(טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י ה'׃
(16) Do not deal basely with your countrymen. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am the LORD.
לא תעמד על דם רעך. לִרְאוֹת בְּמִיתָתוֹ וְאַתָּה יָכוֹל לְהַצִּילוֹ, כְּגוֹן טוֹבֵעַ בַּנָּהָר וְחַיָּה אוֹ לִיסְטִים בָּאִים עָלָיו (סנהדרין ע"ג):
לא תעמד על דם רעך NEITHER SHALT THOU STAND AGAINST THE BLOOD OF THY FELLOW — witnessing his death, you being able to rescue him: if, for instance, he is drowning in the river or if a wild beast or a robber is attacking him (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 8; Sanhedrin 73a).
גמ׳ ת"ר מניין לרודף אחר חבירו להרגו שניתן להצילו בנפשו ת"ל (ויקרא יט, טז) לא תעמוד על דם רעך והא להכי הוא דאתא האי מיבעי ליה לכדתניא מניין לרואה את חבירו שהוא טובע בנהר או חיה גוררתו או לסטין באין עליו שהוא חייב להצילו ת"ל לא תעמוד על דם רעך אין ה"נ
GEMARA: The Sages taught in a baraita: From where is it derived that with regard to one who pursues another in order to kill him, the pursued party may be saved at the cost of the pursuer’s life? The verse states: “You shall not stand idly by the blood of another” (Leviticus 19:16); rather, you must save him from death. The Gemara asks: But does this verse really come to teach us this? This verse is required for that which is taught in a baraita: From where is it derived that one who sees another drowning in a river, or being dragged away by a wild animal, or being attacked by bandits [listin], is obligated to save him? The Torah states: “You shall not stand idly by the blood of another.” The Gemara answers: Yes, it is indeed so that this verse relates to the obligation to save one whose life is in danger.
בַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים יֵשׁ אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁזְּהִירִין בְּכָל עִנְיְנֵי דַּת הַתּוֹרָה כַּדִּין, וְאִסּוּר גֶּזֶל קַל בְּעֵינֵיהֶם לְהוֹנוֹת לִבְנֵי אָדָם בְּכָל אָפְנֵי תַּחְבּוּלוֹת וּכְהַאי גַּוְנָא, וּמֻרְגָּלִין בָּזֶה מְאֹד וְלֹא יֵדְעוּ כִּי בְּנַפְשָׁם הוּא, וְיוֹצֵא עַל יְדֵי זֶה מִכְּלַל רֵעֲךָ וַעֲמִיתֶךָ, מִלְּבַד מַה שֶּׁהוּא פָּסוּל לְעֵדוּת עַל יְדֵי זֶה. וּרְאָיָה מִמַּה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: רוֹעֵי בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה [שֶׁמֻּרְגָּלִין לִרְעוֹת בִּשְׂדוֹת אֲחֵרִים] לֹא מַעֲלִין וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין, וְהַיְנוּ שֶׁאִם נָפְלוּ בְּתוֹךְ הַבּוֹר אֵין לְהַעֲלוֹתָן, אַף שֶׁבִּשְׁאָר אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ עַל זֶה לָאו מְיֻחָד: לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ; שֶׁמְּחֻיָּב לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ וְגַם לִשְׂכֹּר אֲנָשִׁים לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ (כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין דַּף ע"ג.), אֲבָל בָּזֶה, מִפְּנֵי רִשְׁעוֹ אֵין לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ.
In our many sins, there are many men who are very heedful of observing the Torah according to the din, but who make light of the issur of theft, cheating people with all kinds of stratagems, being habituated to this and not knowing that it strikes at their very being and that they thereby leave the category of "your neighbor" and "your fellow," in addition to invalidating themselves from giving testimony. A proof: Our sages of blessed memory have said that grazers of small cattle, [who are used to grazing in the field of others] "are not pulled out and are not put down." That is, if they have fallen into a pit, they are not to be taken out, even though for other Jews there is a negative commandment against this, viz. (Vayikra 19:16): "Do not stand [idly] by the blood of your neighbor," one being obliged to pull him out and even to hire others to do so. But, in this instance, because of his wickedness, he is not to be taken out.
ועוד יש עבירה אחת הנקראת רכילות. איזהו רכיל? זה שהולך מזה לזה ואומר: "כך וכך שמעתי על פלוני!" – אף על פי שהוא אמת, הרי הוא מחריב העולם. והוזהרנו בזה כדכתיב (ויקרא יט טז): "לא תלך רכיל בעמך". ואיזהו רכילות? המגלה לחברו דברים שדברו ממנו בסתר. ותניא: מנין לדיין שלא יאמר: "אני מזכה וחברי מחיבין, אבל מה אעשה שחברי רבו עלי?" לכן נאמר: "לא תלך רכיל בעמך". ואומר (משלי יא יג): "הולך רכיל מגלה סוד" (סנהדרין כט א).
And there is another sin which is called tale-bearing. Now, who is a tale bearer? One who loads himself with stories about others and goes from one to another and says, "Thus did so and so say," and "Thus and thus did I hear about that one." Even though what he tells is true, this kind of thing destroys the world. And we have been warned about this, as it is written, "Thou shall not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people" (Lev. 19:16). And what is tale-bearing? One who reveals to another things that were said about him in secret, and we have learned (Sanh. 31a): "Whence do we know that when a judge comes out he must not say, 'I was for acquittal, while my colleagues were for condemnation; but what could I do, seeing that they were in the majority?' " Scripture states, "Thou shall not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people" (Lev. 19:16), and further, "He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets" (Prov. 11:13).
תני תנא קמיה דרב נחמן בר יצחק כל המלבין פני חבירו ברבים כאילו שופך דמים א"ל שפיר קא אמרת דחזינא ליה דאזיל סומקא ואתי חוורא אמר ליה אביי לרב דימי במערבא במאי זהירי א"ל באחוורי אפי דאמר רבי חנינא הכל יורדין לגיהנם חוץ משלשה
The Gemara relates that the tanna who recited mishnayot and baraitot in the study hall taught a baraita before Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: Anyone who humiliates another in public, it is as though he were spilling blood. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to him: You have spoken well, as we see that after the humiliated person blushes, the red leaves his face and pallor comes in its place, which is tantamount to spilling his blood. Abaye said to Rav Dimi: In the West, i.e., Eretz Yisrael, with regard to what mitzva are they particularly vigilant? Rav Dimi said to him: They are vigilant in refraining from humiliating others, as Rabbi Ḥanina says: Everyone descends to Gehenna except for three.
רַב וְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרַב חֲבִיבָא מַתְנוּ: בְּכוּלֵּיהּ דְּסֵדֶר מוֹעֵד כָּל כִּי הַאי זוּגָא חַלּוֹפֵי רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן וּמְעַיֵּיל רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן. כׇּל מִי שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לִמְחוֹת לְאַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ וְלֹא מִיחָה — נִתְפָּס עַל אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ. בְּאַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ — נִתְפָּס עַל אַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ. בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ — נִתְפָּס עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ.
It was related that Rav, and Rabbi Ḥanina, and Rabbi Yoḥanan, and Rav Ḥaviva taught the statement cited below. The Gemara comments: Throughout the order of Moed, wherever this pair of Sages is mentioned, exchange Rabbi Yoḥanan and insert Rabbi Yonatan in his place. In any event, they said: Anyone who had the capability to effectively protest the sinful conduct of the members of his household and did not protest, he himself is apprehended for the sins of the members of his household and punished. If he is in a position to protest the sinful conduct of the people of his town, and he fails to do so, he is apprehended for the sins of the people of his town. If he is in a position to protest the sinful conduct of the whole world, and he fails to do so, he is apprehended for the sins of the whole world.