But if they see that the sinner is one of the foolish scoffers who hate their reprovers, as it is written (Mishlei 9:8): "Do not reprove the scoffer, lest he hate you," and their words will certainly not be accepted, and men such as these readily return to their folly, so that he may very likely come to sin again — if so, it is better for them if they tell it to the judges of the city, so that they chastise him for his sin and keep him from future transgression. And it would seem that the same holds true for [telling] the relatives of the sinner if [we know that] their words [of reproof] will be accepted by him [see Be'er Mayim Chayim]. And the entire intent of the teller should be for the sake of Heaven and in zeal for the L–rd, and not because of their hatred of him for something else. And the judges, too, should chastise the sinner in secret and not "whiten his face" in public, as it is written (Vayikra 19:17): "Reprove shall you reprove your neighbor, but do not bear sin because of him." And all this if they saw him with [i.e., if they were] two witnesses, but if he were a single witness, he may not testify against his friend, for his testimony is in vain, the judges being unable to rely upon it, viz. (Devarim 19:15): "One witness shall not arise against a man for every transgression and for every sin." Therefore, [if he does so], he is considered a motzi shem ra [the spreader of an evil report], concerning which our Rabbis have said (Sha'arei Teshuvah 22): "One who testified singly against his friend receives stripes of rebellion." And our sages have said (Pesachim 113b): "Three are hated by the Holy One Blessed be He," one of them being "one who sees a thing of ervah [immorality] in his friend and testifies against him singly." But he can reveal the thing secretly to his [the sinner's] Rabbi and to his close confidant, if he knows that his words will be accepted as those of two witnesses. And his Rabbi is permitted to hate him for this and to distance himself from his company, until it becomes known to him that he has repented of his evil way. But his Rabbi may not tell this to others, it being no better than seeing it himself, as we have written above in section 4.
אֲבָל (כג) אִם הוּא רוֹאֶה שֶׁהַחוֹטֵא הוּא מֵהָאֱוִילִים הַלֵּצִּים הַשּׂוֹנְאִים לְמוֹכִיחָם, כְּדִכְתִיב {משלי ט' ח'}: "אַל תּוֹכַח לֵץ פֶּן יִשְׂנָאֶךָּ", וּבְוַדַּאי לֹא יִתְקַבְּלוּ דְּבָרָיו בְּאָזְנָיו, וַאֲנָשִׁים כָּאֵלּוּ בְּנָקֵל לָהֶם לִשְׁנוֹת בְּאִוַּלְתָּם, וְאִם כֵּן יוּכַל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁיָּבוֹא עוֹד הַפַּעַם לִידֵי חֵטְא, עַל כֵּן טוֹב לָהֶם, שֶׁיַּגִּידוּ לְדַיָּנִי הָעִיר, כְּדֵי שֶׁהֵם יְיַסְרוּהוּ עַל עֲוֹנוֹ וְיַפְרִישׁוּהוּ מֵהָאִסוּר עַל לְהַבָּא, וְנִרְאֶה דְּהוּא הַדִּין (כד) לִקְרוֹבָיו שֶׁל הַחוֹטֵא, אִם דִּבְרֵיהֶם יִהְיוּ מִתְקַבְּלִין לוֹ, וְעַיֵּן בִּבְאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים. וְכָל כַּוָּנַת הַמְסַפֵּר תִּהְיֶה לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם וּבְקִּנְאַת ה', לֹא בְּשִׂנְאָתוֹ לוֹ עַל דָּבָר אַחֵר. וְהַשּׁוֹפְטִים גַּם כֵּן יְיַסְרוּ אֶת הַחוֹטֵא (כה) בְּהַצְּנִעַ וְלֹא יַלְבִּינוּ פָּנָיו בָּרַבִּים, כְּדִכְתִיב "הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ וְלֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא" וְכָל זֶה אִם רָאוּהוּ בִּשְׁנַיִם, אֲבָל אִם הוּא עֵד אֶחָד, (כו) לֹא יָעִיד עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, כִּי עֵדוּתוֹ חִנָּם, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין סוֹמְכִין עָלֶיהָ כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר {דברים י"ט ט"ו}: "לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ לְכָל עָוֹן וּלְכָל חַטָאת". לָכֵן מוֹצִּיא שֵׁם רַע יֵחָשֵׁב, וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ: כָּל הַמֵּעִיד יְחִידִי עַל חֲבֵרוֹ בִּדְבַר עֲבֵרָה וְכוּ' וְאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל: ג' הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׂוֹנְאָן, וְאֶחָד מֵהֶם הָרוֹאֶה דְּבַר עֶרְוָה בַּחֲבֵרוֹ וּמֵעִיד בּוֹ בִּיחִידִי. (כז) אַךְ יָכוֹל לְגַלּוֹת הַדָּבָר בְּהַצְּנֵעַ לְרַבּוֹ וּלְאִישׁ סוֹדוֹ, אִם יֵדַע כִּי יַאֲמִין דְּבָרָיו (כח) כְּדִבְרֵי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים, וּמִתָּר לְרַבּוֹ לִשְׂנֹא אוֹתוֹ עֲבוּר זֶה וּלְהִתְרַחֵק מֵחֶבְרָתוֹ, עַד אֲשֶׁר יִוָּדַע לוֹ, שֶׁשָּׁב מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה, אֲבָל אָסוּר לְרַבּוֹ לְסַפֵּר דָּבָר זֶה לַאֲחֵרִים, דְּלֹא עָדִיף מֵּאִם רָאָה בְּעַצְמוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְעֵיל בְּסָעִיף ד'.
But if they see that the sinner is one of the foolish scoffers who hate their reprovers, as it is written (Mishlei 9:8): "Do not reprove the scoffer, lest he hate you," and their words will certainly not be accepted, and men such as these readily return to their folly, so that he may very likely come to sin again — if so, it is better for them if they tell it to the judges of the city, so that they chastise him for his sin and keep him from future transgression. And it would seem that the same holds true for [telling] the relatives of the sinner if [we know that] their words [of reproof] will be accepted by him [see Be'er Mayim Chayim]. And the entire intent of the teller should be for the sake of Heaven and in zeal for the L–rd, and not because of their hatred of him for something else. And the judges, too, should chastise the sinner in secret and not "whiten his face" in public, as it is written (Vayikra 19:17): "Reprove shall you reprove your neighbor, but do not bear sin because of him." And all this if they saw him with [i.e., if they were] two witnesses, but if he were a single witness, he may not testify against his friend, for his testimony is in vain, the judges being unable to rely upon it, viz. (Devarim 19:15): "One witness shall not arise against a man for every transgression and for every sin." Therefore, [if he does so], he is considered a motzi shem ra [the spreader of an evil report], concerning which our Rabbis have said (Sha'arei Teshuvah 22): "One who testified singly against his friend receives stripes of rebellion." And our sages have said (Pesachim 113b): "Three are hated by the Holy One Blessed be He," one of them being "one who sees a thing of ervah [immorality] in his friend and testifies against him singly." But he can reveal the thing secretly to his [the sinner's] Rabbi and to his close confidant, if he knows that his words will be accepted as those of two witnesses. And his Rabbi is permitted to hate him for this and to distance himself from his company, until it becomes known to him that he has repented of his evil way. But his Rabbi may not tell this to others, it being no better than seeing it himself, as we have written above in section 4.