All this, if he wishes to warn him against being cheated. But if he already has bought merchandise from someone and he knows that he cheated him in the purchase price or in other areas, [the din] in this instance is dependent upon the following: If, according to the din of the Torah, he now has no claim against the storekeeper — as when the overcharge were less than one-sixth, or if the [allotted] time has passed for him to show it to a merchant or to his relative, or for any other reason that the one cheated sustains the loss, then certainly, if one goes and brings this to the attention of the cheated one, and shows him how Ploni has cheated him, he transgresses the issur of rechiluth. For since, according to the din of the Torah, he now has no claim against him, then the telling of this is only talk in general, and he [the teller] is like the proverbial peddler, who peddles things from one to the other. And even if the cheated one asks him [to tell], he should not tell him the truth. How much more so, if he sees that through his speaking the storekeeper can suffer a loss, such as being caught [by the authorities] or not being paid what is still owed him for this transaction. Certainly the one who brings this about [i.e., the teller] is guilty of a great sin. But if he sees that according to the Torah the din is with him (then he may back out of the transaction or receive the amount of the overcharge). And if [he knew that if] the cheated one knew this, he would not acquiesce in the transaction, then he must tell him the truth as it is, in order to recover the money from the merchant. But he must be heedful of the following:
2
*ועין לקמן בסוף סעיף קטן לד, מה שכתבנו שם, באם שהוא משער בהקונה וכו', עין שם, והוא הדין כאן.
וְכָל זֶה אִם הוּא רוֹצֶה לְהַזְהִירוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא לִידֵי אוֹנָאָה. אֲבָל אִם כְּבָר לָקַח מֵאֶחָד סְחוֹרָה, וְהוּא יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁרִמָּהוּ, אוֹ בְּשִׁוּוּי הַמִּקָּח אוֹ בִּשְׁאָר חֶסְרוֹנוֹת, תָּלוּי בָּזֶה, אִם עַל פִּי דִּין תּוֹרָה, אֵין לוֹ עַתָּה עַל הַמְאַנְּה כְּלוּם, בֵּין מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָאוֹנָאָה בְּשִׁוּוּי הַמִּקָּח הָיְתָה בְּפָחוֹת מִשְּׁתוּת, וּבֵין מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעָבַר הַזְמַן, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּרְאֶה לְתַגָּר אוֹ לִקְרוֹבוֹ, אוֹ (כט) שְׁאָר סִבָּה שֶׁבִּגְלָלָה הִפְסִיד הַמִּתְאַנֶּה, בְּוַדַּאי מִי שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ וּמְעוֹרֵר לְהַמִּתְאַנְּה וּמַרְאֵהוּ, אֵיךְ שֶׁפְּלוֹנִי רִמָּהוּ, עוֹבֵר עַל אִסוּר רְכִילוּת, כֵּיוָן דְּעַל פִּי דִּין תּוֹרָה, אֵין לוֹ עָלָיו עַתָּה כְּלוּם, שׁוּב לֹא הֲוֵי זֶה הַסִפּוּר, כִּי אִם דְּבָרִים בְּעָלְמָא, וְהוּא * כְּרוֹכֵל שֶׁנִּזְכָּר בְּכָל מָקוֹם, שֶׁהוּא טוֹעֵן דְּבָרִים (ל) מִזֶּה לָזֶה. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הַמִּתְאַנֶּה שׁוֹאֲלוֹ, גַּם כֵּן (לא) לֹא יֹאמַר לוֹ הָאֱמֶת. וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִם הוּא רוֹאֶה, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי דִּבּוּרוֹ יָכוֹל הַשֶּׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ לָבוֹא לִידֵי הֶפְסֵד, כְּגוֹן שֶׁיִּתְפְּסֶנּוּ, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יְשַׁלֵּם לוֹ יִתְרוֹן הַמָּעוֹת, שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב לוֹ עֲדַיִן לָעֵסֶקּ הַזֶּה, בְּוַדַּאי עָוֹן גָּדוֹל הוּא לַמֵּבִיא לָזֶה. אֲבָל אִם הוּא רוֹאֶה, שֶׁעַל פִּי דִּין תּוֹרָה, יִהְיֶה הַדִּין עִמּוֹ, (אוֹ שֶׁיְּהֵא יָכוֹל לַחְזֹר בּוֹ מֵהַמִּקָּח הָרַע הַזֶּה, אוֹ שֶׁיַּחֲזִיר לוֹ הָאוֹנָאָה) וְאִם הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ הַמִּתְאַנֶּה, לֹא הָיָה מִתְרַצֶּה לָזֶה, (לב) צָרִיךְ לוֹמַּר לוֹ הָאֱמֶת כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא, כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוֹצִיא מֵחֲבֵרוֹ אֶת אוֹנָאָתוֹ. אַךְ צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת זָהִיר בְּאֵלּוּ הָאֳפָנִים שֶׁאֶכְתֹּב, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן:
All this, if he wishes to warn him against being cheated. But if he already has bought merchandise from someone and he knows that he cheated him in the purchase price or in other areas, [the din] in this instance is dependent upon the following: If, according to the din of the Torah, he now has no claim against the storekeeper — as when the overcharge were less than one-sixth, or if the [allotted] time has passed for him to show it to a merchant or to his relative, or for any other reason that the one cheated sustains the loss, then certainly, if one goes and brings this to the attention of the cheated one, and shows him how Ploni has cheated him, he transgresses the issur of rechiluth. For since, according to the din of the Torah, he now has no claim against him, then the telling of this is only talk in general, and he [the teller] is like the proverbial peddler, who peddles things from one to the other. And even if the cheated one asks him [to tell], he should not tell him the truth. How much more so, if he sees that through his speaking the storekeeper can suffer a loss, such as being caught [by the authorities] or not being paid what is still owed him for this transaction. Certainly the one who brings this about [i.e., the teller] is guilty of a great sin. But if he sees that according to the Torah the din is with him (then he may back out of the transaction or receive the amount of the overcharge). And if [he knew that if] the cheated one knew this, he would not acquiesce in the transaction, then he must tell him the truth as it is, in order to recover the money from the merchant. But he must be heedful of the following:
*ועין לקמן בסוף סעיף קטן לד, מה שכתבנו שם, באם שהוא משער בהקונה וכו', עין שם, והוא הדין כאן.