וְדַוְקָא אִם שָׁמַע מֵהֶם בְּעַצְמוֹ דִּבְרֵי אֶפִּיקוֹרְסוּת, אֲבָל אִם אֲחֵרִים אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אָסוּר לִסְמֹךְ עַל זֶה לְגַנּוֹתָם, בֵּין בִּפְנֵיהֶם וּבֵין שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵיהֶם, וְגַם אֵין לוֹ לְהַחְלִיט דָּבָר זֶה בַּלֵּב כְּדִין אִסוּר קַבָּלַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, וְכַנַּ"ל בִּכְלָל ו', רַק צָרִיךְ לוֹ לְעֵת עַתָּה לָחוּשׁ לְעַצְמוֹ (יב) וְגַם לְהַזְהִיר לַאֲחֵרִים בַּסֵתֶר, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַבְּרוּ לְעֵת עַתָּה עִמָּהֶם, עַד שֶׁיִּתְבָּרֵר הַדָּבָר. וְכָל זֶה דַּוְקָא בִּשְׁמִיעָה בְּעָלְמָא, אֲבָל אִם (יג) מֻחְזָקִּין בָּעִיר לְאֶפִּיקוֹרְסִים, דִּינוֹ כְּאִלּוּ מַכִּירָם בְּעַצְּמוֹ.
And the above applies only if he himself heard from them words of heresy, but if others told him, it is forbidden to rely upon this to demean them, both in their presence or not in their presence. And he is also not to believe this in his heart, as in the din of acceptance of lashon hara (viz. Principle VI). But he must take care in the interim to suspect them, and also to warn others in secret not to join them in the interim, until the thing is clarified. And all this applies to hearing in general, but if they are acknowledged heretics in the city, his din is as if he knew [and heard the heresy from] them himself.