b) His prime intent must be to be zealous for the truth and to help him that has been wronged (i.e., the cheated one). And he must not rejoice in the shame of the cheater, even though he knows clearly that he cheated him. And in this connection we shall include yet another detail, that is almost the same as the original. That is, [in order to tell] he must assume that benefit will result — as opposed to an instance where he knows the nature of the cheated one not to be a man of words who would go to judgment and ask people to help him in this matter, but would only grieve in his heart at the story and harbor hatred in his heart against the merchant. [In such an instance] he should not tell him. Even more, if he asks him [to tell] in this instance and in the previous instance that we described — that is, in an instance where, according to the din, it is forbidden to back out of the transaction, it is a mitzvah to praise the purchase before him, and he does not thereby transgress (Shemoth 23:7): "From a thing of falsehood shall you keep far," (as Chazal have said [Kethuvoth 17a]: "If one made a bad purchase in the marketplace — he should praise it in his eyes.")
c) If he feels that his words of reproof will be heard by the merchant to return the overcharge, then he should reprove him between themselves to return it, and not reveal it to the purchaser.
e) The man that he tells must not be by his nature a talebearer. If he knows him to possess this base trait, and that he probably will tell the merchant: "Ploni told me that this merchandise is defective," or that it is not worth what he paid for it, this requires looking into — whether it is permitted to tell a man like this the truth; for he may cause him to stumble into the issur of rechiluth. In any event it seems that if he feels that if he exhorts him not to reveal his name, he will be heeded, he should tell him.
א שֶׁלֹּא יַגְדִּיל בְּסִפּוּרוֹ אֶת הָעַוְלָה אוֹ הַחִסָרוֹן יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁהוּא.
a) He must not exaggerate the wrong or the loss beyond what it is.
ב שֶׁתִּהְיֶה עִקַּר כַּוָּנָתוֹ לְקַנִּא לָאֱמֶת וְלַעֲזֹר לַאֲשֶׁר אָשַׁם לוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ לְתוֹעֶלֶת המִּתְאַנֶּה, וְלֹא (לג) לִשְׂמֹחַ בִּקְלוֹן הַמְאַנֶּה, אַף שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ בְּעַצְמוֹ בְּבֵרוּר, שֶׁהוֹנָה אוֹתוֹ הַמּוֹכֵר בְּזֶה הַמִּקָּח. וּבְזֶה הַפְּרָט נִכְלָל עוֹד עִנְיָן אֶחָד, וְהוּא כִּמְעַט אוֹתוֹ הַפְּרָט בְּעַצְּמוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ, שֶׁיְּשַׁעֵר, שֶׁתּוּכַל לָבוֹא מִזֶּה תּוֹעֶלֶת, לַאֲפוּקֵי {להוציא} אִם הוּא יוֹדֵעַ אֶת טֶבַע הַמִּתְאַנֶּה, שֶׁלֹּא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים הוּא לֵילֵךְ בְּדִינָא וְדַיָּנָא, וּלְבַקֵּשׁ אֲנָשִׁים, שֶׁיַּעַזְרוּהוּ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, רַק יַכְאִיב לִבּוֹ בִּלְבַד בְּסִפּוּרוֹ, וְיַכְנִיס לוֹ שִׂנְאָה בְּלִבּוֹ עַל הַשֶּׁכְּנֶגְדּוֹ, (לד) אֵין לוֹמַר לוֹ, וּבְיוֹתֵר אִם שׁוֹאֲלוֹ בְּאֹפֶן זֶה. וּבָאֹפֶן הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁצִּיַּרְנוּ, דְּהַיְנוּ, בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁעַל פִּי דִּין אָסוּר לַחְזֹר מִזֶּה הַמִּקָּח, מִצְוָה לְשַׁבֵּחַ הַמִּקָּח בְּפָנָיו, וְאֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם מִדְּבַר שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק, (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַל בִּכְתֻבּוֹת יז. הַרֵי שֶׁלָּקַח מִקָּח רַע מִן הַשּׁוּק וְכוּ', הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר יְשַׁבְּחֶנּוּ בְּעֵינָיו).
b) His prime intent must be to be zealous for the truth and to help him that has been wronged (i.e., the cheated one). And he must not rejoice in the shame of the cheater, even though he knows clearly that he cheated him. And in this connection we shall include yet another detail, that is almost the same as the original. That is, [in order to tell] he must assume that benefit will result — as opposed to an instance where he knows the nature of the cheated one not to be a man of words who would go to judgment and ask people to help him in this matter, but would only grieve in his heart at the story and harbor hatred in his heart against the merchant. [In such an instance] he should not tell him. Even more, if he asks him [to tell] in this instance and in the previous instance that we described — that is, in an instance where, according to the din, it is forbidden to back out of the transaction, it is a mitzvah to praise the purchase before him, and he does not thereby transgress (Shemoth 23:7): "From a thing of falsehood shall you keep far," (as Chazal have said [Kethuvoth 17a]: "If one made a bad purchase in the marketplace — he should praise it in his eyes.")
ג אִם הוּא מְשַׁעֵר, שֶׁדְּבָרָיו יִהְיוּ נִשְׁמָעִין לְהַמְאַנְּה בְּהוֹכָחָה לְהַחְזִיר הָאוֹנָאָה, יוֹכִיחַ אוֹתוֹ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ לְהַחְזִיר הָאוֹנָאָה, וְלֹא יְגַלֶּה לַנִּדּוֹן.
c) If he feels that his words of reproof will be heard by the merchant to return the overcharge, then he should reprove him between themselves to return it, and not reveal it to the purchaser.
ד אִם יָכוֹל לְסַבֵּב אֶת הַתּוֹעֶלֶת (לה) בְּעֵצָה אַחֶרֶת, שֶׁלֹּא יִצְטָרֵךְ לְסַפֵּר הַגְּנוּת עָלָיו, לֹא יְסַפֵּר.
d) If he can bring about the benefit by other means, where he need not demean him, he should not tell it.
ה שֶׁהָאִישׁ שֶׁהוּא מְסַפֵּר לוֹ, לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּטִבְעוֹ הוֹלֵךְ רָכִיל, דְּאִם הוּא מַכִּירוֹ בְּמִדָּה גְּרוּעָה הַזּוֹ, וּמִסְתָמָא יְסַפֵּר לַמּוֹכֵר, אֵיךְ שֶׁפְּלוֹנִי אָמַר לִי שֶׁהַסְחוֹרָה הַזּוֹ הִיא רָעָה, אוֹ שֶׁאֵינֶנָּה שָׁוָה דְּמֵי הַמִּקָּח שֶׁנָּתַן בַּעֲדָה, צָּרִיךְ עִיּוּן, אִם מֻתָּר לְסַפֵּר לְאִישׁ כָּזֶה הָאֱמֶת, כִּי הוּא מַכְשִׁילוֹ בְּאִסוּר רְכִילוּת. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם נִרְאֶה, דְּאִם הוּא מְשַׁעֵר, שֶׁאִם יַזְהִירוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יְגַלֶּה אֶת שְׁמוֹ, יִשְׁמַע לוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה כֵן.
e) The man that he tells must not be by his nature a talebearer. If he knows him to possess this base trait, and that he probably will tell the merchant: "Ploni told me that this merchandise is defective," or that it is not worth what he paid for it, this requires looking into — whether it is permitted to tell a man like this the truth; for he may cause him to stumble into the issur of rechiluth. In any event it seems that if he feels that if he exhorts him not to reveal his name, he will be heeded, he should tell him.