אוֹי לִי אִם אוֹמַר, אוֹי לִי אִם לֹא אוֹמַר

ביטוי (אנגלית)

Woe if I say it, woe if I do not / whether I talk or keep quiet, I'm in trouble

הגדרה (אנגלית)

Figuratively: I am afraid and do not know whether to speak or not. Expressing concern about possible consequences arising from saying something as well as from not saying it.

("Regarding all of them, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said: Woe to me if I say it, woe to me if I do not say it. If I say it—perhaps the deceitful will learn; if I do not say it—perhaps they will say: the scholars are not expert in our deeds." – Baba Batra 86b; and: "Even so, he said: woe to me if I say it, woe to me if I do not say it. It appears that Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was so knowledgeable in the world that he feared to speak Torah, lest the deceitful learn from him." – Rabbi Nachman of Breslov / Likkutei Moharan Tinina, Torah 58)