And how much must one take care not to permit himself to tell others that he had some business with this and this man, and he robbed him or wronged him in this and this way, or that he insulted him or aggrieved him or shamed him and the like. And [he is forbidden to relate this] even if he knows in himself that he is not falsifying in what he says, and [it is forbidden] even if there are superadded to this all the other details of the aforementioned heter. For certainly his intent at the time of telling was not for "benefit" — that is, to publicize his friend's taint so that wrongdoers be shamed in the eyes of men so that they take heed not to emulate their evil ways, or so that he himself see men spurning him, so that he thereby repent of his [own] evil ways. But his intent is only to shame him in the eyes of men, to make him an object of scorn and shame before them for having "touched" his money or his honor. And the more he sees that his words are accepted by the hearers and that he is thereby made an object of aversion and shame in their eyes, the more he rejoices and finds pleasure in this.
וּמַה מְּאֹד יֵשׁ לִזָּהֵר, (לא) שֶׁלֹּא לְהַתִּיר לְעַצְמוֹ לְסַפֵּר לַאֲחֵרִים, אֵיךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ עֵסֶק עִם פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי, וּגְזָלוֹ, אוֹ עֲשָׁקוֹ בְּזֶה וּבְזֶה הָאֹפֶן, אוֹ שֶׁחֵרְפוֹ, אוֹ צִּעֲרוֹ וּבִיְּשׁוֹ וְכָל כְּהַאי גַּוְנָא {וכל כיוצא בזה}, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הוּא יוֹדֵעַ בְּעַצְּמוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁקֵּר בַּסִפּוּר הַזֶּה, (אִם לֹא, בּאֹפֶן שֶׁנּבָאֵר לקָּמָּן בּסָעִיף י"ג), וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יִצְּטָרְפוּ לָזֶה כָּל שְׁאָר פְּרָטֵי הַהֶתֵּר הַנַּ"ל, דִּבְוַדַּאי אֵין כַּוָּנָתוֹ בְּעֵת הַסִפּוּר לְתוֹעֶלֶת, דְּהַיְנוּ, לְפַרְסֵם גְּנוּתוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּבוּזוּ עוֹשֵׂי רִשְׁעָה בְּעֵינִי בְּנִי אָדָם, וְיִזָּהֲרוּ עַל יְדֵי זֶה מִלָּלֶכֶת בְּדַרְכֵיהֶם הָרָעִים, אוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁהוּא יִרְאֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁהַבְּרִיּוֹת מְגַנּוֹת אוֹתוֹ, אוּלַי עַל יְדֵי זֶה יָשׁוּב מִדְּרָכָיו הָרָעִים, רַק כַּוָּנָתוֹ כְּדֵי לְבַזּוֹתוֹ בְּעֵינִי בְּנִי אָדָם, שֶׁיְּפֻרְסַם לִפְנֵיהֶם לְחֶרְפָּה וּלְקָלוֹן עֲבוּר זֶה שֶׁנָּגַע בְּמָמוֹנוֹ אוֹ בִּכְבוֹדוֹ, וְכָל שֶׁיִּרְאֶה יוֹתֵר, שֶׁדְּבָרָיו יִתְקַבְּלוּ לִפְנִי הַשּׁוֹמְעִים, וְיִתְפַּרְסֵם בְּעֵינֵיהֶם לִגְנוּת וּלְבִזָּיוֹן עֲבוּר זֶה, יִהְיֶה יוֹתֵר שָׂמֵחַ וְיוֹתֵר נֶהֱנְה מִזֶּה.
And how much must one take care not to permit himself to tell others that he had some business with this and this man, and he robbed him or wronged him in this and this way, or that he insulted him or aggrieved him or shamed him and the like. And [he is forbidden to relate this] even if he knows in himself that he is not falsifying in what he says, and [it is forbidden] even if there are superadded to this all the other details of the aforementioned heter. For certainly his intent at the time of telling was not for "benefit" — that is, to publicize his friend's taint so that wrongdoers be shamed in the eyes of men so that they take heed not to emulate their evil ways, or so that he himself see men spurning him, so that he thereby repent of his [own] evil ways. But his intent is only to shame him in the eyes of men, to make him an object of scorn and shame before them for having "touched" his money or his honor. And the more he sees that his words are accepted by the hearers and that he is thereby made an object of aversion and shame in their eyes, the more he rejoices and finds pleasure in this.