And know further that all of the principles that we wrote about above in Part One, Principle VI, concerning lashon hara, regarding suspecting apply here in the area of rechiluth. Therefore, one must be very careful, when he hears that someone has spoken about him or done this and this to him or wants to do this and this to him, not to believe it, but only to suspect; that is, to guard himself against him. And not by way of doubt, for we assume a man to be in a status of kashruth, and that in all probability he has not harmed him or demeaned him. It is, therefore, forbidden to do anything against him or to cause him any harm or shame because of this, large or small. And it is even forbidden to hate him in one's heart according to the Torah. How much more so [is it forbidden] not to exempt oneself because of the rechiluth from any obligation one has to the suspected. And he is still obligated to accord him all the benefits commanded by the Torah to other men in Israel. For his worth has not diminished in our eyes through this in any respect. And, as a general rule, the Poskim have written that it is not permitted to suspect except where it concerns one's future safety, that he not come to harm because of him. But in any other area, it is forbidden to suspect at all.
וְדַע עוֹד, דְּכָל הַכְּלָלִים, שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְעֵיל בְּחֵלֶק א' בִּכְלָל ו' אֵצֶל קַבָּלַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע לְעִנְיַן לָחוּשׁ, (ו) כֵּן הוּא הַדִּין בְּעִנְיַן לָחוּשׁ אֵצֶל רְכִילוּת. וְלָכֵן צָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר מְאֹד, כְּשֶׁשָּׁמַע שֶׁאֶחָד דִּבֵּר עָלָיו, אוֹ עָשָׂה לוֹ כָּךְ וְכָךְ, אוֹ רוֹצֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כָּךְ וְכָךְ, שֶׁלֹּא לְהַאֲמִין בַּדָּבָר, רַק בְּדֶרֶךְ חֲשָׁשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, דְּהַיְנוּ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת עַצְּמוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, וְלֹא בְּגֶדֶר סָפֵק, דְּמַעֲמִידִין לְאָדָם בְּחֶזְקַת כַּשְׁרוּת, וּמִסְתָמָא לֹא עָשָׂה לוֹ רָעָה וְלֹא גִּנָּהוּ. וְעַל כֵּן אָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ שׁוּם מַעֲשֶׂה אוֹ לִגְרֹם לוֹ שׁוּם הֶזֵּק אוֹ בִּיּוּשׁ עֲבוּר זֶה, לֹא גָּדוֹל וְלֹא קָטָן, וַאֲפִלּוּ רַק לִשְׂנֹא אוֹתוֹ בַּלֵּב, אָסוּר גַּם כֵּן מִן הַתּוֹרָה, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן (ז) שֶׁלֹּא לִפְטֹר אֶת עַצְּמוֹ עַל יְדֵי הָרְכִילוּת, מִמַּה שֶּׁהוּא מְחֻיָּב לְהַנִּדּוֹן. וּמְחֻיָּב הוּא גַּם כֵּן עֲדַיִן לְהֵיטִיב עִמּוֹ בְּכָל הַטּוֹבוֹת, שֶׁצִּוְּתָה התּוֹרָה לִשְׁאָר אֲנָשִׁים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי לֹא נִגְרָע עֶרְכּוֹ בְּעֵינֵינוּ עַל יְדֵי זֶה לְשׁוּם דָּבָר. וּכְלָל כָּתְבוּ הַפּוֹסְקִים, דְּאֵין מֻתָּר לָחוּשׁ, רַק לְעִנְיַן לִשְׁמֹר אֶת עַצְּמוֹ עַל לְהַבָּא, שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא לִידֵי הֶזֵּק מִמֶּנּוּ, אֲבָל בְּעִנְיָן אַחֵר אָסוּר לָחוּשׁ כְּלָל.
And know further that all of the principles that we wrote about above in Part One, Principle VI, concerning lashon hara, regarding suspecting apply here in the area of rechiluth. Therefore, one must be very careful, when he hears that someone has spoken about him or done this and this to him or wants to do this and this to him, not to believe it, but only to suspect; that is, to guard himself against him. And not by way of doubt, for we assume a man to be in a status of kashruth, and that in all probability he has not harmed him or demeaned him. It is, therefore, forbidden to do anything against him or to cause him any harm or shame because of this, large or small. And it is even forbidden to hate him in one's heart according to the Torah. How much more so [is it forbidden] not to exempt oneself because of the rechiluth from any obligation one has to the suspected. And he is still obligated to accord him all the benefits commanded by the Torah to other men in Israel. For his worth has not diminished in our eyes through this in any respect. And, as a general rule, the Poskim have written that it is not permitted to suspect except where it concerns one's future safety, that he not come to harm because of him. But in any other area, it is forbidden to suspect at all.