Mishmeres HaSholom: Ask the Rav

Q: During the summer break, I had a chance to see my high-school friends in action. Some of what I witnessed was not in sync with the general spirit of Bais Yaakov, and our school in particular. There were girls who devoted their time to questionable entertainment. Others dressed inappropriately, and so on.

Their behavior disturbs me and, for constructive purposes, of course, I’m considering notifying the relevant parties in our school. Would it be permissible?

A: If the behavior of your friends is totally inappropriate for Bais Yaakov students, you are permitted to apprise the principal or their mentor thereof.

It would be correct to relay the information in a light that would lend them the benefit of the doubt, as in, “These girls are actually very fine girls, but it seems they couldn’t withstand the test or were influenced by neighbors. They may need some encouragement on the part of the school to keep them in line.”

The conditions of the Chofetz Chaim in hilchos lashon hara l’to’eles must be adhered to.

The questions and answers above were taken from the Mishmeres Hasholom pamphlet in Israel. For details and inquiries please e-mail us at office@hasholom.org or call 972-2 5379160.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hamodia.