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Is it Lashon Hara (or any other aveirah) to imitate a rav. It’s a common thing in yeshivos (at least the ones I’ve been involved in) that some bachrim imitate the rebbes mannerisms and way of speaking in a joking manner. For the most part the bachrim who do this have a lot of respect and yirah of the rabbi but enjoy getting a kick out of the way he talks/gives shiur.

Is this type of imitation considered Lashon Hara or is there any way to defend such behavior? please bring source if possible of course

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    Note that some bachurim imitate the rabanim because they are in so much awe that they try to behave in the same manner rather than making fun.
    – sabbahillel
    Jul 13, 2021 at 18:17

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R Avrohom Ehrman, writing in his book The laws of interpersonal relationships, explicitly addresses your case and calls it leitzanut (mockery). Based on Rabbeinu Yonah in Shaarei Teshuva, he describes five categories of leitzanut.

The fifth category [and less grave] involves making fun of people or their behavior simply for the sake of amusement, even if it is clear from the jokes that the speaker actually respects both the people involved and their conduct.

Rabbeinu Yonah points out that this type of leitzanus is occasionally found in many people, including otherwise upright Jews. Therefore, it is important to make a great effort to work on eliminating any belittlement of others from one's speech.

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