Lashon Hara about the Dead

(יד) לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ וְלִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י ה'׃ (טו) לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־דָ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר פְּנֵ֣י גָד֑וֹל בְּצֶ֖דֶק תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט עֲמִיתֶֽךָ׃ (טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י ה'׃ (יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃ (יח) לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י ה'׃

Leviticus 19:14-18

(14) You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am the LORD. (15) You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kinsman fairly. (16) Do not deal basely with your countrymen. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am the LORD. (17) You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him. (18) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the LORD.

דברים כ״ז:כ״ד

(כד) אָר֕וּר מַכֵּ֥ה רֵעֵ֖הוּ בַּסָּ֑תֶר וְאָמַ֥ר כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן׃ (ס)

Deuteronomy 27:24

(24) Cursed be he who strikes down his fellow countryman in secret.—And all the people shall say, Amen.

עירובין ס״ג א:ט״ז-י״ט

ותלמיד אחד היה לו לרבי אליעזר שהורה הלכה בפניו אמר רבי אליעזר לאימא שלום אשתו תמיה אני אם יוציא זה שנתו ולא הוציא שנתו אמרה לו נביא אתה אמר לה לא נביא אנכי ולא בן נביא אנכי אלא כך מקובלני כל המורה הלכה בפני רבו חייב מיתה ואמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן אותו תלמיד יהודה בן גוריא שמו והיה רחוק ממנו שלש פרסאות בפניו הוה והא רחוק ממנו שלש פרסאות קאמר וליטעמיך שמו ושם אביו למה אלא שלא תאמר משל היה

Eruvin 63a:16-19

It was further related that Rabbi Eliezer had a certain disciple who issued a halakhic ruling in his presence. Rabbi Eliezer said to his wife, Imma Shalom: I will be surprised if this one completes his year, i.e., if he lives until the end of the year. And so it was, he did not complete his year. His wife said to him: Are you a prophet? He said to her: I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I have received the following tradition: Anyone who issues a halakhic ruling in his teacher’s presence is liable to receive the death penalty. And Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: That disciple was named Yehuda ben Gurya, and he was three parasangs away from Rabbi Eliezer. Apparently, one is liable for the death penalty even if he did not issue his ruling in his teacher’s presence. The Gemara answers: In fact, the incident took place in the actual presence of the teacher, which is why the disciple was punished. The distance mentioned refers to the distance between the student’s usual place and the teacher. The Gemara expresses surprise: But didn’t Rabba bar bar Ḥana say that he was three parasangs away from his teacher? That implies that this was his distance from his teacher at the time of the ruling. The Gemara answers: And, according to your reasoning, that the details of the story must relate to the time of the ruling, why mention his name and his father’s name? Rather, the details were given so that you should not say it was a parable. That is also the reason why he provided the details concerning the student’s usual place. This does not contradict the fact that Yehuda ben Gurya issued his ruling in the actual presence of his teacher.

ברכות י״ט א:ב׳-ה׳

אמר רבי יצחק כל המספר אחרי המת כאלו מספר אחרי האבן איכא דאמרי דלא ידעי ואיכא דאמרי דידעי ולא איכפת להו איני והא אמר רב פפא חד אישתעי מילתא בתריה דמר שמואל ונפל קניא מטללא ובזעא לארנקא דמוחיה שאני צורבא מרבנן דקודשא בריך הוא תבע ביקריה אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי כל המספר אחר מטתן של תלמידי חכמים נופל בגיהנם שנאמר והמטים עקלקלותם יוליכם ה׳ את פועלי האון שלום על ישראל אפילו בשעה ששלום על ישראל יוליכם ה׳ את פועלי האון

Berakhot 19a:2-5

On this subject, Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who speaks negatively after the deceased it is as if he speaks after the stone. The Gemara offers two interpretations of this: Some say this is because the dead do not know, and some say that they know, but they do not care that they are spoken of in such a manner. The Gemara asks: Is that so? Didn’t Rav Pappa say: There was once someone who spoke disparagingly after the death of Mar Shmuel and a reed fell from the ceiling, fracturing his skull? Obviously, the dead care when people speak ill of them. The Gemara rejects this: This is no proof that the dead care. Rather, a Torah scholar is different, as God Himself demands that his honor be upheld. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said similarly: One who speaks disparagingly after the biers of Torah scholars and maligns them after their death will fall in Gehenna, as it is stated: “But those who turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord will lead them away with the workers of iniquity; peace be upon Israel” (Psalms 125:5). Even if he speaks ill of them when there is peace upon Israel, after death, when they are no longer able to fight those denouncing them (Tosafot); nevertheless the Lord will lead them away with the workers of iniquity, to Gehenna.

אורח חיים תר״ו:ג׳

(ג) תקנת קדמונינו וחרם שלא להוציא שם רע על המתים:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 606:3

(3) The early sages enacted a prohibition and a Herem so as not to slander a deceased person.

חושן משפט ת״כ:ל״ח

(לח) ... והמוציא שם רע על חבירו הוי בכלל המבייש בדברים ... המדבר רע על שוכני עפר צריך לקבל עליו תעניות ותשובה ועונש ממון כפי ראות ב"ד. ואם קבורים בסמוך לו ילך על קבריהם ויבקש מהם מחילה ואם הם רחוקים ישלח שם שלוחו...:

Shulchan Arukh, Choshen Mishpat 420:38

... and one who slanders his fellow is included in 'shaming with words'.... One who speaks ill of those laying in the earth (buried) must accept upon himself fasting, Teshuvah and fines as the Beit Din sees fit. If they are buried near him, he should go to their graves and request their forgiveness. If they are far, he should send his proxy.

נימוקי או"ח, ר' חיים אלעזר שפירא סי' תרו

לכאורה דהא לה״ר הוא איסור דאורייתא ולא תקנה וכו' א״ו פשוט דלשון הרע אינו שייך רק על בנ"א בחיים ולא על מי שאינו בעולם ע"כ צ״ל שזהו תקנת הקדמונים שגם על המתים לא ידברו אך קאמר בלשון "שלא להוציא לעז" ובזה שיייך שפיר טעם התקנה וחרם דהוא לעז חדש שלא שמע בחייו...

Nimukai Orach Chaim, Rav C. E. Shapiro # 606

Lashon Hara is a Torah prohibition, not an enactment etc. Rather, clearly Lashon Hara only applies to [speech] against living people. [It does] not apply to those not in this world. Therefore we say that the sages enacted not to speak even against the dead. However, they say 'not to slander', to which the enactment is appropriately reasoned. for it applies only to a new charge against him which he hadn't heard in his lifetime and he cannot defend himself...