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if he cannot evade the question, and his answer will be viewed as an
admission, it seems to me that he is allowed to lie in order to avoid
lashon hara. In addition, one is obligated to do so, since revealing the
truth is liable to harm the patient.
All that we have written is on condition that no harm comes to the
public as a result. If people are about to nominate him for a position 52 SPEAKING DISPARAGINGLY
ABOUT ONE’S FATHER
and they want to know if he is healthy, it is forbidden to alter the
truth. About this it is written: “Distance yourself from a false matter” TO SAVE PEOPLE FROM
(Shemos 23:7). DAMAGE
Even in cases where it is permissible to alter the 1
truth, one should be careful not to lie Question
An excellent physician works in a hospital and also has a private
It says in the Midrash Rabbah (Bereishis 65:18) that when Yaakov clinic. His daughter works for him as a nurse. She sees that the clinic
Avinu seemingly lied and said: “I (Anochi) am Esav, your firstborn” is full of medical supplies (such as syringes, bandages, medications,
(Bereishis 27:19), he really meant as follows: “Anochi” - I am the one and scissors) and she is sure that they were taken from the hospital
who in the future will receive the Ten Commandments (in which it without permission. She has tried to respectfully point this out to her
is written: Anochi - I am Hashem, your G-d), but Esav is your eldest father, but he has denied it. Therefore, she decided that it would serve
firstborn son. no purpose for her to continue trying to reach her father.
Likewise the Maharsha (maseches Kesubos 15b) explains that Beis The daughter is uncertain as to whether she should point this out
Hillel permitted dancing before the bride and saying that she is beau- to the person in charge of such things at the hospital. Perhaps it is
tiful and pious even if she is not, because in the eyes of her groom she forbidden to speak disgracefully about one’s father, even if it is for a
is beautiful. Telling an outright lie, however, is certainly forbidden, beneficial purpose?
even in order to help her find favor in the eyes of her husband.
Let us point out the words of the Torah Lishmah (#364) who
writes: 1 AnsweR
It is forbidden to be lenient in the matter of saying false- The author of Sefer Shalmei Nissan deals with this question (in the
hoods more than what is permitted by the Sages. If one Kol Torah collection, Nissan 5761), and cites that one of the poskim
wishes to apply the words of the Sages to other cases… he prohibited it. His reasoning is that while lashon hara is permitted for
should place the fear of Hashem before his eyes, without a beneficial purpose, one who speaks derogatorily about his father
being more lenient than what our Sages permitted. transgresses the mitzvah of honoring one’s father, and is also included
272 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Speaking about one’s father 2 261
