Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments
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הזהיר מהיות רכיל. והוא אמרו לא תלך רכיל בעמך, אמרו (ספרא) לא תהא רך בדברים לזה וקשה לזה. דבר אחר שלא תהא כרוכל שטוען דברים והולך, ובכלל לאו זה אזהרה מהוצאת שם רע. (קדושים תהיו, מדע הלכות דעות פ"ז):
He prohibited us from being a talebearer. And that is His saying, "Do not be a talebearer (rakhil) among your people" (Leviticus 19:16). They said (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4:5), "You shall not be soft (rakh) with words to one and hard to the other. Another explanation: You shall not be like a merchant (rokhel), who bandies words and moves on." And included in this negative commandment is the prohibition of putting out a bad name. (See Parashat Kedoshim; Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 7.)