And know that just as we have written in the name of the poskim that according to the Torah it is forbidden to believe demeaning things that others say about their friends, so the din is that even if one knows that what was told him is true, but that they could incline [his judgment] in one direction or another, and the one who told him judged him in the scales of guilt, wherefore he demeaned him — and it is known that it is a mitzvah for the hearer to judge him in the scales of merit (and this is a din in the Gemara (Shevuoth 30a) and a positive commandment of the Torah according to several poskim) — and if one transgresses this and does not judge him in the scales of merit, and agrees with the speaker, who demeans him — not only does he transgress (Vayikra 19:15): "In righteousness shall you judge your neighbor," but he is also called "an accepter of lashon hara." For because he did not judge him in the scales of merit, the demeaning words came to be believed of him.
וְדַע דִּכְשֵׁם שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ בְּשֵׁם הַפּוֹסְקִים, דְּמִן הַתּוֹרָה אָסוּר לְהַאֲמִין דִּבְרֵי גְּנוּת, שֶׁמְּסַפְּרִים עַל חַבְרֵיהֶם, כֵּן הַדִּין, אֲפִלּוּ אִם יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַדְּבָרִים שֶׁסִפֵּר לוֹ הוּא אֱמֶת, אַךְ יֵשׁ בָּהֶם לְצַּדֵּד לְכָאן וּלְכָאן, וְהַמְסַפֵּר לוֹ דָּן אוֹתוֹ לְכַף חוֹב, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה הוּא מְגַנְּה אוֹתוֹ, וְיָדוּעַ דְּמִצְּוָה לְהַשּׁוֹמֵעַ לָדוּן אוֹתוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת, (וְהוּא דִּינָא דִּגְמָרָא בְּשָׁבוּעוֹת {דף ל'} וּמִצְּוַת עֲשֵׂה דְּאוֹרַיְתָא לְכַמָּה פּוֹסְקִים), וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְאֵינוֹ דָּן אוֹתוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת וְהוּא מַסְכִּים לְהַמְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּתוֹ, לֹא דַּי שֶׁעָבַר עַל {ויקרא י"ט ט"ו}: "בְּצֶּדֶק תִּשְׁפֹּט עֲמִיתֶךָ", אֶלָּא הוּא גַּם כֵּן נִכְלָל (כ) בְּשֵׁם מְקַבֵּל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, כֵּיוָן דְּעַל יְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא דָּן אוֹתוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת, מִמֵּילָא נִשְׁתַּרְבֵּב עָלָיו הַדִּבְרֵי גְּנוּת.
And know that just as we have written in the name of the poskim that according to the Torah it is forbidden to believe demeaning things that others say about their friends, so the din is that even if one knows that what was told him is true, but that they could incline [his judgment] in one direction or another, and the one who told him judged him in the scales of guilt, wherefore he demeaned him — and it is known that it is a mitzvah for the hearer to judge him in the scales of merit (and this is a din in the Gemara (Shevuoth 30a) and a positive commandment of the Torah according to several poskim) — and if one transgresses this and does not judge him in the scales of merit, and agrees with the speaker, who demeans him — not only does he transgress (Vayikra 19:15): "In righteousness shall you judge your neighbor," but he is also called "an accepter of lashon hara." For because he did not judge him in the scales of merit, the demeaning words came to be believed of him.