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Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Rechilut תוליכר ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Heh - Halachah 3 ז הכלה - ה ללכ

gossip from several people would reinforce that suspicion. However he הזיא וֹא הֶשֲׂעמּהֵמ טרְָפּ הזיא ערַגּ וֹא ,רפּסְמה ףיִסוֹה ילוּא
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must be very careful not to formulate a firm opinion in his mind (regarding
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Plony), even if he hears the same gossip from many people he may not ,רחא ןוּגּנבּ רמא וֹא ,וילע ינוֹלְפּ רמאֶשׁ ,רוּבּדּהֵמ תוֹבֵתּ
believe those comments as being the truth (but he can suspect the veracity
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of those comments and take steps to protect himself accordingly). I will וֹמצע לע לבּקַיו ,ערַל בוֹטִּמ ןינִעה הנַּתְּשׁנ הז ידֵי לעֶשׁ
explain further on that it is forbidden to believe gossip as being true, even םדא לע תוּליִכרְוּ ערָה ןוֹשׁל דוֹע לבּקַל אלֶֹּשׁ ,אבּהל לע
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if many people convey it, but one can do whatever is necessary to protect
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oneself. םִא ,רבעֶשׁ רוּסִּאה ןֵקַּתי הזבוּ .הז לע הדּוְתיו ,לארְָשׂיִּמ
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(RK5/3/2)-(5).. how to protect himself: More than this, it seems to .םירִחאל ןידֲַע רבדּה רפִּס אלֹ
me that even if he did not see any circumstantial evidence and even if he
has not yet heard anything from other people that Plony hates him, but
he did see something unusual (in Plony’s behavior), and that it still is too
early to call that unusual behavior circumstantial evidence yet (what he םייח םימ ראב
saw) does slightly allude to it, even in this circumstance it is permissible
to launch an investigation and ask people about Plony. (He may launch 'ו ללכב 'א קלחב ליעל ןייע ורוקמ .ונוקית )ט(
an investigation) in order to determine the reason for what is actually .םש ח"מבבו ב"יסב
happening, if he sees a hatred developing in Plony that could eventually
grow to hurt him physically or financially, and he should not be concerned
that his investigation will cause any humiliation to Plony. However, he
must be careful not to form a judgmental opinion about Plony; the most
he can do is suspect the gossip might be true and take the precautions
necessary to protect himself.
There is a slight proof to this concept in Masechet Shabbat (56a) in the
gemara’s discussion of David HaMelech’s incident with Tzevah, that
Shemuel (the Amorah) said David HaMelech did not transgress the Lav
of accepting Lashon Hara since David did see circumstantial evidence (in
Mephiboshet’s behavior) that lent enough credibility to Tzevah’s comments
(about Mephiboshet) to allow David HaMelech to believe it. However
one may ask that this is consistent with the ending of that incident when
David HaMelech saw actual circumstantial evidence (that Mephiboshet
was not supportive of him and so he awarded half of Mephiboshet’s
wealth to Tzevah). But before that happened, at the beginning of that
incident, how could David HaMelech have inquired of Tzevah regarding
Mephiboshet’s actions (intentions)? He (David HaMelech) should have
suspected that Tzevah might respond derogatorily, especially since
David HaMelech knew beforehand that Tzevah did not like (his master)
Mephiboshet, as it says there that Tzevah defamed Mephiboshet saying
he had no Torah knowledge yet David found that he was filled with Torah
knowledge. The fact that Mephiboshet did not come together with Tzevah
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