Wajsfeld BROOKLYN NYRabbi Chaim Wakslak LONG BEACH NY Rabbi Ahron Walkin LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yehoshua Weber NORTH YORK ON Rabbi Moshe Wehl LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Avrohom Weichbrod LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Shmuel Weinberg N WOODMERE NY Rabbi Pinchas Weinberger INWOOD NY Rabbi Shmaryahu Weinberger FAR ROCKAWAY NY Rabbi Schachne Weinberger PASSAIC NY Rabbi Avrohom Weinreb CINCINNATI OHRabbi Yosef Weinstock F T LAUDERDALE FLRabbi Dovid Weiss BOCA RATON FLRabbi Leib Weiss LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Moshe M. Weiss STATEN ISLAND NYRabbi Yosef Weissblum LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Beirish Weltz BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Yehoshua Wender HOUSTON TXRabbi Akiva Willig WOODMERE NYRabbi Aron D. Willner MONSEY NYRabbi Shmuel Witkin N WOODMERE NYRabbi Noach Witty LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Aryeh Wolbe HOUSTON TXRabbi Yissachar Wolf OAK PARK MIRabbi Daniel Wolff PARAMUS NJRabbi Moshe S. Wosner LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Dovid Yachnes ORLANDO FLRabbi Meir Yedid BROOKLYN NYRabbi Ariel Yeshurun N MIAMI BEACH FLRabbi Shlomo Yisraeli LOS ANGELES CARabbi Hertzel H. Yitzhak EVANSTON ILRabbi Boruch Dov Yoffi LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yechezkel Yudkowsky PROVIDENCE RIRabbi Ezra Zafrani LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Efraim Zaltzman BROOKLYN NYRabbi David Zargari LOS ANGELES CA Rabbi Yoseph Zargari LOS ANGELES CARabbi Rafael B. Zavulunov FLUSHING NYRabbi Eliezer Zeytouneyh BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yosef Zimbal LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Chaim Zimmerman SCOT TSDALE AZRabbi Dovid Zirkind NEW YORK NYRabbi Ekiyahu Zrihen TORONTO ONRabbi Dovid Zucker CHICAGO ILRabbi Ahron Zuckerman LAKEWOOD NJ

Rabbi A.Y. Hirschman LOS ANGELES CA Rabbi Herschel Hisiger LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Zalmen L. Hollander MONSEY NYRabbi Dovid Horowitz TARZANA CARabbi Elisha Horowitz LAWRENCE NYRabbi Yaakov Horowitz BALTIMORE MDRabbi Yaakov Horowitz LAWRENCE NYRabbi Yonoson Horowitz WILLIAMS ISLAND FLRabbi Shimon Ishal LOS ANGELES CARabbi Gavriel Jacknin BELLAIRE TXRabbi Naftali Jaeger LAWRENCE NY Rabbi Yisroel M. Janowski MIAMI FLRabbi Eli Jundef SOUTHFIELD MI JRabbi Dov Kahn LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Moshe Chaim Kahn LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Mordechai Kalatsky MINNEAPOLIS MNRabbi Yehoshua Kalish LAWRENCE NY Rabbi Avrohom Kammer LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Mordechai Kanner TORONTO ONRabbi Yosef Kanofsky TORONTO ONRabbi Eli Karfunkel TORONTO ONRabbi Dovid Shlomo Katz BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Uri Kaufman TORONTO ONRabbi Yisroel Kaufman CINCINAT TI OH Rabbi Yechiel Kaufman BROOKLYN NYRabbi Sender Kazsirer LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer WEST HEMPSTEAD NYRabbi Binyomin Kessler FRESH MEADOWS NY Rabbi Shmuel Khoshkerman ATLANTA GA Rabbi Yisroel M. Kirzner BROOKLYN NYRabbi Avrohom Klein BROOKLYN NYRabbi Mordechai B. Klein LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Nachi Klein NORTHRIDGE CARabbi Shlomo Klein LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Usher Klein LOS ANGELES CARabbi Koifman TORONTO ONRabbi Bention Kokis MONSEY NYRabbi Refoel Kops LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Daniel Korobkin TORONTO ONRabbi Zev Koschitzki CHESTNUT RIDGE NYRabbi Don Krancer MONSEY NYRabbi Yakov Krause LOS ANGELES CARabbi Chaim D. Kulik TORONTO ONRabbi Joel Landau SAN FRANCISCO CARabbi Moshe Langer MONSEY NYRabbi Nechemia Langer LOS ANGELES CARabbi Aron Lankry MONSEY NY Rabbi Yaakov Lazewnik LAKEWOOD NJ

Rabbi Yehoshua Fromowitz HENDERSON NVRabbi Shmuel Fuerst CHICAGO ILRabbi Yehoshua Fuhrer TORONTO ONRabbi Yossi Fund LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yosef Galimidi AVENTURA FLRabbi Chaim Ganzweig BROOKLYN NYRabbi Avrohom Garfinkel BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yaakov Gibber BOCA RATON FLRabbi Aryeh Z. Ginsberg CEDARHURST NYRabbi Eliezer Ginsberg BROOKLYN NYRabbi Shlomo Gissinger LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Daniel Glatstein CEDARHURST NYRabbi Aron Glick BROOKLYN NYRabbi Shmuel Gluck MONSEY NY Rabbi Yoel Gold LOS ANGELES CARabbi Efrem Goldberg BOCA RATON FLRabbi Yehudah Goldberg MONSEY NY Rabbi Menachem Goldberger BALTIMORE MD Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yisroel P. Gornish BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Boruch Y. Gradon LOS ANGELES CARabbi Daniel Grama LOS ANGELES CARabbi Shimon Y. Green PHOENIX AZRabbi Jacob J. Greenberg BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yechezkel T. Greenberg MINNEAPOLIS MNRabbi Menachem Greenblatt ST LOUIS MORabbi Yosef Greenfield LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Dovid Gross CLEVELAND HEIGHTS OH Rabbi Dovid Gross EAST BRUNSWICK NJ Rabbi Reuven Gross CHICAGO IL Rabbi Leib Gruber LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Yisroel Grumer CLEVELAND OHRabbi Eliezer Grunberg BUFFALO GROVE IL Rabbi Yehuda Guttman LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Joey Haber BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Raymond Haber BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Sender Haber NORFOLK VA Rabbi Ovadia Haboucha TORONTO ON Rabbi Bentzion Halberstam LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Binyomin Halpern LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Shaoul Hamaoui EVANSTON IL Rabbi Michel Handelsman LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Moshe Hauer BALTIMORE MDRabbi Avrohom Helberg LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Jason Herman WEST S IDE NYJ Rabbi Nosson B. Herzka LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Nosson Hirschberg LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Boruch Hischfeld CLEVELAND HEIGHTS

Rabbi Raphael Leban DENVER CO Rabbi Zalmen L. Lebovic LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Avrohom Lefkowitz LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Simcha Lefkowitz HEWLET T NYRabbi Aaron Leibtag CHICAGO IL Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Leiff BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Baruch Levin OAK PARK MIRabbi Yisroel M. Levin SOUTHFIELD MIRabbi Chaim Z. Levitan MONSEY NY Rabbi Yitzchok Lichtenstein MONSEY NYRabbi Osher C. Lieberman LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Noach Light BOCA RATON FL Rabbi Rafi Lipner TORONTO ONRabbi Dov Loketch DETROIT MIRabbi Dovid Loloyan ENCINO CARabbi Simcha B. Londinski LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Netanel Louie WOODLAND HILLS CA Rabbi Moshe M. Lowy TORONTO ONRabbi Shlomo Lowy LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Moshe S. Luria LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Shmuel Luria LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Dov Machlis BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Shimon Mahpari TARZANA CA Rabbi Moshe Malka ELBERON NJ Rabbi Avi Mammon ROCHESTER NYRabbi Shlomo N. Mandel TORONTO ONRabbi Moshe Mandelbaum LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Eli Mansour BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yitzchok Margareten CLEVELAND OH Rabbi Moshe Matz AVENTURA FLRabbi Aaron Mehlman NEW YORK NYRabbi Yehoshua Mizrachi BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yakov Mendelsohn BRIDGEPORT CTRabbi Yossi Michalowicz THORNHILL ONRabbi Yirmiya Milevsky TORONTO ONRabbi Avrohom Miller LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Menachem Mintz LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yisroel Minzer LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Joey Mizrahi BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yitzchak Mohadeb BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yechiel Morris SOUTHFIELD MIRabbi Dovid Moskovitz BRIGHTON MA Rabbi Philip Moskowitz BOCA RATON FL Rabbi Elazar Muskin LOS ANGELES CA Rabbi Nachum DEAL NJ Rabbi Uri Nahum BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Avrohom Neuberger MONSEY NY

Isadore and Ruth Gibber A”H לע״נand Charles and Kate Goldner A”H

Elliot and Debbie Gibber and Family

לע״נ הרב הגאוןרב חיים ישראל בעלסקי זצוק״ל

Shlomo Yehuda and Tamar Rechnitz

לע״נישראל לייב בן מרדכי ז״ל

שרה רחל בת ישראל לייב ע״ה

לרפואה שלמהלכל

חולי ישראל

ישראל בן יבלח״ט ישעי,לעילוי נשמותאלישבע בתי, בת יבלח״ט יחיאל אפרים

Rabbi David Adatto VALLEY VILLAGE CARabbi Yair Adler TORONTO ONRabbi Dovid Akhamzadeh LOS ANGELES CA Rabbi Yair Alfih BROOKLYN NYRabbi Shimon Alster BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Yoel Amoyelle LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Dovid Apter MONSEY NYRabbi Eliezer Apter LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Rouben Arieh BALTIMORE MDRabbi Amram Assayag LOS ANGELES CA Rabbi Kenneth Auman BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Messod Azoulay TORONTO ONRabbi Doron Baal Haness ROSLYN NYRabbi Maimon Badush BROOKLYN NYRabbi Barak Bar-Chaim PALM BEACH FLRabbi Avraham Bartfeld TORONTO ONRabbi Fishel Becher SPRING VALLEY NYRabbi Hershel D. Becker MIAMI FLRabbi Yisroel Becker TUCSON AZRabbi Eli Biegeleisen LIDO BEACH NYRabbi Binyamin Benjamin SOUTHFIELD MIRabbi Herschel Berger NORTHBROOK ILRabbi Simcha Bunim Berger MONSEY NYRabbi Yosef Shrage Berger BALTIMORE MD Rabbi Shmuel Berkovicz PASSAIC NJRabbi Asher Z. Berkowitz MONSEY NYRabbi Meir R. Berkowitz LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Ahron Berl LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Etan M. Berman SUFFERN NYRabbi Gershon Bess LOS ANGELES CARabbi Raymond Beyda BROOKLYN NYRabbi Shmuel Beyda BROOKLYN NYRabbi Joshua Bittan VALLEY VILLAGE CARabbi Shmuel Y. Bittersfeld LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yossi Bitton LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Joshua Blass MONSEY NYRabbi Shmuel Blech LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yissochar Blinder WOODMERE NYRabbi Yehuda Blum CLEVELAND HEIGHTS OHRabbi Don Blumberg MONSEY NYRabbi Heshy Blumstein WOODMERE NYRabbi Baruch Bodenheim PASSAIC NJ Rabbi Shmuel P. Bogomilski IV Y HILL NJ Rabbi Avrohom Bogopulsky SAN DIEGO CARabbi Yisroel Bolag TORONTO ONRabbi Gad Bouskila BROOKLYN NYRabbi Asher Brander LOS ANGELES CARabbi Meir Braunstein FAR ROCKAWAY NYRabbi Simcha Brayev NORCROSS GARabbi Pinchos Brody LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yitzchok Brody CHICAGO ILRabbi Meir Bulman SOUTHBEND INRabbi Naphtali Burnstein BEACHWOOD OH Rabbi Eliyahu Bursztyn LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yehoshua Busel LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yehuda Cahan UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS OHRabbi Cavalier LOS ANGELES CARabbi Alexander Charlop CLEVELAND HTS OH Rabbi Yehuda Charlop UNIVERSITY HTS OHRabbi Pinchas Chatzinoff CEDARHURST NY

Rabbi Yisroel Chesir MONSEY NYRabbi Shaul Chill FAR ROCKAWAY NYRabbi Shlomo Churba BROOKLYN NYRabbi Alfred Cohen MONSEY NY Rabbi Gavriel Cohen LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Michael Cohen OAK PARK MIRabbi Moshe Cohen LOS ANGELESRabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Zev Cohen CHICAGO ILRabbi Daniel Cohen STAMFORD CTRabbi Avrohom Czapnik LOS ANGELES CA Rabbi Shlomo Czineman BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Danziger LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Chaim Davis PASSAIC NJ Rabbi Uri Deutsch LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Moshe Douek EATONTOWN NJRabbi Reuven Drucker EDISON NJRabbi Pinny Dunner LOS ANGELES CARabbi Eichenstein BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Yechezkel Eichenstein BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Yehoshua Eichenstein CHICAGO ILRabbi Avrohom Halevi Eisen BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Yosef Eisen BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Asher Eisenberger SOUTHFIELD MIRabbi Shmuel L.Eizikovitz LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Eliyahu Elbaz BROOKLYN NY Rabbi David Elmaleh BAY HARBOR ISLANDS FL Rabbi Zev Farkas LAKEWOOD NJRabbi David Feder BRONX NYRabbi Aryeh Feigenbaum DALLAS TXRabbi Eytan Feiner FAR ROCKAWAY NYRabbi Dovid Feinroth LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yacov Felder TORONTO ONRabbi Feldman LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Ilan Feldman ATLANTA GARabbi Zev Feldman LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Eliezer Feuer FAR ROCKAWAY NY Rabbi Menachem Fine CHICAGO ILRabbi Eytan Feiner LAWRENCE NYRabbi Yitzchok Fingerer BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yaakov Fisch JACKSONVILLE FLRabbi S. Y. Fishbain KAUNEONGA LAKE NY Rabbi Isser Fisher BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Moshe Y. Fisher BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yaakov Forchheimer LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Dovid Fordsham LAWRENCE NYRabbi Michoel Frank SILVER SPRING MDRabbi Shloimy Frankel LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Shlomo Frankel BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yosef Frankel BROOKLYN NYRabbi Akiva Freilich GLENDALE WI Rabbi Tzvi Fried BROOKLYN NYRabbi Binyomin Friedman DUNWOODY GARabbi Chaim Friedman MIAMI BEACH FLRabbi Elisha Friedman HARRISBURG PA Rabbi Ephraim Friedman CHICAGO ILRabbi Shaul S. Friedman LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Shlomo Z. Friedman LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Chaim Friedman MIAMI BEACH FLRabbi Gil Frieman BROOKLYN NY

Rabbi Binyomin Neuman CHICAGO ILRabbi Yosef D. Neuschloss LAKEWOOD NJ Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum UNIVERSITY HTSRabbi Moshe Nourollah LOS ANGELES CA Rabbi Zvi Nussbaum MONSEY NYRabbi Kalman Ochs TORONTO ONJRabbi Avrohom Oelbaum LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Moshe Oelbaum LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Noach I. Oelbaum FLUSHING NYRabbi Yitzchok Oelbaum LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yitzchak Oratz MARLBORO NJRabbi Shmuel Oren SKOKIE ILRabbi Uri Orlian LAWRENCE NYRabbi Yosef Dov Oshry BROOKLYN NY Rabbi David Ozeirey BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yosef Ozeirey BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yosef Oziel TORONTO ONRabbi Dovid Pam TORONTO ONRabbi Yisroel Pansky LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Tsadok Pereira THORNHILL ONRabbi Shmuel Perlstein LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Chanoch Posey BROOKLYN NYRabbi Meir Platnick BROOKLYN NYRabbi Mordechai Prager NEW YORK NYRabbi Eliyahu Rabovsky BOCA RATON FLRabbi David Rabi BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Shimon Rabin BROOKLYN NY Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag BROOKLYN NYRabbi Eliezer Ralbag LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Avrohom Reich BROOKLYN NYRabbi Moshe Reich LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Yisroel Reisman BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yisroel Reisman LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Dovid Revah LOS ANGELES CARabbi Mordechai Rhine SILVER SPRING MD Rabbi Yaakov Rich DALLAS TXRabbi Eliezer Rivkin TAMPA FLRabbi Eliyahu Roberts TEANECK NJ Rabbi Yaakov Robinson CHICAGO ILRabbi Aryeh Rodin DALLAS TXRabbi Shmuel Rodkin LAWRENCE NYRabbi Moshe Rotberg TOMS RIVER NJRabbi Chaim Mayer Roth LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Tuvia Rottenberg BROOKLYN NYRabbi Yaakov Y. Rottenberg LAKEWOOD NJRabbi Dovid Rub SPRING VALLEY NYRabbi Shalom Rubanowitz VENICE CA

Due to time constraintswe were not able to contact all Kehillos.

Imagine a product design studio commissioned to design a tool that would increase loshon hora into the world in an unprecedented way.

What would the design specs look like?

Whether we are speaking person-to-person or online, when we erase Hashem’s instructions for proper speech from our lives,

When our words or posts humiliate one of Hashem’s children,

We compromise the merit to appeal to Hashem’s compassion. We may think of loshon hora as a debt that only comes due in the Next World,

And so, this Parshas Tazriyah-Metzorah, hundreds of Rabbonim are uniting to bring their Kehillos the awareness of the damage of Loshon Hora in speech and in all of its new technological forms.

This Shabbos is a window of opportunity in which we can raise our awareness of what our mouths – and for many of us, our digital devices – are doing to our world.

The product would need to be accessible to

every person

Reach people with lightning

speed

Facilitate the spread of loshon hora to masses

of people

Send pictures and videos

Convince people the information

is true just by the sheer number of

transmissions

Remove any guilt or personal

responsibility

1 2 3 4 5 6

WhatsApp groups, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook may not have been designed to be the greatest loshon hora delivery systems in the history of man-kind, but they fit the specs perfect-ly. With these tools, anyone can effortlessly reach out to groups of people to share embarassing videos and posts that destroy reputations at lightning speed. The anonymity of social media makes matters worse. In Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the E-Personality, author Dr. Elias Aboujaoude cites a study revealing that on-line users convince themselves that their on-line behavior is “not me,” and therefore, they do not feel responsible for the consequences of their posts. Thus, a person who would feel constrained to say loshon hora out loud feels far less inhibited about posting and sharing it.

The author points out, the more often a post appears, the greaterits veneer of truthfulness and accuracy.

The Nuclear Weaponization

of Loshon Hora

The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation’s Mission is to inspire Jews around the world to grasp the life-enhancing gift of Shmiras Haloshon

and to provide easy access to a wide array of options designed to spark personal growth.powerofspeech.org

we are at the same time erasing from our lives so much of the brachah for which we hope and daven.

we create division among ourselvesand shatter the vessel into which all Hashem’s goodness flows.

but in realityour words create the world we live in here and now.

Now is the timeto repair the breaches that are opening moment by moment in our wall of Divine protection.

Winning the battle against loshon hora meansempowering our Torah and Tefillah, bringing us sholom and brochah and

divine protection.Standing together, it’s a battle we can win.

whynow?

In the

145 years since

Sefer Chofetz

Chaim was

published,

Klal Yisrael

has joined

the battle

against

loshon hora.

But now

Social Media

is giving our

age-old enemy

a new surge

of power.

“I’ve seen it everywhere,” for most people means “it must be

true.” The combination of all these elements

of social media makes it history’s most destructive

disseminator of loshon hora. It is a

nuclear warhead that destroys everything

within a tremendous radius.

For Klal Yisrael, the stakes are impossible to fathom. Hashem’s brachah and our success as Jews

depend on our Torah, tefillah and sholom, but loshon hora disables them. In a time filled with chaos and confusion, this is our lifeline: Hashem says “I can save you from all harm, provided you conceal yourself from a loshon hora.” (Iyov, Ch.5:21)

But everyday we are smashing the wall of protection Hashem offers us with tens of thousands of thoughtless posts that dart loshon hora from person to person and group to group.

By waking up to the impact of social media and putting strategies in place, we can access Hashem’s incredible promises

of protection and open up our world to receive Hashem’s

goodness.

Strategies "With strategies, you should wage war"

- M I S H L E I , C H 2 4 : 6

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1. Before you post, click, forward or share: Think, “How would I feel, if this post were about me?”To get your free “how would I feel” sticker visit powerofspeech.org/computersticker.

3. Attention Admins of WhatsApp groups or other social media platforms:Make your group Loshon Hora free!Visit powerofspeech.org/admin to receive a protocol system.

4. Subscribe your group to a new 20 second a day inspirational post at powerofspeech.org/post.

2. Daily Learning: Learning the Laws of Shmiras Haloshon in small portions, was the method that the Chofetz Chaim recommend-ed for every Jew to observe and succeed at this crucial mitzvah.

Choose from a range of free emails. Sign up at powerofspeech.org/dailylearningor by learning from one of our daily learning seforim. Seforim available at bookstores or at powerof speech.org/shop.

3. Post a 20 second Shmiras Haloshon message on your shul email list. Sign up at powerofspeech.org/post.

For newsletter sign up atpowerofspeech.org/shabbosmenu.

2. Post your ProtestIf you’re on a group and Loshon Hora or bullying is being shared:1. Verbalize your displeasure by replying #Think beforeyou post.2. If you need to be more diplomatic, send an emoji of the monkey covering his ears.3. If nothing else works, leave the group.

3. Machsom L’fi*Organize a Machsom L’fi as a powerful merit for a friend or relative in need of Divine Assistance. Our free organizers kit makes it simple.

Call 845-352-3505 ext. 116 or visit powerofspeech.org/ machsomlfi

4. Powerofspeech AppDownload our free app at the Apple store or Google play with a daily audio or text learning of Shmiras Haloshon and engaging videos.

1. Sign up for the Shabbos Table Machsom L’fi*Create a Shabbos of sweetness and harmony. The Shabbos Table Machsom L’fi takes the concept of a Machsom L’fi and uses it to enhance and uplift every Shabbos meal.Sign up at powerof speech.org/shabbos

1. Distribute the free Shabbos menu newsletter with weekly inspirationto your shul.

1. It is still loshon hara even if it already went viral. Just because it’s making the rounds and everyone knows about it, does not prevent a neg-ative report from being loshon hara.

הלכות לשון הרע ב, יא ספר חפץ חיים

5. Taking a picture of food at a restau-rant and making fun of the quality with a cute “emoji” or just one “star”is bona-fide loshon hora, as it may cause harm to the store owner.הלכות לשון הרע ה, ז ספר חפץ חיים

2. You can’t share loshon hara about some-one you decide is “bad” unless that someone is: a) halachically considered a “rasha”; and b) you are publicizing it so that people should stay away. It is not so easy to become a “rasha”. Unless someone casts off Judaism (porek ol) he is not a “rasha”. Non-frum people are generally classified as acting innocently (tinokos shenish-be’u) because they don’t know better, so you cannot speak negatively about them.ספר חפץ חיים הלכות לשון הרע ד, ה

6. You cannot publicize a person’s private matter. Even if someone called you and you recorded the phone call, you cannot post it without his permission.הלכות רכילות ח, ה ספר חפץ חיים

7. It’s loshon hara if it’s embarrassing, ..even if it’s hysteri-cal…and even if you were also involved. Just because you don’t care about the incident, does not allow you to shame someone who does.הלכות לשון הרע א, ט ספר חפץ חיים

8. There is no heter to speak about a group of people. Writing “Chassidim.. Yekkes...Lakewooders,etc. are so...,” is a severe example of loshon hara.

ספר חפץ חייםהלכות לשון הרע י, יב

9. Even if you are writing fact, and even if it is not technically loshon hara, there is a prohibition against generating discord and friction amongst people.הלכות רכילות ט, ד ספר חפץ חיים

10. One may not judge a person unfavorably…and generally when you post a pic or video of someone doing something question-able, you clearly mean “wink wink. Can you believe he is doing this…”which is clearly prohibited.הלכות לשון הרע ז, ז ספר חפץ חיים

3. Loshon hara is about conveying negative or harmful information; it is not specifically about speaking or writing. Merely posting a video or picture of someone acting improperly is loshon horah even if you don’t add any “cute” negative comment.ספר חפץ חיים הלכות לשון הרע א, ח

4. You cannot post a video of frum Jews making a chillul Hashem because its “news” or “interesting.” Let’s face it. What is a greater chillul Hashem than publicizing a chillul Hashem! פשוט

״ ם נ ו ש ל ט ו ח ש ץ ח ״ T H E I R T O N G U E I S A D E A D L Y A R R O W . - Y I R M I Y A H U 7 : 9

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.*what is a machsom l’fi

2. Set up a shiur to learn the halochos of Shmiras Haloshon every day before or after davening.

Visit powerofspeech.org/shop or at any Jewish bookstore for Seforim.

A Machsom L’fi is a program in which people commit themselves to focusing for a set period of time each day on the proper use of their power of speech as defined in the Torah. During that time, they concentrate on avoiding speaking and hearing loshon hora, gossip, slander, ona’as devarim (hurtful and angry words). The goal of Machsom L’fi is to grow in Shmiras Haloshon step-by-step. Often, a Machsom L’fi is undertaken as a zechus for someone who is in need of a refuah, a shidduch, children, parnassah or a personal yeshuah.

how would i feel if this post was about me?

power of speech.org

״על כן האיש שיחזק את עצמו בענין הזה של שמירת הלשון בכל כוחו, ויזרז גם אחרים בענין הגדול הזה

למען כבוד ה, ותורתו, שלא יהיו מצוותיה כהפקר ח״ו, זכותו גדולה מאוד.

.,-חתימת הספר פרק ד

,ספר שמירת הלשון מהחפץ חיים, חלק א

“I would advise those seeking to improve their economic situation to take exceedingly great care in regard to loshon hora, and especially not to harm others actively through, cheating and the like...if one respects another person’s feelings and possessions, his own possessions shall certainly be blessed more than if he had performed any segulah. ”

“The loshon hora post and subsequent viral storm hit at our son’s Bar Mitzvah. The negative comments came pouring in. What was supposed to be one of life’s happiest moments was a nightmare. Now whenever I meet people, it’s “Aren’t you the one who...” My life has been reduced to one unfortunate moment in time. Hundreds of people forwarded the post.

What were they thinking? ” – A N O N Y M O U S

– S E F E R S H M I R A S H A L O S H O N . V O L . 2 C H . 9

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