[Avodah] Keeping Well Away From Sheker

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Feb 02, 2023 at 10:17:41AM -0500, Zev Sero via Avodah wrote:
> Another one not discussed in the classics, as far as I know, is one we've
> been learning just these weeks -- Moshe's continuing pretense to Par'oh that
> all he wanted was a three-day expedition into the desert, with the clear
> implication (though never explicitly stated) that then we'd return to work.

HQBH's continuing pretense of Par'oh.

You can't blame Moshe for saying what Hashem told him to. Moshe kept
his word. He said "This is what Hashem said", and it was!

So this may be more related to His report to Avraham about why Sarah
laughed than a usual case of midevar sheqer.

> On the original question I agree with RCL that an employee honestly
> expressing support for his employer is not a devar sheker at all, because he
> is not even indirectly implying that he can personally confirm the
> employer's specific factual claims.  Even if he says he believes the claims,
> that does not imply that he has personal knowledge of them so it's not a
> devar sheker.

In any case, the employee supporting for his employer sounds a lot like
Rashi on "kalah naah vechasudah" -- because we can assume in the chasan's
eyes, she indeed is.

Midevar sheqer tirchaq has loopholes for shinui es ha'ames (as opposed
to outright sheqer) for the sake of shalom, milaiyhu (saying you don't
know something you do, for anavah), bepuriah (because tashmish hamitah
is private) and be'ushpiza (to protect a host from being inundated).
(C.f. Yeavmos 63b, BM 23b-24a)

So, perhaps saying they were going to serve Hashem three days distance
and only letting it be implied that they would return afterward rather
than continue further would have qualified as doing so mipenei shalom.

And of course, Mitzayim was killing us. Piquach nefesh trumps midevar
sheqer anyway.

Chodesh Tov!
Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 For a mitzvah is a lamp,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   And the Torah, its light.
Author: Widen Your Tent                      - based on Mishlei 6:2
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF