Sefer Chasidim Siman 69
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
אם תראה אדם חשוב שמתלוצצין עליו פשפש באותה מדה ודע כי נתלוצץ על שום אדם חשוב או ראה שמתלוצצין עליו ולא מיחה בידו מדה כנגד מדה:
Medieval Jewish mysticism, translated by Sholom Alchanan Singer. Northbrook, Ill. Whitehall Co., 1971
If you see a man of importance being spoken of frivolously, examine that characteristic (about which they speak) and you will find that he in turn has made light of some prominent person, or has stood by idly without protesting while that person had been scoffed. He is therefore punished measure for measure.¹
footnotes: ¹ Moed Katan 18b.