Even if you say any names if they can figure who you are talking about it’s rechilus. Even if you are just conversing, masiach lifi tumo, and you tell over a story about what some did or said about the person you are talking to which was hurtful in the past and they might have gotten over it but by reminding them if what happened innocently without any names but they remember the incident and who did it and it stoked the coals and delights the flame of anger from the fight they had had, that’s rechilus. There is also no difference whether it’s written or oral, or whether it’s about a person or his business, bottom line anything you say that some did or said which will stir up hatred in the listener’s heart is considered rechilus.
Tazria – Extremes Under Distress
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Important note: This week’s haftorah is read for Shabbos HaChodesh but the dvar Torah is taken from the normal haftorah for the Torah portion of Tazria.
This week’s Haftorah has an obvious connection to the Torah portion of Tazria, which discusses the spiritual ailment of tzaraas The haftorah discusses Na’aman, the general of Aram, who according to the Ralbag had the physical ailment of leprosy, as it says, “Now Naaman, the general of the king of Aram, was a prominent man before his lord and respected, for through him had the Lord given victory to Aram; and the man was a great warrior, and he was a leper… And the letter came to the king of Israel, saying, ‘And now, when this letter comes to you, behold I have sent Naaman my servant to you, and you shall cure him of his leprosy’” (Melachim Beis 5:1, 6). The Ralbag on pasuk 6 describes the ailment of Na’aman as a physical disorder that can have many etiologies, for example heat which irritates the skin in a very severe way causing leprosy to form which is quite painful.
Elisha the man of G-D, a student of Eliyahu HaNavi, heard that the King of Aram sent a letter to the King of Israel to heal Na’aman and he volunteered to heal him. Na’aman went to Elisha’s house. “And Elisha dispatched a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and immerse yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored to you, and you will become clean.’ Now Naaman became incensed, and he went away, and he said, ‘Here I thought that he would come out to see me, and he would stand and call in the name of Hashem his God, and he would raise his hand to The Place and cure the leper.’ Are not Amanah and Parpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Will I not immerse myself in them and become clean?” And he turned and went away in anger. And his servants approached and spoke to him and said, ‘Master, if the prophet spoke to you to do a difficult thing, would you not do it? And surely since he said to you, immerse yourself and become clean’” (Pesukim 10-13 there.) Na’aman finally listened to the advice of Elisha and was healed; his skin was as smooth as that of a young child. He was so impressed that he repented from his previous way of life and committed himself to the belief and faith of Hashem, The Almighty!
The Ralbag explains Na’aman’s original disbelief and how he was swayed. Elisha told him to dip in the Jordan River 7 times, but Na’aman thought that Elisha would just raise his hands towards Hashem, make some sort of supplication, and he would be cured. Na’aman thought that what Elisha asked him to do was ridiculous because he bathed in other rivers like Amanah and Parpar, the rivers of Damascus, and had not yet been cured. Only after his servants gently approached him with respect and pointed out that if the prophet would have told you to do some major thing you would have done it to be healed, so now that he is telling you to do some minor thing to be healed, like this, just washing in the Jordan 7 times, then you should just listen to his words. He did, and the rest is history; he was healed and became a strong supporter of Hashem. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Why didn’t Na’aman obey Elisha’s simple guidance to begin with? Based on his servant’s analysis, which seems to have been true, he would have done something a lot more complex, like elect to have intricate surgery or do whatever would have to be done to find a cure. Even if it would mean milking a lioness, going to some other far off and dangerous place to find a certain herb, throw in some other bitter or spicy ingredients and drink it, he would have still done that; so why did he refuse to just listen to Elisha’s advice, what would it hurt? He even made up an excuse that it would not work. If he thought that just praying to Hashem and Elisha waving his hands would poof, just work to cure his illness, then maybe Elisha knew that the Jordan River had special healing waters or would trigger some miracle from Hashem. Why doubt it just because other waters didn’t work, even if he felt they were better?
It would seem though that when a person is in distress as Na’aman was it is human psychology to think in extremes, and even to go so far as to make up excuses to not listen to the obvious advice people give, until someone can focus him/her and show him/her that sometimes the simple, middle of the road solution is the best way to go.
Na’aman was only willing to accept two extremes, either he do absolutely nothing and Elisha would do all the work to elicit Hashem to cure him, or he would have to do something complex to be cured. It didn’t dawn on him that it could be anything else, even when he was instructed to do something as simple as just dip seven times in the Jordan River. And when he was told to, the idea sounded so foreign to him hat he even made up seemingly logical justifications as to why it should not work. Only after his servants gently pointed out that there was no harm in trying to do what the prophet said to do, then everything clicked, and it was worth giving a try.
It’s important to be aware that it’s basic human psychology to think in extremes when under duress, so that we can act accordingly and help others focus to resolve an issue with clarity of mind and be more willing to entertain the advice that others offer which seem to be a compromise of the two extremes.
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Sefer Chofetz Chaim hilchos rechilus chapter 1 halacha 8
If sone one asked asked what so and so said about them and you can’t push them off with half a lie to avoid speaking rechilus then you are allowed to fully lie for the sake of peace but you can’t swear falsely if he refuses to accept what you say.
The proof that you can lie to avoid the sin of rechilus is from a gemara in Sanhedrin 30a. When the court wrote up the final decision Rebbe Yochanan held you just write innocent (or guilty) as if it was unanimous, to avoid rechilus. Relish Lakish held you write out which judge said innocent or guilty to not look like you are lying and Rebbe Eliezer, the student of Rebbe Yochanan, compromised with writing “Based on their words he is innocent”. This implies that it wasn’t necessarily a unanimous decision but it also doesn’t spell out which judges said what. We poskin like Rebbe Eliezer, and he doesn’t argue with his Rebbe, Rebbe Yochanan, but is adding that if you can minimize the lie while avoiding rechilus you should do so, which is exactly what the halacha here is saying.
There is a Braisa in Yevamos 65b which says it’s a mitzvah to lie for the sake of peace. The Rif there and the Rosh in Bava Metzia 6:21poskin thatvitvis a mitzvah to lie for the sake if peace. If this is a statement from the rabbis in the time of the Mishna then Reish Lakish who lived in the times of the gemara can’t argue that, so how can he argue on the braisa on Yevamos and say it’s better not to lie? The answer is that Reish Lakish held that once the verdict is done and it’s just a matter of putting it onto paper the guilty party won’t be any more angry then he is right now if he finds out who said what. Only when things aren’t finalized yet and you tell on someone then it will make things worse.
This halacha is also based on how Hashem spoke to Avraham when informing him he will have a child through Sarah. Based on the Ramban there Sarah said I am old and my husband is old so how can we conceive a child? Hashem only related how Sarah made fun if herself that she was old but not that he was old. We see from there that Hashem spoke the truth half way and just left out the rest for the sake of peace which is what one should try to do when avoiding rechilus. When it comes to swearing falsely that’s absolutely forbidden however if the guy is really pressing you and doesn’t believe what you are saying there is a concept called a shevua b’oness, a forced oath which if done falsely you are not guilty. But it’s not so easily applied in this case See Yoreh Deah 232:14 in the Rema.
Shemini – The Holy Vanguard Elite
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At the very end of this week’s Torah portion of Shemini, while discussing kosher and non-kosher animals, the Torah says in reference to small, non-kosher animals like frogs, turtles, vermin etc., “These are the contaminated ones to you among the creepy crawlers that crawl on this earth” (Vayikra 11:29).
The Daas Zekeinim points out that it sounds like for “you” they are a contamination, but not for the gentiles. This is what it means when the pasuk in Chabakuk (3:6) says “He gave up on the nations,” for he allowed them to eat creepy crawlers and vermin. This is comparable to two sick people who the doctor came to visit, as brought down in the Medrish Tanchuma, parshas Shemini, paragraph 6. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The medrish there is discussing how Hashem purposefully gave the Torah in public to the Jewish people after he went around to every nation asking if they wanted the Torah and each one refused. Hashem was ready to revert the waters back to the second day of creation when there was no dry land, but the Jewish people accepted the Torah, and the world was spared. At that time Hashem passed a verdict on the gentile nations that prohibitions on the Jews were permitted to them and they were even allowed to eat creepy crawlers and vermin. The medrish gave this parable to explain why Hashem did this. “A doctor visited two sick people, he saw one of them was in danger of dying, and told his family to give him anything he wanted to eat. He saw that the other one would live in the future. He said to them [his family] that you should feed him this food but not that food. They asked the doctor, ‘what is this? To one you said he can eat whatever he wants and to the other you said he shouldn’t eat this and that?’ The doctor responded to them, ‘The one who will live I said he should eat this and not that. But the one who will die, I told them whatever he wants to eat give him, because he won’t live any way.’ So to Hashem permitted creepy crawlers and vermin to the gentiles but the Jews who will have [eternal] life, he told them, ‘And you shall be holy for I am Holy’ (Vayikra 11:44) ‘Don’t make your souls abominable’ (11:43) ‘This you should eat and this you should not eat, do not be contaminated by them…’ Why? For the sake of your life, as it says, ‘And you who cling to Hashem your G-D, will all have life that day…” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Daas Zekeinim brought this parable mentioned in the medrish to explain why the Jews were commanded to keep kosher, while gentiles were not only not commandedto, but were permitted to eat whatever they want, as if Hashem gave up on their lives and their purity. A purity which gives one the ability to come closer to Hashem. Why is that fair on the gentiles? How is it possible that The All Merciful All Gracious Hashem could just give up on and let the gentiles just rot like that? They are also human beings, made in the image of Hashem, with the potential to strive and to grow, to choose between good and bad?
However, in pasuk 45, Hashem reiterates, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” The Daas Zekeinim on this pasuk says that for this reason its befitting that since Hashem is holy then His servants should also be holy, and the poet pointed this out in the liturgy of the high holy days when we say each year during mussaf, right after kedusha, “It is fitting that the Holy One be glorified by holy ones.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Daas Zekeinim is sending us a message in these back-to-back commentaries. Hashem expects the Jewish people to conduct themselves on a different plane than the gentiles because we’re the servants of Hashem, the elite vanguard of the King Of Kings, Holy and Blessed is He. A priestly nation and a light onto the world, we are therefore treated and correspondingly expected to act in a more pure and sanctified manner. We chose life while the gentile nations rejected the eternal life. They have the ability individually, on their own, to choose life and convert. It’s a responsibility, not just an honor, which is supposed to be taken seriously. Hashem didn’t give up on the nations, the nations gave up on themselves; but they can individually come back and are accepted by Hashem if they completely accept Him.
However, because we Jews accepted Hashem when we were asked to accept Him and His Torah then even if we stray from Hashem and contaminate ourselves, He never gives up on us and is always waiting with open arms like a father to a son, for us to return and purify ourselves.
Purim – Brotherly Jealousy
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In the story of Yosef and his brothers, the jealousy amongst the brothers got out of control on some level. But at the very end of the Megillas Esther we find a whole different perspective on brotherly jealousy. The last pasuk of the megilla writes, “For Mordechai the Jew was viceroy to King Achashverosh; he was a great man among the Jews and found favor with most of his brethren; he sought the good of his people and spoke for the welfare of all his seed” (Esther 10:3).
The Ibn Ezra explains the last part of the pasuk. “And found favor with most of his brethren, for it is not possible for a person to make everyone happy since there is brotherly jealousy. He sought the good for his people, it would have been enough for him to do good to those that asked him for a favor, but he sought out people to do good to them. His seed, refers to his children and grandchildren. Normally children fear their fathers and behold he first spoke peacefully even to his children who are like his servants and even to the rest of his nation. The pasuk mentioned his great attributes and humility just as it mentions about Moshe our master, ‘And the man Moshe was the humblest person of all mankind.'” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Mordechai just saved the Jewish people from complete annihilation at the hands of Haman. He was the one who convinced Esther to confront Achashveirosh. He was the one who got Bigsan and Seresh killed for the attempted assassination of the king, which led to Mordechai’s reward and Haman’s ultimate downfall. He also was a part of the Sanhedrin, the high Jewish court, and a tremendous sage who knew 70 languages and helped many Jews resolve their issues. Besides the Jews being totally indebted to Mordechai for saving their lives, once he became viceroy to Achashveirosh he became even more active in the Jewish community. Normally a good politician will be open to helping anyone who asks for help if they can, but he went out of his way to search for Jews who needed his help. He was also gentle and soft spoken to everyone including his family members, searching out peace, and not intimidating anyone.
Such humility, on par with Moshe Rabbeinu; how then even for Mordechai the Righteous, was it possible for anyone not to like him but only find favor in their eyes? It would seem according to the Ibn Ezra that this concept of “brotherly jealousy ” on some level makes it impossible to have everyone like you, no matter how nice of a person you are. It’s a natural tendency in the world, not necessarily outright jealousy, but a familial, lower-grade jealousy that always exists and is impossible to avoid. Therefore it’s impossible to expect for everyone to like you; that’s just the way of the world.
Sefer Chofetz Chaim hilchos Rechilus chapter 1 halachos 6, 7
There is a halacha in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 157:1 in the Rema that one must be ready to lose all his money to not transgress a prohibition. The Pischei Teshuva (4) says that even applies to rabbinic prohibition, then all the more so for severe Torah level prohibitions like rechilus. You can’t speak rechilus even if you might lose all your livelihood, for example if your boss is trying to convince you to rattle on someone and there is nothing positive that can come out of it then you must be ready to lose your job then to speak rechilus. It is obvious that losing your livelihood is not kin to dying so you mustn’t transgress the sin even though if it’s a question of dying or sinning one is allowed to transgress any sin besides adultery (incense), idolatry, and murder. Definitely if all that will happen is that he will curse you out and speak badly about you even in public if you don’t answer his questions and tell on the person, he is inquiring about you still have to be ready to take anything he says with silence and not transgress rechilus. If you stay quiet in this world then you will be one of the beloved of Hashem in the Next World with a shining face like the sun as it days in Yoma 23a “Those insulted and they don’t insult back, they hear people cursing them and don’t answer… about them the verse in Shoftim (5:31) says “And his loved one like the setting of the sun at its peak.” Now of course if answering his questions will lead to something constructive then you can answer his questions assuming use abide by the parameters that will be discussed in chapter 9.
Vayikra-A Hyper Focus on Science
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It’s very important to note that this week is Parshas Zachor and there is a Torah level obligation fulfilled when listening to the maftir aliyah. There is also a special haftorah. However, there is a very important message in this dvar Torah taken from the haftorah that would have been normally read for this week’s Torah portion of Vayikra.
Towards the beginning of Nishmas, which is said at the end of pesukei dizimra on Shabbos and yom tov, it states, “From this world to the World to Come You are G-D and other than You we have no king, redeemer, or savior.” This statement is based on a pasuk in the haftorah taken from Yeshayahu (44:6), “So said Hashem, King of Israel and its Redeemer, Hashem Master of Legions: I am the first and I am the last, and aside from Me there is no G-D.”
The Radak on this pasuk points out that when it says, “So said Hashem, King of Israel and its Redeemer,” it means that when we will be redeemed, He will be the Jewish King by himself. We won’t be under the control of any non-Jewish nation. He is the Master of Legions, down below and on high, and everything is within His ability, and it is within His ability to take us out of exile. Hashem is saying, ‘I am the first and I created everything, and I am the last. Everything has an end, but I am everlasting, and there is no other all-powerful force. This comes to nullify any belief in serving the sun or the moon and stars, they are only powerful upon My command. With my permission they rule over what they rule over.’ (Click here for Hebrew text.)
This pasuk seems to be one of the ultimate, all-encompassing verses about our belief in Hashem within Tanach. The simple message being that Hashem was before time and existence and will be after everything is said and done. He created everything and is in constant control of what has happened, is happening, and will happen, speedily in our days. The Radak seems to emphasize that there is a purpose to understanding the science and the greatness and power of the universe and world around us, in order for us to better appreciate the All-powerful Hashem who created all of it and is constantly keeping it and us in existence.
However, 1,042 years after the creation of the world, in the generation of Enosh, as alluded to in Shabbos 118b, people started to worship idols. Why? The Radak says in Breishis 4:26 that “he saw in the words of Chaza”l, and this is the view of most people, that in the days of Enosh people mistakenly went after idolatry.” This means that at that time people referred to stars and constellations in the name of Hashem, meaning they would worship and pray to them. For they thought they were the intermediaries between G-D and the rest of His creation and because of their greatness and awesomeness it was befitting to worship them. They believed that they gave success to whoever worshiped them, for they were the leaders of the lower world. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
We see from the mistake of the generation of Enosh that focusing on the greatness and awesomeness of nature can result in idolatry; so how can the Radak say that doing the same thing will result in a better appreciation of Hashem? Shouldn’t there be a concern of making a mistake and going astray just as the generation of Enosh did? They also believed in Hashem! They just thought that Hashem was in a different domain and that the things in charge down here were the stars and astrology.
However, it would seem from the Radak in Yeshayahu that a person must have a solid foundation in the basic belief that Hashem is where everything starts and ends and without Him constantly maintaining our existence we will cease to exist. We just have a mitzvah to fortify that foundation and build a fortress of belief in Hashem by appreciating as much as possible the greatness and all-powerful awesomeness of Hashem, which can be done by looking into his creation through science, astronomy, astrology, and the like, to see that if the nature of this world is so great and detailed, then how much more greater the One who created it, and is constantly maintaining it, must be.
The generation of Enosh had a weak foundation, so they began to worship other things when they analyzed them all and realized the incredible G-D given powers everything in creation had. But they didn’t focus on the G-D given part. Today it is worse, the foundation doesn’t even exist amongst atheists, and therefore they look into the science and create a whole world which doesn’t even exist, based on speculations and hypotheses because they have no foundation in believing the existence of Hashem.
Sefer Chofetz Chaim Hilchis Rechilus chapter 1 halachos 4, 5
Halacha 4: It forbidden to be a tale bearer of news you heard or saw even if it is true. Not only if the party you are telling it to and the party you are talking about are on good terms with each other for sure that is terrible and the medrish in Vayikra Rabba 16:1 says there are 6 categories of people hated by Hashem and a seventh which is worse then all of them which is a person who speaks rechilus causing fights amongst loved ones. But even if they hate each other already it’s still rechilus to stoke the coals. There are many indications in chaza”l and poskim that rechilus even about the truth is still forbidden.
1. Moed Kattan 16a: Only a messenger of the court can tell the court if the person he was sent to summon to court cursed out the court but if he isn’t a messenger of the court he can’t tell the person spoken about even if true. This is learned from Moshe sending a messenger to summon Nadav and Avihu to his court and they cursed out Moshe. The messenger told what happened. The gemara says only because he was messenger of the court he was allowed to say if not it would be rechilus. We also see from here that there is rechilus even between 2 people who hate each other for Nadav and Avihu definitely hated Moshe as apparent from the verses dating all the way back to when they were in Egypt and Moshe Rabbeinu hated them because there is a mitzva to hate anyone who tries to convince and certainly if he is successful at convincing other to stay from Hashem’s Torah. No matter if it’s going idolatry or any other sin, all is going against Hashem which is a sin so one who convinces other to do that is hated by Hashem and there is a mitzvah for every Jew to hate that person whether he badly influences an individual or a group. Nadav and Avihu convinced hundreds to join them in rebellion against Moshe and the Torah given through Moshe therefore there was a mitzvah to hate them, still in all if the person telling the news wasn’t the messeof the court then he would not be able to tell Moshe what Nadav and Avihu told him.
2. Another proof that rechilus is even about the truth is from the gemara in Sanhedrin 29a which says that you can’t write down (announce) by name which judge said guilty or innocent because that would be rechilus.
3. In Bava Kamma 99b there was a case of a cow that was invalidly shechted the owner took the shochet to court to get his money back. Rav mistakenly said the cow was a treifa anyway so it would never have been kosher. Rav Kahana and Rav Asi poskined as a majority that the shochet has to pay for the mistake he made. They told the owner later that Rav had made a mistake. The gemara asked how Rav Kahana and Rav Asi could have told the owner of what happened isn’t that rechilus, even if it was true. The Rambam, Sma”g and Rabbeinu Yona all clearly poskin that rechilus is even on the truth as well.
Halacha 5: Itmakes no difference if on your own fruition you tell someone rechilus or if someone convinces you to divulge what the other guy did to him or said about him. Even if a rabbi or parent asks who did it or said it, as long as telling isn’t constructive, then it is rechilus, no matter how bad the news is, even if it is avak rechilus, it is nevertheless forbidden. Proof to this is because Doeg was held accountable for saying rechilus against Dovid and the city of Kohanim that protected him. King Shaul coaxed Doeg into telling him what happened besides the fact that he was and Doeg was afraid of the king still in all he was guilty of speaking rechilus. This is no different than someone trying to convince you to eat pig, you still would never do that and if did you get a sin so why woukd someone convincing you to divulge information which is rechilus be any different, it’s still forbidden and you should be held liable even if coerced for the sin you did.
Pekudei –
Difference Between Work and Service
In the conclusion of the Book of Shemos, the Torah portion of Pekudei, it records in Perek 39:
| 42. In accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel do all the work. | מבכְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־משֶׁ֑ה כֵּ֤ן עָשׂוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־הָֽעֲבֹדָֽה: | |
| 43Moses saw the entire work, and lo! they had done it-as the Lord had commanded, so had they done. So Moses blessed them. | מגוַיַּ֨רְא משֶׁ֜ה אֶת־כָּל־הַמְּלָאכָ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ עָשׂ֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה כֵּ֣ן עָשׂ֑וּ וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹתָ֖ם משֶֽׁה: |
Rabbeinu Bachye observes in pasuk 42 that it should have said כל המלאכה, all the work, but instead the Torah calls the work of the mishkan an עבודה, which is better translated as a service. Meaning, that they did the service of Hashem, just as it writes in Shemos (23:25), “And you shall serve Hashem your G-D,” and also in Devarim perek (13:5), “And Him shall you serve.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
In the very next pasuk we see that it says Moshe ‘saw the entire work,’ so it makes sense that the previous pasuk refers to the same thing; however the term used is ‘service,’ not ‘work.’ The reason for this is to teach us that the Jews weren’t just treating the building of the Mishkan like any other building, but they had the attitude that they were serving Hashem through its building.
But what if they hadn’t had this attitude; wouldn’t they still be building Hashem’s palace, the resting place of the Shechina, Hashem’s Holy Presence, in this world? So either way they would be doing Hashem’s handiwork.
It would seem from here that without the proper intentions, even if you are doing the most holy of jobs, it is simply a job. But if your motivation is that I am working to serve Hashem, then it is transformed into serving Hashem.
Attitudes have such a transformative effect!
Sefer Chofetz Chaim hilchos Rechilus, chapter 1, halacha 3
Even if there was no bad intent one can still transgress rechilus When he tells someone what so and so did to him or said about him. Rabbeinu Yona in Shaarei Tedhuva (74) says that a person is punished for negligence which results in lashon hara even though he had no intention of insulting the other. This would also apply to rechilus. For example, if Shimon rebukes Reuvain about what he said or did. Reuvain tries to defend himself and brings a proof because Yehuda did or said the same thing. Even if you weren’t trying to get Yehuda in trouble but if Reuvain thinks Shimon will start hating Yehuda, then that’s considered rechilus and cannot be said as a defense.
There are many proofs to this halacha. For one, the Sifri in Biha’aloscha says that Miriam did not have any malicious intent when she told Aharon that Moshe separated from his wife, still in all she was punished. The Ramban in Devarim 24:9 says straight out that even if you have no intent to do any damage it’s still rechilus. Bottom line you have to think before you talk lest you come to be negligent in speaking rechilus.
Another clear-cut proof the Chofetz Chaim brings is from a gemara in Sanhedrin 30a. When the Jewish court presents the final decision in a case, Rebbe Yochanan holds that the official written document for the decision should not spell out which judges said guilty, and which said innocent because that would be rechilus. Clearly there is no malicious intent there, of trying to malign any judges. The court statement would just say which judge said what. Still in all it is rechilus.
Another proof is from a gemara in Shabbos 33b where Rebbe Yehuda, Rebbe Yossi and Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai were sitting around shmuzing and Rebbe Yehuda ben gierim (he was a son of converts) was nearby listening. Rebbe Yehuda said that the Romans did so many wonderful things like build roads, bridges, and marketplaces. Rebbe Yossi stayed quiet. Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai said they did all that for their own benefit. Rebbe Yehuda ben Geirim told over this conversation to his students and parents. Somehow the Roman government found out about it. They rewarded Rebbe Yehuda, Rebbe Yossi went into exile and Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai was eventually executed. Before he was executed, he found Rebbe Yehuda ben Geirim one day in the market and he said what are you still doing around and he looked at him with an evil eye and Rebbe Yehuda ben geirim turned into a pile of bones. Now Rebbe Yehuda ben Geirim wasn’t trying to eat on Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai, and he was known to be a great rabbi with students but still what he said caused the execution of rebbe Shimon bar Yochai and therefore he was held liable for rechilus and deservingly punished as the Kesef Mishna points out.