שֶׁלֹּא לְקַלֵּל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין אִישׁ בֵּין אִשָּׁה – שֶׁלֹּא לְקַלֵּל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין אִישׁ בֵּין אִשָּׁה. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ הַקְּלָלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט יד) לֹא תְקַלֵּל חֵרֵשׁ. וּבָא הַפֵּרוּשׁ עָלָיו מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ קִלְלָתְךָ, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אוּנְקְלוֹס (שם). וּלְשׁוֹן סִפְרָא (קדושים ב יג) אֵין לִי אֶלָּא חֵרֵשׁ, מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת כָּל אָדָם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כב כז) בְעַמְּךָ לֹא תָאֹר. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר חֵרֵשׁ? מַה חֵרֵשׁ מְיֻחָד שֶׁהוּא בַחַיִּים, יָצָא הַמֵּת שֶׁאֵינוֹ בַחַיִּים. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בָּנוּ כֹּחַ לָדַעַת בְּאֵי זֶה עִנְיָן תָּנוּחַ הַקְּלָלָה בַּמְּקַלֵּל וְאֵי זֶה כֹּחַ בַּדִּבּוּר לַהֲבִיאָהּ עָלָיו, יָדַעְנוּ דֶּרֶךְ כְּלָל מִכָּל בְּנֵי הָעוֹלָם שֶׁחוֹשְׁשִׁין לִקְלָלוֹת, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין שְׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת, וְיֹאמְרוּ שֶׁקִּלְלַת בְּנֵי אָדָם גַּם קִלְלַת הֶדְיוֹט תַּעֲשֶׂה רֹשֶׁם בַּמְּקַלֵּל וְתַדְבִּיק בּוֹ הַמְּאֵרָה וְהַצַּעַר. וְאַחַר דַּעְתֵּנוּ דָּבָר זֶה מִפִּי הַבְּרִיּוֹת נֹאמַר כִּי מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה, שֶׁמְּנָעָנוּ הַשֵּׁם מֵהַזִּיק בְּפִינוּ לְזוּלָתֵנוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּנָעָנוּ מֵהַזִּיק לָהֶם בְּמַעֲשֶׂה, וּכְעֵין עִנְיָן זֶה אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מו"ק יח א) בְּרִית כְּרוּתָה לַשְּׂפָתַיִם. כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁיֵּשׁ כֹּחַ בְּדִבְרֵי פִּי אָדָם. To not curse an Israelite, whether a man or a woman: To not curse an Israelite, whether a man or a woman; and even though he does not hear the curse, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:14), “You shall not curse the deaf” — and the explanation comes about this [that it is] one who does not hear your curse. And so did Onkelos translate [it]. And the language of Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 2:13 [is] “I only have a deaf person, from where do I include every man? [Hence] we learn to say (Exodus 22:27), ‘among your people, you shall not maledict.’ If so, why does it state, ‘deaf?’ Just like a deaf person is unique that he is alive — to exclude the dead that is not alive.” Even though we do not have the power to know in which way a curse impacts upon the one cursed, and with what power within speech there is to bring [that impact] upon him, we know more generally that people are concerned about curses — whether Israel or other nations — and say that curses of people, and even curses of commoners, have an impact on the one cursed and attaches malediction and distress to him. And since we know this thing from the mouth of the creatures, we will say that it is from the roots of the commandment that God prevented us from injuring others with our mouths, [just] like He prevented us from injuring them with action. And similar to this did they, may their memory be blessed, say (Moed Katan 18a), “A covenant is made with the lips” — meaning to say that there is power in the words of a person’s mouth.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לָנוּ לוֹמַר, לְפִי עֲנִיּוּת דַּעְתֵּנוּ, כִּי בִּהְיוֹת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַמְדַבֶּרֶת שֶׁבָּאָדָם חֵלֶק עֶלְיוֹנִי, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית ב ז) וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים. וְתִרְגֵּם לְרוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא, נִתַּן בָּהּ כֹּחַ רַב לִפְעֹל אֲפִילּוּ בְּמָה שֶׁהוּא חוּץ מִמֶּנָּה, וְעַל כֵּן יָדַעְנוּ וְנִרְאֶה תָּמִיד כִּי לְפִי חֲשִׁיבוּת נֶפֶשׁ הָאָדָם וּדְבֵקוּתָהּ בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים כְּנֶפֶשׁ הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַחֲסִידִים יְמַהֲרוּ דִּבְרֵיהֶם לִפְעֹל בְּכָל מָה שֶׁיְּדַבְּרוּ עָלָיו, וְזֶה דָּבָר יָדוּעַ וּמְפֻרְסָם בֵּין יוֹדְעֵי דַּעַת וּמְבִינֵי מַדָּע. וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עוֹד, כִּי הָעִנְיָן לְהַשְׁבִּית רִיב בֵּין בְּנֵי אָדָם וְלִהְיוֹת בֵּינֵיהֶם שָׁלוֹם, כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל, וְאוּלַי יָבוֹאוּ דִּבְרֵי הַמְקַלֵּל בְּאָזְנֵי מִי שֶׁקִּלֵּל. וְהָרַמְבַּ"ם זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה אָמַר (בסהמ"צ ל"ת שי"ז) בְּטַעַם מִצְוָה זוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָנִיעַ נֶפֶשׁ הַמְקַלֵּל אֶל הַנְּקָמָה וְלֹא יַרְגִּילֶנָּה לִכְעֹס. וְעוֹד הֶאֱרִיךְ בָּעִנְיָן בְּסִפְרוֹ. וְנִרְאֶה לִי מִדְּבָרָיו, שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאֶה הוּא בְּדַעְתּוֹ נֶזֶק אֶל הַמְקַלֵּל בַּקְּלָלָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁתַּרְחִיק הַתּוֹרָה הָעִנְיָן מִצַּד הַמְקַלֵּל, שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּיל נַפְשׁוֹ אֶל הַנְּקָמָה וְכַעַס וְאֶל פְּחִיתוּת הַמִּדּוֹת. וְכָל דִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ נְקַבֵּל עִם הֱיוֹת לְבָבֵנוּ נֶאֱחָז בַּמֶּה שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ יוֹתֵר. And it is possible for us to say — according to the paucity of our intelligence — that since the speaking soul in man is the elevated part, and as it is written (Genesis 2:7), “He blew into his nostrils the breath of life,” and it is translated (by Onkelos) as “a speaking spirit”; He gave it great power to impact even on that which is external to it. And hence we have known and it is always seen that to the extent of the importance of a man’s soul and its clinging to the elevated things — like [is the case with] the souls of the righteous and the pious — will their words be quick to impact upon all that they speak about. And this is something well-known and famous among those that know knowledge and understand science. And it is possible to say also that the matter is to stifle a quarrel between people and that there be peace between them; since the birds of the sky make the voice travel, and maybe the words of the one that cursed will come to the ears of the one that he cursed. And Rambam, may his memory be blessed, said (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandments 317) as the reason of the commandment [that it is] in order that the soul of the one that curses not be moved to vengeance and that he not become used to anger. And he wrote at further length about this in his book. And it appears to me from his words that, in his opinion, he does not see any injury to the one cursed from the curse, but rather that the Torah is distancing the matter from the perspective of the one that curses — that he not accustom himself to vengeance and anger and to lowly traits. And we shall accept all the words of our rabbis, though our hearts hold more of what we have written.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבועות לה, א) שֶׁאָסוּר לְקַלֵּל בְּשׁוּם עִנְיָן, וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה אֶלָּא הַמְקַלֵּל בְּשֵׁם מִן הַשֵּׁמוֹת כְּגוֹן יָהּ, שַׁדַּי וֶאֱלוֹהַּ וְכַיֹּצֵא בָּהֶן, אוֹ וּבְכָל כִּנּוּי מִן הַכִּנּוּיִין, כְּגוֹן חַנּוּן, קַנּוֹא, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. וּבְכָל לָשׁוֹן שֶׁקִּלֵּל בְּשֵׁם אוֹ בְּכִנּוּי חַיָּב, שֶׁהַשֵּׁמוֹת שֶׁקּוֹרְאִין בָּהֶן הַגּוֹיִם לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הֲרֵי הֵן בִּכְלַל הַכִּנּוּיִין. וּמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ (שם לו, א) שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הַמְקַלֵּל אֶת עַצְמוֹ לוֹקֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד ט) הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ וּשְׁמֹר נַפְשְׁךָ מְאֹד. וּמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּמְּכִילְתָּא (עי' סנהדרין סו א) לֹא תְקַלֵּל חֵרֵשׁ בְּאֻמְלָלִין שֶׁבָּאָדָם. וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ שָׁם כְּשֶׁהַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר (שמות כב כז) וְנָשִׂיא בְעַמְּךָ לֹא תָאֹר וְגוֹ'. אֶחָד דַּיָּן וְאֶחָד נָשִׂיא בַּמַּשְׁמָע, וּמָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תְקַלֵּל? לְחַיֵּב עַל זֶה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ וְעַל זֶה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ יֵשׁ מְדַבֵּר דָּבָר אֶחָד וְחַיָּב עָלָיו מִשּׁוּם אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים, בֶּן נָשִׂיא שֶׁקִּלֵּל אָבִיו חַיָּב עָלָיו מִשּׁוּם הָאָב וּמִשּׁוּם דַּיָּן וּמִשּׁוּם נָשִׂיא וּמִשּׁוּם בְעַמְּךָ לֹא תָּאֹר [ח"מ סי' כו]. From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Shevuot 35a) that it is forbidden to curse in any way. But nonetheless, he is not lashed unless he cursed with a name of one of the names [of God], such as Y-ah, Sha-dai, E-loah and similar to them, or with any appellation of one of the appellations [of God], such as Compassionate, Jealous and similar to them. And he is liable in any language that he curses with a name or appellation, as the names that the gentiles call the Holy One, blessed be He, are among the appellations (even though they are in their languages). And [also] that which they said (Shevuot 36a) that even one who curses himself is lashed, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:9), “But you shall guard yourself and guard your soul much.” And also that [which they said] in Mekhilta (see Sanhedrin 66a), “‘You shall not curse the deaf’ — [it is speaking] about the wretched among men.” And they also said there (Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael 22:27) that when the verse (Exodus 22:27) states, “a chieftain (nassi) among your people, you shall not maledict, etc.,” it implies both a chieftain and a judge. What [then] do we learn by saying, “[Judges] shall you not curse”? To impose liability for this one in itself and for that one in itself. From here they said, “One may speak one thing and be liable for four things. (How so?) If the son of a chieftain curses his father, he is liable on account of chieftain, on account of father, on account of judge, and on account of ‘among your people you shall not maledict.’” (See Tur, Choshen Mishpat 26.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת. וְהָעוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ וְקִלֵּל בְּשֵׁם אוֹ בְּכִנּוּי אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל בְּמֵזִיד וְיֵשׁ עֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה, לוֹקֶה, שֶׁזֶּהוּ אֶחָד מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה לָאוִין (תמורה ג א), שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן מַעֲשֶׂה וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶן בְּפֵרוּשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה מַלְקוּת לוֹקִין עֲלֵיהֶן, וְהַשְּׁנַיִם הָאֲחֵרִים הֵם נִשְׁבָּע וּמֵמֵר, שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בַּגְּמָרָא סַנְהֶדְרִין. And it is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses this and volitionally curses an Israelite with a name or an appellation [of God] — and there are witnesses and a warning — is lashed. As this is one of three negative commandments (Temurah 3a) for which we administer lashes, even though there is no act [involved] with them and lashes are not stated explicitly about them in the Torah. And the other two are one who makes an oath and one who exchanges, as is explained in the Gemara Sanhedrin.