All that we have said applies if he knows the nature of the cheated one to be such that if the truth of the cheating is made known to him, he will not do anything by himself, but will summon him to beth-din and follow the din of the Torah. But if he knows him to be one who, if he is apprised of this, will "rule for himself" and arrest him or return the merchandise to him or not pay him what he owes him, without the assessment of beth-din, one must take heed in revealing it to him, for in order to rescue himself from forbidden speech, three more conditions must be satisfied:
a) The subject of cheating (i.e., how he cheated him) must be known to the tellers themselves, as opposed to their hearing from others that there is cheating in this place, in which instance they are forbidden to tell him.
c) The harm caused the cheater by their words must not be greater than that of the din resulting from their words in beth-din. But if they know the nature of the cheated one to be such that he would cause the cheater a greater loss than that determined by the din and that he would not abide afterwards by the din for the cheater, it is forbidden to reveal it to him in any case.
And with the first five conditions, there are, altogether, eight conditions [for revealing it]. And even if they all coincide, this avails only to rescue oneself from forbidden speech. But, in any event, he does not rescue himself from the issur of "abetting transgression." For, according to the din, it is forbidden for the hearer to do anything according to their words, even if many speakers told him, so long as they did not testify against him in beth-din and beth-din have permitted him to do so (viz. above, Principle 6, sections 9 and 10). Therefore, one must be extremely careful not to reveal anything to a person whose nature is to "rule for himself" without the permission of beth-din.
And now, my brother, see, how in our many sins, so many people stumble so in this, that when one takes merchandise from a store and acquires it with meshichah [(a mode of acquisition)], according to the din, and shows it to his friend, asking him if it is worth what he paid for it, not only does he not praise it, but he even demeans it, saying, "He really cheated you!" And he is not careful at the time to determine its current market price. For very often the price changes in a short time. And he is also [not careful to determine] how much he overcharged him, whether or not it is an admissible overcharge according to the din of the Torah. And also when he overcharged him. For perhaps the time for showing it to a merchant or to a relative has already passed, so that [any protest] would be of no avail. But he would only be injecting great hatred into the ear of the buyer against the seller, and thereby be a literal "talebearer," "peddling" talk from one to the other.
And many times he speaks against him out of hatred, and it becomes clear afterwards that it is worth what he paid for it. And quite often the seller is caused a great loss; for he will incite him [the buyer], saying, "Go return the merchandise and throw it in his face. And if you are ashamed to do it yourself, send it with someone else. And if he doesn't want to take it back, don't pay him what you owe him for this merchandise or [what you owe him] from before!" (And very often this is against the din and is actual theft and extortion.) And when he returns the merchandise to the seller and he refuses to take it, saying that he is causing him a loss according to the din of the Torah, they come to quarrel and to greatly abuse each other.
See how many evils this talebearer has committed: He has transgressed the negative commandment of "You shall not go talebearing among your people" (if he does not pay heed to the aforementioned conditions), and [he has transgressed] "You shall not place a stumbling block before the blind" in counseling his friend to return the merchandise unlawfully or [in causing] other losses and in generating quarrels leading to [transgression of] "You shall not wrong, one man, his fellow" and to [transgressions of] many other negative commandments that result from quarreling, Heaven preserve us. And if so, how much must one take care not to intervene in such things without reflecting well upon what we have written above. And then the L–rd will be with him, so that nothing adverse will result from his counsel.
כָּל זֶה דִּבַּרְנוּ, אִם הוּא מַכִּיר לְהַמִּתְאַנֶּה בְּטִבְעוֹ, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר יִוָּדַע לוֹ הָאֱמֶת מֵהָאוֹנָאָה, לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ שׁוּם דָּבָר מֵעַצְמוֹ, רַק יִתְבְּעֶנּוּ לְבֵית דִּין וְיַעֲשֶׂה עַל פִּי דִּין תּוֹרָה. אבָל אִם מַכִּירוֹ בְּטִבְעוֹ, שֶׁכַּאשֶׁר יִוָּדַע לוֹ מִזֶּה, יַעֲשֶׂה דִּין לְעַצְמוֹ וְיִתְפְּסֶנּוּ, אוֹ שֶׁיַּחֲזִיר לוֹ הַסְּחוֹרָה, אוֹ לֹא יַשְׁלִים לוֹ הַמָּעוֹת, שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר חַיָּב לוֹ בְּלִי שׁוּם בֵּית דִּין, יֵשׁ לִזָּהֵר מִלְּגַלּוֹת לוֹ, כִּי כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּנָצֵל מֵעֶצֶם דִּבּוּר הָאָסוּר, צָּרִיךְ לָזֶה עוֹד שְׁלֹשָָה פְּרָטִים:
All that we have said applies if he knows the nature of the cheated one to be such that if the truth of the cheating is made known to him, he will not do anything by himself, but will summon him to beth-din and follow the din of the Torah. But if he knows him to be one who, if he is apprised of this, will "rule for himself" and arrest him or return the merchandise to him or not pay him what he owes him, without the assessment of beth-din, one must take heed in revealing it to him, for in order to rescue himself from forbidden speech, three more conditions must be satisfied:
א שֶׁיִּהְיֶה יָדוּעַ עִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁל אוֹנָאָה, דְּהַיְנוּ, מַה שֶּׁהוֹנָה אוֹתוֹ, לַמְסַפְּרִים עַצְמָם. לֹא כֵן אִם שָׁמְעוּ מִפִּי אֲחֵרים, שֶׁיֵּשׁ אוֹנָאָה בַּמִּקָּח הַזֶּה, (לו) אֲסוּרִים לוֹמַר לוֹ.
a) The subject of cheating (i.e., how he cheated him) must be known to the tellers themselves, as opposed to their hearing from others that there is cheating in this place, in which instance they are forbidden to tell him.
ב שֶׁיִּהְיוּ (לז) הַמְסַפְּרִים שְׁנַיִם.
b) The tellers must be two.
ג שֶׁלֹּא יְסֻבַּב הֶזֵּק לְהַמְאַנְּה עַל פִּי דִּבּוּרָם, יוֹתֵר מִכְּפִי הַדִּין שֶׁהָיָה יוֹצֵא עַל יָדָם בְּבֵית דִּין. אֲבָל אִם (לח) מַכִּירִין אֶת טִבְעוֹ שֶׁל הַמִּתְאַנֶּה, שֶׁיַּפְסִיד לְהַמְאַנְּה יוֹתֵר מִכְּפִי הַדִּין, וְלֹא יְצַיֵּת דִּינָא אַחַר כָּךְ לְהַמְאַנְּה, אָסוּר לְגַלּוֹת לוֹ בְּכָל גַּוְנִי.
c) The harm caused the cheater by their words must not be greater than that of the din resulting from their words in beth-din. But if they know the nature of the cheated one to be such that he would cause the cheater a greater loss than that determined by the din and that he would not abide afterwards by the din for the cheater, it is forbidden to reveal it to him in any case.
וְעִם הַחֲמִשָּׁה פְּרָטִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים יֵשׁ בְּסַךְ הַכֹּלּ שְׁמוֹנָה פְּרָטִים, וְאֵינוֹ מָצוּי שֶׁיִּתְקַבְּצּוּ כִּלָּם, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יִתְקַבְּצוּ, אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל, רַק לְהִנָּצֵל מֵעֶצֶם דִּבּוּר הָאָסוּר, אֲבָל עַל כָּל פָּנִים מִמְסַיֵּעַ יְדֵי עוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרָה לָא נָפֵיקּ {לא יצא}, שֶׁעַל פִּי דִּין אָסוּר לוֹ לְהַשּׁוֹמֵעַ לַעֲשׂוֹת מַעֲשֶׂה עַל פִּי דִּבּוּרָם, אֲפִלּוּ אִם סִפְּרוּ לוֹ הַרְבֵּה אֲנָשִׁים, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא הֵעִידוּ עָלָיו בְּבֵית דִּין, וְהִרְשׁוּהוּ בֵּית דִּין לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, כַּמְבֹאָר לְעֵיל בִּכְלָל ו' סָעִיף ט' וְי'. עַל כֵּן יֵשׁ לִזָּהֵר מְאֹד מִלְּגַלּוֹת לְאִישׁ, שֶׁטִּבְעוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת דִּין בְּעַצְמוֹ בְּלִי רְשׁוּת מִבֵּית דִּין, וְעַיֵּן לְעֵיל בְּסָעִיף ו'.
And with the first five conditions, there are, altogether, eight conditions [for revealing it]. And even if they all coincide, this avails only to rescue oneself from forbidden speech. But, in any event, he does not rescue himself from the issur of "abetting transgression." For, according to the din, it is forbidden for the hearer to do anything according to their words, even if many speakers told him, so long as they did not testify against him in beth-din and beth-din have permitted him to do so (viz. above, Principle 6, sections 9 and 10). Therefore, one must be extremely careful not to reveal anything to a person whose nature is to "rule for himself" without the permission of beth-din.
וְעַתָּה אָחִי רְאֵה גַּם רְאֵה, אֵיךְ, שֶׁבַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים, כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה אֲנָשִׁים נִכְשָׁלִין בָּזֶה מְאֹד, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר אֶחָד לוֹקֵחַ סְחוֹרָה מֵּחֲנוּת, וְקָנָה אוֹתָה בִּמְשִׁיכָה כַּדִּין, וּמַרְאֶה לַחֲבֵרוֹ, אִם שָׁוֶה הַמִּקָּח שֶׁשִּׁלֵּם אוֹ לֹא, לֹא דַּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁבְּחוֹ, עוֹד הוּא מְגַנֵּהוּ לוֹמַר: כִּי רִמָּה אוֹתְךָ מְאֹד. וְאֵינוֹ מְדַקְדֵּק עַל עַצְמוֹ בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה לֵידַע הֵיטֵב אֶת מִקָּחָהּ, כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהִיא נִמְכֶּרֶת עַתָּה בַּשּׁוּק, כִּי כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים מִשְׁתַּנְּה הַשַּׁעַר בִּזְמַן קָצָר. וְגַם לֵידַע כַּמָּה הוֹנָה אוֹתוֹ, אִם יֵשׁ בּוֹ שִׁעוּר אוֹנָאָה עַל פִּי דִּין תּוֹרָה. וְגַם מָתַי הוֹנָה אוֹתוֹ, כִּי אוּלַי כְּבָר עָבַר הַשִּׁעוּר, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּרְאֶה לְתַגָּר וְלִקְרוֹבוֹ, וּלְלֹא תּוֹעֶלֶת יִהְיֶה, רַקּ בִּדְבָרָיו יַכְנִיס שִׂנְאָה חֲזָקָה בְּלִבּוֹ עַל הַשֶּׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ, וְהוּא רוֹכֵל מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁטּוֹעֵן דְּבָרִים מִזֶּה לָזֶה.
And now, my brother, see, how in our many sins, so many people stumble so in this, that when one takes merchandise from a store and acquires it with meshichah [(a mode of acquisition)], according to the din, and shows it to his friend, asking him if it is worth what he paid for it, not only does he not praise it, but he even demeans it, saying, "He really cheated you!" And he is not careful at the time to determine its current market price. For very often the price changes in a short time. And he is also [not careful to determine] how much he overcharged him, whether or not it is an admissible overcharge according to the din of the Torah. And also when he overcharged him. For perhaps the time for showing it to a merchant or to a relative has already passed, so that [any protest] would be of no avail. But he would only be injecting great hatred into the ear of the buyer against the seller, and thereby be a literal "talebearer," "peddling" talk from one to the other.
וְהַרְבֵּה פְּעָמִים אֵרַע, שֶׁמִּשִּׂנְאָה דִּבֵּר עָלָיו, וְנִתְבָּרֵר אַחַר כָּךְ, כִּי שָׁוֶה הַמָּעוֹת שֶׁנָּתַן בַּעֲדוֹ. וְהַרְבֵּה פְּעָמִים אֵרַע מִזֶּה הֶפְסֵד מָעוֹת לְהַשֶּׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ, כִּי יְסִיתֵהוּ לֵאמֹר: לֵךְ הַחְזֵר לוֹ הַסְחוֹרָה וּטְרוף אוֹתָה בְּפָנָיו, וְאִם אַתָּה מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ בְּעַצְּמְךָ, שְׁלַח אוֹתָה לוֹ עַל יְדֵי אַחֵר, וְאִם לֹא יִרְצֶּה לְקַבְּלָה מִמְּךָ, לֹא תְּשַׁלֵּם לוֹ הַמָּעוֹת שֶׁאַתָּה חַיָּב לוֹ לִסְחוֹרָה זוֹ אוֹ מִכְּבָר, (וְכַמָּה פְּעָמִים הוּא זֶה שֶׁלֹּא כַּדִּין, וְגֶזֶל וְעֹשֶקּ מַמָּשׁ הוּא), וּכְשֶׁהוּא מֵבִיא אֶת הַסְחוֹרָה לַמּוֹכֵר, וְהַמּוֹכֵר אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְקַבֵּל מִמֶנּוּ, בְּאָמְרוֹ, שֶׁהוּא מַפְסִידוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כְּדִין תּוֹרָה, בָּאִים לִידֵי מְרִיבָה וּנְאָצוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת אֶחָד לַחֲבֵרוֹ.
And many times he speaks against him out of hatred, and it becomes clear afterwards that it is worth what he paid for it. And quite often the seller is caused a great loss; for he will incite him [the buyer], saying, "Go return the merchandise and throw it in his face. And if you are ashamed to do it yourself, send it with someone else. And if he doesn't want to take it back, don't pay him what you owe him for this merchandise or [what you owe him] from before!" (And very often this is against the din and is actual theft and extortion.) And when he returns the merchandise to the seller and he refuses to take it, saying that he is causing him a loss according to the din of the Torah, they come to quarrel and to greatly abuse each other.
רְאֵה, כַּמָּה רָעוֹת עָשָׂה הָרוֹכֵל הַזֶּה: שֶׁעָבַר עַל לָאו דְּלֹא תֵלֵךְ רָכִיל בְּעַמֶּיךָ, (אִם אֵינוֹ מְדַקְדֵּק עַל עַצְּמוֹ בְּמַה שֶּׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְעֵיל), וְעַל לִפְנִי עִוֵּר לֹא תִתֵּן מִכְשׁוֹל, שֶׁיָּעַץ לַחֲבֵרוֹ לְהַחְזִיר לוֹ הַסְחוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא כַּדָּת אוֹ שְׁאָר הֶפְסֵדִים, וְלָבוֹא עַל יָדוֹ לִידֵי מַחֲלֹקֶת, לַעֲבֹר עַל לָאו דְּלֹא תוֹנוּ אִישׁ אֶת עֲמִיתוֹ, וּלְכַמָּה לָאוִין אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁיּוֹצְאִים עַל יְדֵי מַחֲלֹקֶת, רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְלָן. וְאִם כֵּן מַה מְּאֹד רָאוּי לִזָּהֵר, שֶׁלֹּא לְהִתְעָרֵב בְּעִנְיָנִים כָּאֵלּוּ, אִם לֹא שֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן הֵיטֵב בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְעֵיל, וְאָז יִהְיֶה ה' בְּעֶזְרוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא שׁוּם מִכְשׁוֹל עַל יָדוֹ.
See how many evils this talebearer has committed: He has transgressed the negative commandment of "You shall not go talebearing among your people" (if he does not pay heed to the aforementioned conditions), and [he has transgressed] "You shall not place a stumbling block before the blind" in counseling his friend to return the merchandise unlawfully or [in causing] other losses and in generating quarrels leading to [transgression of] "You shall not wrong, one man, his fellow" and to [transgressions of] many other negative commandments that result from quarreling, Heaven preserve us. And if so, how much must one take care not to intervene in such things without reflecting well upon what we have written above. And then the L–rd will be with him, so that nothing adverse will result from his counsel.