2אִסּוּר קַבָּלַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע הוּא אֲפִלּוּ אִם שָׁמַע מֵאִישׁ, שֶׁהוּא מְהֵימָן לֵה כְּדִבְרֵי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים, וּמַה שֶּׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְעֵיל בִּכְלָל ד' סָעִיף ה', דְּמֻתָּר לְגַלּוֹת הָעִנְיָן בְּהַצְּנִעַ לְרבּוֹ וּלְאִישׁ סוֹדוֹ, אִם יֵדַע, אֲשֶׁר יאֲמִין דְּבָרָיו כְּדִבְרֵי שְׁנִי עֵדִים, וּמֻתָּר לְרַבּוֹ לְקַבֵּל דָּבָר זֶה וְלִשְׂנֹא אוֹתוֹ וּלְהִתְרַחֵק מֵחֶבְרָתוֹ, עַד אֲשֶׁר יִוָּדַע לוֹ, שֶׁשָּׁב מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה, הַיְנוּ שָׁם, שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר לְפִי הָאֱמֶת מֻתָּר לְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּתוֹ עֲבוּר זֶה, אִם לֹא עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָבַר בְּמֵזִיד עַל עֲוֹן דָּבָר הַמְפֻרְסָם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהוּא אָסוּר, שֶׁאֵין לִתְלוֹת עָלָיו עוֹד שׁוּם זְכוּת, (כְּגוֹן, (יב) בְּמַעֲשֵׂה דְּטוּבִיָּה בִּפְסָחִים, {קי"ג} שֶׁהוּא עִנְיַן נֵאוּף וְכַיּוֹצֵּא בָּזֶה), לֹא כֵן (יג) בְּדָבָר, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִתְלוֹת עָלָיו זְכוּת, כְּגוֹן בְּחֶסְרוֹן יְדִיעַת אִסוּר הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, אוֹ אוּלַי בִּשְׁגָגָה בָּא לְיָדוֹ, אוֹ לְספֵּר עָלָיו דִּבְרֵי דֹּפִי וּגְנַאי בְּעָלְמָא, אוֹ בְּעִנְיַן שְׁלִילַת הַמַּעֲלוֹת, וְכַנּ"ל בִּכְלָל ה' סָעִיף ב', אוֹ לִזְכֹּר עָלָיו מַּעֲשֵׂי אֲבוֹתָיו וּקְרוֹבָיו, אוֹ מַעֲשָׂיו הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, בְּוַדַּאי לֹא שַׁיָּךְ בָּזֶה מְהֵימָן כְּבֵי תְּרֵי {נאמן כשני עדים}, דְּמַאי הֱוֵי {שֶׁמּה יִּהיִה}, אִם הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֵינוֹ שֶׁקֶּר מֵעִקָּרוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן אָסְרָה הַתּוֹרָה לְהַמְסַפֵּר לְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּתוֹ עֲבוּר זֶה, רַק לְדוּנוֹ לְצֶּדֶק בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה וְכַנַּ"ל בִּכְלָל ד' סָעִיף ג'.
The issur of lashon hara obtains even if it is heard from one who is believed [to the hearer] like two witnesses. As to what we have written above, in Principle IV, section 5, that it is permitted to reveal the matter secretly to his Rabbi or to his close confidant if he knows that his words will be believed like those of two witnesses, and that it is permitted for his Rabbi to accept his words and to hate him [the object of the lashon hara], and to distance himself from his company, until it becomes known to him that he has repented of his evil way — that is there, where it is a thing because of which he is, in truth, permitted to speak demeaningly of him if he has not repented, since he knowingly transgressed something which is known by all of Israel to be forbidden, in which instance no merit is to be posited of him (as in the act of Toviyah in Pesachim, 113b, which is an act of fornication, and the like). Not so, where it is a thing where some merit is to be posited of him, such as lacking knowledge of the issur of the act, or, perhaps, having performed the act unwittingly. Nor [is it permitted] to speak of him demeaningly in general, or as lacking in advantages, as mentioned before in Principle V, section 2, or to bring up the [negative] acts of his forbears or his relatives, or his early [negative] deeds. Certainly, "being believed like two" does not apply in these instances. For what difference does it make if this [i.e., what is said about him in these instances] is not false at all? In spite of this, the Torah forbade speaking of him demeaningly because of this, but [legislated] to judge him only in the scales of merit in such things, as explained in Principle IV, section 3.
