When you value human beings, you avoid speaking about their faults at all costs. As G‑d did with Esau.

As Isaac aged, his eyesight weakened. (Genesis 27:1)

This was in order that Jacob would be able to take the blessings of Esau. (Rashi)

This is puzzling. If G‑d wanted Jacob to receive Isaac’s blessings, He could have simply revealed to Isaac that Esau was wicked.

Especially since Isaac already had reason to believe something was up with Esau. He knew that Esau had wives who offered incense to idols. He knew that mention of G‑d was not part of Esau’s mode of speech.

So all G‑d needed to do was to fill Isaac in on the whole story.

But G‑d didn’t want to speak badly about Esau.

We call this lashon hara—speaking badly of another person even when what you say is true.

Now consider this: For the sake of wicked Esau, G‑d declined to speak unkind words—although that meant Isaac would have to be confined to his home and barely alive for 57 years.

For a fellow human being who may have slipped up a few times in life, isn’t it worthwhile to suffer the silence of our mouths for a moment or two?

Likutei Sichot vol. 15, p. 215.