And if the one who spoke the lashon hara spoke it "in his innocence" (This will be explained in the Be'er Mayim Chayim), the din is as follows: If in this matter, even if it be true, there is reason to judge him in the scales of merit, or if it concerns the negation of advantages, or one of the other instances that we explained in section 7, if this speaker did not see the thing itself but only heard it from others, certainly it is forbidden to accept it from him and to believe it in his heart as demeaning to his friend. And even if none of these particulars obtain, still, he must take care not to accept from one "speaking in his innocence" anything demeaning about his friend. And it certainly is forbidden to rely on this to go afterwards and tell this to others or to shame him with words because of this. And how much more so is it forbidden to cause him monetary loss or to strike him, G–d forbid, which is definitely forbidden according to the Torah.
וְאִם מִי שֶׁסִפֵּר לוֹ הַלָשׁוֹן הָרָע עַל אֶחָד הָיָה (טז) מֵסִיחַ לְפִי תֻּמּוֹ בְּדָבָר זֶה, (וּמַּה נִּקְרָא לְפִי תֻּמּוֹ, יִתְבָּאֵר בִּבְאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים) דִּינָא הָכֵי {הדין כך}, אִם יֵשׁ בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה, אֲפִלּוּ אִם הוּא אֱמֶת, לְשָׁפְטוֹ לְצַּד הַזְּכוּת, אוֹ שֶׁעִנְיָן זֶה הוּא בְּעִנְיְנִי שְׁלִילַת הַמַּעֲלוֹת אוֹ אֶחָד מִשְׁאָר פְּרָטִים, שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ לְעֵיל בְּסָעִיף ז', אוֹ שֶׁזֶּה הַמְסַפֵּר (יז) לֹא רָאָה דָּבָר זֶה בְּעַצְּמוֹ, רַק שָׁמַע מִפִּי אֲחֵרִים, בְּוַדַּאי אָסוּר לְקַבֵּל הֵימֶנּוּ וּלְהַחְלִיט בְּלִבּוֹ לִגְנַאי עַל חֲבֵרוֹ. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵין בּוֹ אֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ הַפְּרָטִים, (יח) מִכָּל מָקּוֹם, גַּם כֵּן יֵשׁ לִזָּהֵר, שֶׁלֹּא לְקַבֵּל מֵאִישׁ זֶה, הַמֵּסִיחַ לְפִי תֻּמּוֹ, דִּבְרֵי גְּנוּת עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאָסוּר לִסְמֹךְ עַל זֶה לֵילֵךְ אַחַר כָּךְ (יט) וּלְסַפֵּר דָּבָר זֶה לַאֲחֵרִים אוֹ (כ) לְבַזּוֹתוֹ בִּדְבָרִים עבוּר זֶה, וְקַל וָחֹמֶר בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁל קַל וָחֹמֶר לְעִנְיַן (כא) לְהַפְסִידוֹ עֲבוּר זֶה בְּמָמוֹן אוֹ לְהַכּוֹתוֹ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, דְּוַדַּאי אָסוּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה.
And if the one who spoke the lashon hara spoke it "in his innocence" (This will be explained in the Be'er Mayim Chayim), the din is as follows: If in this matter, even if it be true, there is reason to judge him in the scales of merit, or if it concerns the negation of advantages, or one of the other instances that we explained in section 7, if this speaker did not see the thing itself but only heard it from others, certainly it is forbidden to accept it from him and to believe it in his heart as demeaning to his friend. And even if none of these particulars obtain, still, he must take care not to accept from one "speaking in his innocence" anything demeaning about his friend. And it certainly is forbidden to rely on this to go afterwards and tell this to others or to shame him with words because of this. And how much more so is it forbidden to cause him monetary loss or to strike him, G–d forbid, which is definitely forbidden according to the Torah.