The issur of accepting rechiluth obtains even when the speaker is believed by him as two [witnesses], and even if there were in that thing [the rechiluth] no [possibility of a] "scale of merit" interpretation. All this, when there is no future benefit in his knowing this thing. But if there is, as when he is told that Ploni wants to harm him in his body or his possessions and the like, so that he can guard himself against him, it is permitted to accept this from him and to believe it. But he may not reveal it to others, even to the members of his household, unless this revelation may be of future benefit. And all this, if he was told [by the speaker] that he heard this from him [the suspected one] himself. But if he heard it from another who said that he heard it from him, he has no more advantage [in credibility] than any other man.
אִסוּר קַבָּלַת רְכִילוּת הוּא אֲפִלּוּ מֵאִישׁ דִּמְהֵימָן לֵה כִּשְׁנַיִם, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵין בַּדָּבָר הַהוּא (ח) שׁוּם צַּד זְכוּת עָלָיו. וְהַנֵּי מִלֵּי {וכל זה}, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מִידִיעַת עִנְיָן הַזֶּה תּוֹעֶלֶת עַל לְהַבָּא, אֲבָל אִם (ט) יֵשׁ לוֹ מִזֶּה תּוֹעֶלֶת עַל לְהבָּא, כְּגוֹן, שֶׁסִפֵּר לוֹ, שֶׁפְּלוֹנִי רוֹצֶּה לְהַזִּיקוֹ בְּגוּפוֹ אוֹ בְּמָמוֹנוֹ וִכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, וְעַל כֵּן יִשְׁמֹר עַצְּמוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, מֻתָּר לְקַבֵּל דָּבָר זֶה מִמֶּנּוּ וּלְהַאֲמִין בָּזֶה. אֲבָל (י) לֹא יְגַלֶּה זֶה לַאֲחֵרִים, וַאֲפִלּוּ לְאַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתוֹ, אִם לֹא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ בְּהַגִּלּוּי הַהוּא תּוֹעֶלֶת עַל לְהַבָּא. וְכָל זֶה אִם הוּא מְסַפֵּר לוֹ, שֶׁשָּׁמַע מִמֶּנּוּ דָּבָר זֶה בְּעַצְּמוֹ, אֲבָל אִם הוּא (יא) שָׁמַּע מֵאִישׁ אַחֵר, שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ, שֶׁשָּׁמַע מִמֶּנּוּ, אֵין לוֹ שׁוּם יִתְרוֹן מִשְׁאָר אָדָם.
The issur of accepting rechiluth obtains even when the speaker is believed by him as two [witnesses], and even if there were in that thing [the rechiluth] no [possibility of a] "scale of merit" interpretation. All this, when there is no future benefit in his knowing this thing. But if there is, as when he is told that Ploni wants to harm him in his body or his possessions and the like, so that he can guard himself against him, it is permitted to accept this from him and to believe it. But he may not reveal it to others, even to the members of his household, unless this revelation may be of future benefit. And all this, if he was told [by the speaker] that he heard this from him [the suspected one] himself. But if he heard it from another who said that he heard it from him, he has no more advantage [in credibility] than any other man.