Where there's smoke is there fire? TB Moed Katan 18

 How much should we pay attention to rumors and gossip surrounding a person is the question that daf TB Moed Katan 18 entertains. 

“Rav said in the name of Rabbi Reuven ben Itzterobili, and some say that it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Reuven ben Itzterobili said: A man is suspected of having done something wrong only if he has indeed done so. And if he did not do it wholly, then probably he did it partly. And if he did not do it even partly, then probably he thought in his heart to do it. And if he did not even think to himself to do it, then certainly he saw others doing it and was happy. Suspicions do not arbitrarily arise about a person; therefore there is certainly some basis for them.” (Sefaria.org translation

The Gemara immediately brings three challenges  to the notion “where there is smoke, there is fire” by citing three cases where rumors were spread about completely innocent people. 

“Rabbi Ya’akov raised an objection: Does the verse not say: “And the children of Israel fabricated matters that were not right against the Lord their God” (II Kings 17:9), which indicates that it is possible to make up stories about someone else even though they are entirely baseless. The Gemara answers: There they did it in order to anger God, but they did not actually think that what they were saying was true.

“Come and hear a challenge from a different source: The verse states: “And they were jealous of Moses in the camp, of Aaron the Lord’s holy one” (Psalms 106:16). Rav Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: This verse teaches that every man warned his wife against seclusion with Moses because he was jealous. This implies that every man thought that his wife had secluded herself with Moses and sinned, although this was certainly not the case. This demonstrates that it is possible to suspect an absolutely innocent person. The Gemara answers: There they did it out of hatred for Moses. They did not actually suspect him of wrongdoing. Instead, their goal was to degrade him by leveling these false accusations against him.

“The Gemara raises another challenge, based on yet another source: Come and hear that which Rabbi Yosei said: May my portion in the future world be with one who is suspected of a certain wrongdoing but is innocent, as the pain that such a person experiences atones for his sins. This statement also appears to imply that it is possible to suspect an absolutely innocent person. And Rav Pappa said: They suspected me of a certain wrongdoing but I was not guilty.”

I think the Gemara is trying to teach us to be wary of rumors. When we  evaluate the truth of the rumor, we have to examine the source and what is that person's motive. Sometimes anger and hatred are the fuel to spread rumors about another person who is completely innocent. Sometimes the powerful destroy his opponents by spreading rumors. "And we said that a rumor that does not stop must be taken seriously only if the slandered person has no enemies. But if he has known enemies, then it can be assumed that it was the enemies who disseminated the rumor." (Sefaria.org translation)

Rumors have a life of their own and they never seem to die. A rumor can haunt a completely innocent person and ruin his life. Unless the accusation is backed by evidence,  “What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.”  ~ Jewish Proverb