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And now we shall begin to explain against whom the Torah forbids speaking lashon hara. The issur of lashon hara applies both to [speaking against] a man and [speaking against] a woman. And there is no difference in this between his own wife or someone else's wife. And many go astray in this, in our many sins, it being permitted in their eyes to speak demeaningly of his wife and his father-in-law's house before his brothers and his father's house. But according to the din there is no difference in this if not that he intend in this, future benefit, and not to demean them, and also that there by no admixture of falsehood in his words. And his entire din is according to what is explained below in Principle X, section 6, etc.