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Mekor Hachayim Sefer Chafetz Chayim
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara

Kelal Vav

Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 379

K6/11. There are many ways that people make mistakes regarding

(understanding and applying) the rule that one is permitted to
suspect that the Lashon Hara they heard is true, and it is appropriate
to elaborate extensively on this subject. But this is not the place
for it, as I will write about it, with G‑d’s help, in the last Kelal.
However, the rule to follow in in this regard is that when Chazal
said one may suspect the possibility that the Lashon Hara heard
is true, this applies only to a situation where one needs to protect
oneself from the consequences of what he hears. But G‑d forbid, to
be proactive and do something to him or to cause him13 any harm
or humiliation (30), either significant or not significant, even if
the Lashon Hara came from a single reliable witness who gave his
testimony in Beit Din as such testimony can only be used to compel
a defendant to swear an oath, and more than this, even to merely
hate him privately, secretly (31) in the innermost recesses of one’s
heart is also forbidden by the Torah. And obviously a person can
absolutely not attempt to free himself from his obligations to the
victim (32) because of the Lashon Hara spoken about him.

Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 391

K6/12. But if someone did violate this Lav and listened to Lashon

Hara and believed what he heard, whether it involved a disgraceful
act between man and G‑d or between man and his fellow man,
it can be remedied by resolving (33) to remove it from his heart
and not believe it. (In doing Teshuvah) He must further resolve
to never again believe the Lashon Hara about another Jew and
to make a vidduy \ confession of this sin. In doing this, he will
have remedied all of the Laveen and Aseen that he transgressed in
accepting the Lashon Hara he heard as truth, as I explained above
in the Introduction, as long as he has not repeated what he heard to
anyone else (34).

13 … the person who is the subject of the Lashon Hara .

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