And arrogance against the wicked is exceedingly to be praised, to rebuke them and to shame them, and he must never humble himself to them, and he must command them concerning the good and warn them, as much as lies in his power, against evil. Even though his preaching to them may seem in the eyes of the world like lording over others and boasting, since his intention is for the sake of God he is to be praised. And he should not humble himself before the wicked, following the example of Mordecai who refused to bow before Haman. And wherever he has to perform a commandment of God, let him not bow at all to the wicked to leave the good thing he intends to do, merely because he will be lower in their eyes. And this in itself requires wisdom as to when he should lord it over them in the matter of performing a good deed. For there are times when it is not worthwhile to oppose them, since if he opposes them in his attempt to perform one precept, he may lose the opportunity of persuading them to perform a hundred precepts.

There is a hatred that is a mitzvah: for example, a wicked man who will not accept correction — it is a command of the Torah to hate him, as it is said: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13). And it says: "Lo, I hate them O Lord that hate Thee and I strive with those that rise up against Thee, I hate them with the utmost hatred; they are my enemies" (Ps. 139:21-22).And a man should hate lies and falsehood. The end of the matter is this — that a man should hate everything which separates him and holds him back from loving the Creator of All, as it is said: "I hate every false way" (Ibid. 119:128). And this is a great general rule, that a man should hate every false thing, and every act which will increase hatred for false ways will increase love for Torah" (Ibid 163). And let each person love truth and peace as it is written: "Therefore, love ye truth and peace" (Zech. 8:19).

But a life that has no reverence of God in it cannot be called life. And a person should be disgusted with and reject a life that is against the will of the Creator, may He be Blessed, as is said of Rebecca: "And Rebecca said to Isaac, 'I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these daughters of the land, then of what good is my life to me?' " (Gen. 27:46). Therefore, in a place where there is desecration of God's Name he should not worry about his life and always let his heart be ready to surrender himself for the Sanctification of God's Name in all of the commandments, be they light or of great importance.

And this entire issur of lashon hara applies only [when spoken] against the man who is in the category of "your neighbor" [amitecha], "am she'techa," "a people who is with you" in Torah and in mitzvoth. But those people whom he knows to have "apikorsoth" [heresy] among them, it is a mitzvah to demean and to shame, both in their presence and not in their presence, in everything that he sees or hears about them. For it is written (Vayikra 25:17): "And you shall not wrong, one man, his fellow [amito]" and (Vayikra 19:16): "You shall not go talebearing among your people [be'amecha]." And they are not in this category, for they do not act as Your people. And it is written (Tehillim 139:21): "Do I not hate your haters, O L–rd? And against those who rise up against You do I strive." And one who denies the Torah and prophecy of Israel, both the written and the oral Law, is called an apikoress [heretic], even if he says all the Torah is from Heaven, except for one verse, or one kal vachomer [a fortiori argument], or one gezeirah shavah [identity deduction], or one dikduk [inference].

Therefore, those who are modest in their dress and speak gently and conduct themselves as pious and just in order that others should believe them and depend upon their works, and flatter those who should not be flattered, and make secret schemes and do not worry about fulfilling the commandments except when they are in the public eye and not when they are alone, and thus deceive the people — these are profaners of God, Blessed be He, more than all others — for they cause people to disbelieve the good teachers and prophets, for these latter are then suspected by people who say, "Perhaps these men are like those who deceived us." When anyone recognizes a false and lying prophet he should spread this abroad and let everyone know, as our Sages said: "We must publicly expose those who are flatterers" (Yoma 86b).

How shall you rebuke? At first, secretly and gently. However if you rebuke him at the beginning in public and shame him, then you have sinned because of this, (Arakin 16b). And this is all the more true where one shames another where no rebuke is called for.

And it is forbidden to associate with a wicked man in business or social or community affairs, as it is said: "Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah the Lord has made a breach in your works!" (II Chron. 20:37).