Halakhah zu Schemuel I 22:10

It is written,¹Leviticus 19:16. "Do not be a talebearer among your people."²Rabbeinu Gershon’s edict which prohibits, on penalty of excommunication the reading of someone else’s mail is derived from this verse. (Be’er Hagolah on Yoreh Dei’ah 334) What constitutes talebearing? It is carrying gossip and going from one to the other saying, "So and so said this…," "I have heard such and such about so and so." Even if [the tale he tells] is true, and it brings no disgrace to anyone it is, still, a violation of a negative commandment,³For a comprehensive analysis of the halachos of lashon hara refer to the Seifer Chafetz Chayim. and it is a grave sin, which causes the death of Jewish people. Because of this [the law against talebearing] is followed by: [the verse] "Do not stand by the blood of your neighbor."⁴Leviticus 19:17. Think about what happened in the case of Do'eg the Edomite,⁵I Samuel 22:10. Chapter 22 relates that David, relentlessly pursued by Shaul came to Nov, the city where the Sanctuary was situated, to obtain bread for his men. Achimelech, the kohein gadol, gave him bread and also the sword of Goliath that was kept there. Do’eg, the Edomite reported this to Shaul, whereupon the king ordered the slaying of the kohanim in the city of Nov. who told Shaul, that Achimelech gave David food and a sword. Even though the thing [he told] was true, and it did not reflect dishonor on Achimelech, for he had not done anything wrong, and even if Shaul himself had asked Achimelech he would have told him what he had done, for he had no intention to sin against Shaul. Despite this, the talebearing of Do'eg caused many kohanim to be killed.