Hilchos Lashon Hara, Opening – positive commands (3)

Sometimes, lashon hara also involves transgressing the positive command (Vayikra 19:15), “Judge your fellow charitably.” For example, if one saw one’s fellow [do something] and can judge him unfavorably and say that he did an evil act, or favorably so that he did not necessarily do an evil action, it a positive Torah command to judge him favorably, so that it results in one’s fellow not having done an evil deed. If someone speaks lashon hara instead of judging favorably, or believes lashon hara instead of judging favorably, he transgresses this positive command.