1וְדַע, (ו) דַּאֲפִלּוּ אִם לֹא בָּא עַל יְדֵי הַלָשׁוֹן הָרָע שֶׁלּוֹ שׁוּם רָעָה לְהָאִישׁ הַהוּא, כְּגוֹן, שֶׁלֹּא קִבְּלוּ הַשּׁוֹמְעִין אֶת דְּבָרָיו, וְכַיּוֹצֵּא בָּזֶה, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן מִּכְּלַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע לֹא נָפְקָא {לא יצא}, וְצָרִיךְ כַּפָּרָה. וְיוֹתֵר מִזֶּה, דַּאֲפִלּוּ (ז) אִם הוּא מְשַׁעֵר לְכַתְּחִלָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא לַנִּדּוֹן שׁוּם רָעָה עַל יְדֵי דִבּוּרוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן אָסוּר לוֹ לְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּתוֹ.
And know that even if no harm came to that man from his lashon hara, as when the listeners did not accept his words, or the like, even so they do not depart from the category of lashon hara and he requires atonement. More than this — Even if he assumes from the beginning that no harm will come to him from his words, it is still forbidden to speak demeaningly of him.
Hebrew: Chofetz Chaim (CC-BY-SA). English: Rabbi Shraga Silverstein (CC-BY). Via Sefaria. Learning for halacha? Please ask your Rav. All the library · Jer’s Torah Page