We are commanded to avoid any action that might harm others, including speech that is defined as “gossip” [rekhilut] and “malicious speech” [lashon hara]. The term rekhilut comes from the same root as rokhel, a peddler. Just as a peddler goes from place to place, offering his wares to passersby, so too, the gossiper goes from one person to another, transmitting information that might cause friction between people or harm them. Lashon hara means speaking unfavorably about others.

Further reading: For more on lashon hara, see A Concise Guide to the Sages, pp. 145, 385.

Just as it is prohibited to speak maliciously of others, one may not listen to such speech; one must refuse to listen to negative reports about others.

In certain very specific cases, the halakha permits giving or receiving negative information about others when that information will save someone from harm. For example, it is permitted to warn someone to avoid doing business with a dishonest person. This is permitted only when the negative information is verified and reliable; one may not state the warning in definitive terms.

If one is asked about another person, and the questioner requires the information in order to make important decisions, the one who is asked must tell the truth, even if it contains unflattering information. However, he must limit his remarks to dry and verified facts.

Further reading: For more on the value of truth, see A Concise Guide to the Sages, p. 384.

It is permitted to listen to negative reports about others if there is a positive benefit in it. For example, it is permitted to listen to an angry person if it will help him calm down, or to listen to both sides of a dispute if it can give one the ability to make peace.

If someone needs information about another person e.g., an employer who is considering whether to accept a person for a job, he may inquire about the candidate, and even listen to negative information about him. However, he should relate to the reports he receives with caution and skepticism, rather than accepting them as objective facts.