Hilchos Lashon Hara, Opening – negative commands (8, 9)

Sometimes, the speaker also transgresses the negative command (Vayikra 19:18), “Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge,” if he hates the person for some reason, such as if he asked him to do him a favor such as a loan, and he did not help him, and he therefore harbors hate against him in his heart. Then, when he sees something bad about him afterwards he publicizes it among people. First, by keeping it in his heart, he transgressed the negative command of, “Do not bear a grudge,” and afterwards when he took revenge against him due to the bad things he saw of him, he also transgresses the negative command of, “Do not take revenge.” Rather, he should erase the matter from his heart.