[Avodah] a troubling halacha

[Zev Sero]

Eli Turkel wrote:
> I am still waiting for a source (before KSA) that one shouldn't inform
> relatives of the death of a family member (except for kaddish)
> 
> Simply not telling bad news should not override the mitzvah of vehavta
> le-reacha kamocha where you know you are distressing the person
> by withholding the information

On the contrary, if you know you are distressing the person then I
don't believe the KSA would have you withhold the information either.
The whole point is *not* to distress the person, and is a *fulfilment*
of veahavta; if in a particular case veahavta requires the opposite of
what it usually does, then so be it.

The same applies to kibbud av va'em -- sometimes it *requires* behaving
to parents in a way that it would usually forbid, e.g. shouting at a
parent to make them take their medicine or get up and take necessary
exercise.  The rule that one must normally not behave so is a general
rule, geared to the general situation.


-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas