One who shares gossip against their fellow violates a negative commandment, as it is written: “Do not gossip among your people.” Although the punishment of lashes is not inflicted for violating this prohibition, it is a grave sin, and is the cause of many deaths from Israel. For this reason it is written adjacent to: “Do not stand by the blood of your fellow.”
Furthermore, the sages said: “[Gossip] kills three people: the one who speaks it, he one who accepts it, and the one about whom it is spoken. The one who accepts it more than the one who speaks it.” Mishna Torah, Hilchot De'ah 7
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