Vayikra 19:16

16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a rakhil (talebearer, slanderer) among thy people; neither shalt thou stand aside while thy neighbor’s dahm is shed; I am Hashem.

Vayikra 19:16 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 19:16

Thou shall not go up and down [as] a talebearer among thy
people
The word used signifies a merchant, and particularly one that deals in drugs and spices, and especially a peddler in those things, that goes about from place to place to sell them; and such having an opportunity and making use of it to carry stories of others, and report them to their disadvantage, hence it came to be used for one that carries tales from house to house, in order to curry favour for himself, and to the injury of others; and such a man is a detestable person, and ought not to be encouraged, see ( 1 Timothy 5:13 ) ( Proverbs 11:13 ) ;

neither shall thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour;
either by bearing a false testimony, whereby his blood is in danger of being shed when innocent; or by being silent, and not hearing a testimony for him, whereby the shedding of his innocent blood might have been prevented; either way may be interpreted standing against it: the Jewish writers think, that a man by this law, is bound to do all he can to preserve the life of his neighbour, when it is by any means in danger, by drowning, or by thieves and wild beasts, so Jarchi:

I [am] the Lord;
the just and righteous One, who will resent and punish for all unjust proceedings in courts of judicature, secret tale bearing, doing any injury to another, or not preventing it when in the power of his hands.

Vayikra 19:16 In-Context

14 Thou shalt not curse the cheresh (deaf), nor put a michshol (stumbling block) before the ivver (blind), but shalt fear Eloheicha: I am Hashem.

15 Ye shall do no avel bamishpat (perversion of justice); thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor favor the person of the gadol; but in tzedek shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a rakhil (talebearer, slanderer) among thy people; neither shalt thou stand aside while thy neighbor’s dahm is shed; I am Hashem.

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine lev; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not bear chet because of him.

18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the bnei ammecha (children of thy people), v’ahavta l’re’acha kamocha (but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself): I am Hashem.