And if he sees in his friend indications that he wishes to harm him in his body or in his possessions, even if he did not hear such a thing from anyone until this point, he is permitted to make inquiries of others as to whether he intends to harm him in this and this matter in order to know how to protect himself from him. And he need not fear that by doing so he might cause people to speak demeaningly of that man.
וְאִם הוּא רוֹאֶה בַּחֲבֵרוֹ דְּבָרִים הַנִּכָּרִים, שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה לְהַזִּיקוֹ בְּגוּפוֹ אוֹ בְּמָמוֹנוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ לֹא שָׁמַע עָלָיו עַד עַתָּה דָּבָר זֶה מִשּׁוּם אָדָם, מִכָּל מָקּוֹם מֻתָּר לִדְרֹש וְלַחֲקֹר אַחַר זֶה אֵצֶל אֲנָשִׁים אִם מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ לְהַזִּיקוֹ בְּעִנְיַן פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי (ד) כְּדֵי לֵידַע (ה) אֵיךְ לְהִשָּׁמֵר מִמֶּנּוּ, וְאֵין לוֹ לָחוּשׁ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה יְסֻבַּב, שֶׁיְּסַפְּרוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם בִּגְנוּתוֹ.
And if he sees in his friend indications that he wishes to harm him in his body or in his possessions, even if he did not hear such a thing from anyone until this point, he is permitted to make inquiries of others as to whether he intends to harm him in this and this matter in order to know how to protect himself from him. And he need not fear that by doing so he might cause people to speak demeaningly of that man.