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Why does Jewish tradition (the Talmud ) say that it is forbidden to look at the face of a wicked person? Does it apply to looking at a picture of a wicked person? And how wicked does a person have to be told be included in that category ? Are we talking about Hitler wicked or even a neighbor who speaks loshon harah or tasks during davening?

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See Megila 28a

...במה הארכת ימים... מימי לא נסתכלתי בדמות אדם רשע דאמר ר' יוחנן אסור לאדם להסתכל בצלם דמות אדם רשע שנא' ... ר"א אמר עיניו כהות ...

And the loshon צלם דמות may include even a picture?

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  • Except that Adam was created in the tzelem elokim. I don't think we should conflate the modern Hebrew term for picture with the word at hand. Especially considering the Chazzon Ish ego famously opposed being photographed was quoted as saying people who take pictures don't understand what a tzelem elokim means.
    – user6591
    Nov 25, 2019 at 3:19

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