To whom and in what structure do the laws of Lashon Hara apply? To everyone? Only to us, Jews?
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Question
Do the laws of Lashon Hara apply equally to Jews and non-Jews? And do the laws of Teshuva - forgiveness for offenses, apply to a Jew if the 'victim' is a non-Jew?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
According to the letter of the law, it is permitted to speak Lashon Hara (evil speech) about non-Jews. This position is based on the verse: "Do not spread slander among your people" (Leviticus 19:16), which is one of the sources of the prohibition of Lashon Hara. The words "among your people" clearly indicate that the prohibition applies specifically to members of "your people" — that is, to Jews.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that from a formal point of view it is permitted to speak Lashon Hara about non-Jews, it is highly discouraged. The reason is that what is said may eventually become known and lead to Chilul Hashem — desecration of the Name of God. Moreover, a person may develop a habit of speaking Lashon Hara, and as a result, he may begin to speak this way about Jews as well. Therefore, one should not accustom oneself to behavior that can lead to negative consequences.
Regarding Teshuva — repentance for a sin against a non-Jew: yes, a Jew who has harmed a non-Jew is obligated both to repent before God and to apologize to that person. This is because the Torah contains commandments obligating us to be kind to all humanity, and if we violate these commandments, we have sinned against God. Furthermore, refusing to apologize to a non-Jew whom we have harmed can also lead to Chilul Hashem — desecration of the Name of God.