Speaking Negatively About Objects: Is It Lashon Hara?

Hi, I was wondering—does the prohibition of Lashon Hara (speaking negatively) apply only to people, or does it also extend to inanimate objects (domeim)? For example, would it be considered problematic to speak badly about a particular item, place, or object if no person is being harmed directly?

Thank you for your question.

The answer:

The prohibition of Lashon Hara about an inanimate object (domeim) only applies if what you say would cause monetary loss to the owner of the object. Nevertheless, it is considered a hanhagah tova to generally avoid speaking negatively, even about an object.

The answer explained in depth:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת ערכין דף טו עמוד א

תניא, א"ר אלעזר בן פרטא: בוא וראה כמה גדול כח של לשון הרע, מנלן? ממרגלים, ומה המוציא שם רע על עצים ואבנים כך, המוציא שם רע על חבירו על אחת כמה וכמה. 

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Elazar ben Parta said —
Come and see how great is the power of Lashon Hara (evil speech).
From where do we learn this? From the spies (meraglim).
If one who speaks negatively about trees and stones (i.e., the Land of Israel) was punished so severely,
how much more so will be the punishment for one who speaks negatively about his fellow!

We also find in Avot DeRabbi Natan the following:

מסכתות קטנות מסכת אבות דרבי נתן נוסחא א פרק ט
 והלא דברים קל וחומר: ומה ארץ שאין לה לא פה לדבר, ולא פנים ולא בושת — ביקש הקדוש ברוך הוא עלבונה מן המרגלים — המדבר דברים כנגד חבירו ומבייש אותו, על אחת כמה וכמה שיבקש הקדוש ברוך הוא עלבונו.

Is this not a kal vachomer?
If regarding the Land — which has no mouth to speak, no face to show, and no sense of shame — the Holy One, Blessed be He, sought redress for its disgrace from the spies,
then one who speaks against his fellow and shames him — how much more so will HaKadosh Baruch Hu, seek to punish for his humiliation!

We see from the above the severity of speaking Lashon Hara, even about a domeim (an inanimate object).
However, the question is: where do we find a source for a prohibition against saying something like “this animal is not nice” or “that flower isn’t beautiful”?

We do find lehalacha in the Chafetz Chaim, Klal 5, Se’if 7 (based on the Yere’im, siman 191), that one may not speak negatively about objects that are being sold in a shop and would therefore cause a monetary loss to its owner, and someone who does so would transgress the biblical prohibition of Lashon Hara (of course, when it is not for a constructive purpose, etc.).

So we see from the Chafetz Chaim that the prohibition of speaking negatively about an object only applies when it would cause monetary loss to its owner. If it would not cause any loss, then it would not be prohibited.

One could ask, therefore: Why was Hashem so angry with the meraglim if they only spoke badly about Eretz Yisrael?
The answer explains Hagaon Harav Amrom fried Shelittah is that they spoke negatively against Hashem, who gave them the land.

Nevertheless, even though, as we explained above, there is no actual prohibition to speak Lashon Hara against a domeim, it is brought in Chovot HaLevavot (Sha’ar HaKeniyah, Chapter 6) and in Shaarei Teshuvah (Sha’ar 3, Ot 217) that a person should not even say about a dead animal carcass that “it stinks” in order not to accustom oneself to speaking negatively.

I would like to end with quoting the words of the Chidah:

דבש לפי מערכת ב אות טו

ובבעלי חיים אמרו בהגדה שאמר אליהו ז"ל למי שאמר על בהמה כי היא מסרחת שיראה שיש לה שבח כי לבנים שיניה וזה היל"ל. והחי יתן אל לבו לכבד כל אדם: 

It is written that Eliyahu Ha’navi once told someone who criticized an animal for smelling bad: “You should see that it also has a praiseworthy quality — its teeth are white.” That is what you should focus on.

And the living should take this to heart — to honor every person.

Wishing much success. 

Talmud Bavli, Arachin 15a

Avot DeRabbi Natan, Version A, Chapter 9

Sefer Yere’im, Siman 191

Chafetz Chaim, Klal 5, Se’if 7

Chovot HaLevavot, Sha’ar HaKeniyah, Chapter 6

Shaarei Teshuvah, Sha’ar 3, Ot 217

Chidah, Devash Lefi, Ma’arechet Beit, Ot 15

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