אֵיזֶהוּ רָכִיל? זֶה (ב) שֶׁטּוֹעֵן דְּבָרִים מִזֶּה לָזֶה וְהוֹלֵךְ וְאוֹמֵר: כָּךְ אָמַר פְּלוֹנִי (ג) עָלֶיךָ, כָּךְ עָשָׂה לְךָ פְּלוֹנִי, כָּךְ וְכָךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי עָלָיו שֶׁעָשָׂה לְךָ, אוֹ רוֹצֶּה לַעְשׂוֹת לְךָ. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאוֹתוֹ דָּבָר אֵין גְּנוּת עַל מִי שֶׁמְסַפֵּר, אַף לְפִי דִּבְרֵי הָרוֹכֵל, (ד) וְאִלּוּ הָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִין לוֹ בְּעַצְמוֹ, לֹא הָיָה מַכְחִישׁ, (ה) אוֹ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהָאֱמֶת וְהַצֶּדֶקּ אִתּוֹ, (ו) אוֹ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁהִתְכַּוֵּן בְּאֵלּוּ הַפְּעֻלּוֹת וְהַדִּבּוּרִים כַּוָּנָה אַחֶרֶת, אֲפִלּוּ הָכֵי {אף על פי כן} רָכִיל מִקְרֵי {נִקָּרָא}.
What is "talebearing" [rachil]? Peddling things from one to another and saying: "This and this is what Ploni said about you. This is what Ploni did to you. This and this is what I heard that he did to you or wants to do to you." Even though this may not be demeaning to the one spoken about, even according to the words of the talebearer, and [even] if he himself [(the one spoken about)] were asked, he would not deny it — either because the truth and the right is with him — or because he intended something else [than what is assumed] by these acts or words — still, he is called a "talebearer."