And it seems to me also that if the man were accustomed to repeat his folly, then even if his Rabbi were not very discreet, so that his sin might become public knowledge, still, if his words of reproof would be accepted by the sinner, so that he would no more repeat his offense, it is possible that it is permitted to reveal it to him [the Rabbi], since the teller's intent is to benefit the sinner and not to demean him. And now we shall return to our previous point, that even if two saw him at the time of the sin, and he were a man who readily returned to his folly, still, it is permitted to reveal this only to the judges of the city and not to others. For, in any event, is it not true that we have seen him transgress this issur but once? Perhaps his evil inclination overpowered him, and then he repented, groaning over this in bitterness of heart — so that this sinner has not yet left the category of "your neighbor" because of this (see Vayikra 19:17).
וְנִרְאֶה לִי עוֹד בְּאִישׁ, אֲשֶׁר מִשְׁפָּטוֹ לִשְׁנוֹת בְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ, דְּאַף אִם רַבּוֹ אֵינְנּוּ צָּנוּעַ כָּל כָּךְ וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּתְודַּע מִמֶּנּוּ לֶהָמוֹן, אֲבָל הוּא אִישׁ שֶׁדְּבָרָיו יִהְיוּ נִשְׁמָעִין בְּתוֹכָחָה לְהַחוֹטֵא, שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁנְה עוֹד בְּאִוּלְתּוֹ, אֶפְשָׁר גַּם כֵּן שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְגַלּוֹת לוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכַּוָּנַת הַמְסַפֵּר הוּא לְתוֹעֶלֶת הַחוֹטֵא וְלֹא לְגַנּוֹתוֹ. וְעַתָּה נַחֲזֹר לְעִנְיָנֵנוּ הַנַּ"ל, דַּאֲפִלּוּ אִם רָאוּהוּ שְׁנַיִם בְּעֵת עֲשִׂיַּת הַחֵטְא וְהוּא אִישׁ, שֶׁנָּקֵל לוֹ לִשְׁנוֹת בְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן אֵין מֻתָּר רַק לְגַלּוֹת לְדַיָּנֵי הָעִיר וְלֹא לַאֲחֵרִים, כִּי עַל כָּל פָּנִים הֲלֹא לֹא רְאִינוּהוּ שֶׁעָבַר עַל זֶה הָאִסוּר, רַקּ פַּעַם אַחַת, אוּלַי גָּבַר אָז יִצְּרוֹ עָלָיו וְאַחַר כָּךְ שָׁב בִּתְשׁוּבָה וְנֶאֱנַח בִּמְרִירוּת לֵב עַל זֶה, עַל כֵּן לֹא יָצָּא הַחוֹטֵא עֲדַיִן מִכְּלַל "עֲמִיתֶךָ" בָּזֶה.
And it seems to me also that if the man were accustomed to repeat his folly, then even if his Rabbi were not very discreet, so that his sin might become public knowledge, still, if his words of reproof would be accepted by the sinner, so that he would no more repeat his offense, it is possible that it is permitted to reveal it to him [the Rabbi], since the teller's intent is to benefit the sinner and not to demean him. And now we shall return to our previous point, that even if two saw him at the time of the sin, and he were a man who readily returned to his folly, still, it is permitted to reveal this only to the judges of the city and not to others. For, in any event, is it not true that we have seen him transgress this issur but once? Perhaps his evil inclination overpowered him, and then he repented, groaning over this in bitterness of heart — so that this sinner has not yet left the category of "your neighbor" because of this (see Vayikra 19:17).