And even for listening to rechiluth alone there is also a great issur, as in the case of lashon hara (see Part One, Principle VI, section 2), even if at the time of listening he has not yet decided to believe or not. But, in any event, the issur of acceptance is more severe than that of listening. For as far as listening is concerned, if he understands from the beginning of the story that knowing this thing will affect him in the future if it is true, as when he sees that his friend wants to tell him that Ploni wants to harm him in his body or in his possessions, and the like, it is certainly permitted to listen in the beginning to know how to take care and guard himself against him. But to accept it categorically is forbidden by the Torah in all instances, and [he is permitted] only to suspect, in order to take care to guard himself, as Chazal have said about lashon hara, that even though one should not accept it, he should suspect it. (And see above, Hilchoth Issurei Lashon Hara, Principle VI, on how to conduct oneself in respect to listening, in order to satisfy the obligation of Heaven in respect to listening. The din is the same here.)