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a) If one is asked information about a matter that is supposed to remain secret, he may answer, “I don’t know”(5). Similarly, although one is not allowed to lie in order to avoid telling bad news(6), it is permitted to say, “I don’t know”(7).
b) During an appeal for funds, one is not allowed to announce a donation in an amount greater than he is planning to give, even if the aim is to spur others to commit themselves to larger donations(8).
c) A wealthy man is permitted to lie about his wealth if he fears “the evil eye” (ayin ha-ra) or if he does not want to arouse jealousy(9).
d) When collecting funds for a poor Torah scholar, one may say that he is collecting for hachnasas kallah, marrying off a bride, if he thinks that people will be more receptive to that cause(10). It is also permitted to raise funds for hachnasas kallah even when the collection is primarily for the benefit of the groom(11).
e.) It is prohibited to lie for the sake of financial gain, even when no stealing is involved(12).
f) If one fears that a package will be mishandled, it is permitted to write “glass” on it, even though it does not contain any glass(13).
h.) If one sees that his wife will be late for Shabbos, he is permitted to tell her that the hour is later than it really is. This is permitted only when it is clear that she is procrastinating. If, however, she is rushing and harried and telling her that the hour is later than it really is will only pressure her further, it is forbidden to do so(14).
i)If, by refusing to receive a visitor, the visitor’s feelings will be hurt, one is permitted to leave instructions saying that he is not home(15). One should not, however, instruct a minor to lie about his parents’ whereabouts, since that teaches the child to lie.
FOOTNOTES:
1 Makkos 24a.
2 Sanhedrin 92a.
3 Sha’arei Teshuvah 3:178-186.
4 See, for example, Berachos (43b) – episode with R’ Papa; Pesachim (112a) -attributing a statement to a fabricated source so that it will be readily accepted; Sukkah (34b) – quoting Shemuel’s threat to the haddasim merchants; Yevamos (65b) – lying for the sake of peace; Bava Metzia (23b) – departing from the truth for the sake of humility, modesty or discretion; Bava Metzia (30a) -episode with R’ Yishmael. There are many other such examples.
5 Harav S.Z. Auerbach and Harav S.Y. Elyashiv quoted in Titen Emes l’Yaakov, pg. 76.
6 Y.D. 402:12.
7 Harav S.Z. Auerbach, Harav S.Y. Elyashiv and Harav Y.Y. Fisher quoted in Titen Emes l’Yaakov pg. 89. See also Metzudos David, II Shemuel 18:29.
8 Minchas Yitzchak 3:97, based on Maharsha, Sukkah 29a.
9 Harav S.Y. Elyashiv quoted in Titen Emes l’Yaakov, pg. 78.
10 Teshuvos Mishneh Sachir (end of vol. 1) quoting a story with the Chasam Sofer. Part of the ruling is based on the Midrash Rabbah (Ki-Sisa) that compares a talmid chacham to a kallah. In that story the Chasam Sofer allowed a tzedakah fund intended for hachnasas kallah to support a well-known talmid chacham.
11 Harav S.Z. Auerbach quoted in Titen Emes l’Yaakov, pg. 55.
12 R’ Yonah (Sha’arei Teshuvah 180,186); Rashas”h (Shabbos 140b) and Sdei Chemed (vol. 4, pg. 87) opposing the Maharsha (Shabbos 140) who implies that it is permissible; Chafetz Chayim (Sefas Tamim 2).
13 Harav S.Y. Elyashiv, Harav Y.Y. Fisher and Harav C. Kanievsky, quoted in Titen Emes l’Yaakov, pg. 66.
14 Harav S.Y. Elyashiv quoted in Titen Emes l’Yaakov, pg. 86.
15 Harav S.Z. Auerbach and Harav S.Y. Elyashiv quoted in Titen Emes L’yaakov, pg. 76. See also Machatzis ha-Shekel O.C. 156 which states that if one has no time to answer a question about a particular subject, he may say that he is not learning that subject now and cannot answer the question.
(Rabbi Neustadt, Weekly-Halacha).
wow this is helpful!! thanks
For the sake of someone’s sholom bayis it may be permitted under certain conditions. Hashem prevaricated with Avraham Avinu when He told Avraham that Sara laughed because she said SHE is too old to have a baby, when in fact she was laughing because she said her HUSBAND was a zakein. Hashem was protecting their sholom bayis.
I don’t have the sources handy, but IIRC also the following:
-For safety reasons.
-For tznius.
-In specific business cases (the example given was where a contractor demanded more money than was initially agreed to [not for a legit reason, he simply wanted to take advantage of the situation], and refused to complete his job until the person agreed to pay it. in this case the person isn’t obligated to pay the higher rate. this case was in one of the “halocha pamphlets” distributed in shuls.)
ICOT – how will lieing help against that contractor?
In specific business cases (the example given was where a contractor demanded more money than was initially agreed to [not for a legit reason, he simply wanted to take advantage of the situation], and refused to complete his job until the person agreed to pay it. in this case, although the person agreed under duress to pay the higher rate that the contractor demanded, the person isn’t obligated to abide by that agreement and pay the higher rate. this case was in one of the “halocha pamphlets” distributed in shuls.)
is one allowed to lie for chesed? ie: telling someone that asked for a ride that it’s “one the way home” or “i’m going that way anyway” when you are not at all? that sort of thing….
pacman, this is in Bava Metzia. You may tell him that you’ll double the pay if he’ll stay on. It is he who is being dishonest, so therefore you may trick him.
I’m going that way?”
If you want to do the chessed, it’s not a lie, because in order to do it, you ARE going that way, even if it was not your original intention. What do we say, “Baderech asher rotzeh odom leileich, molichin oso.” Or domething like that. Hashem finds a way to help someone who wants to do chessed, to accomplsih a chessed,even when he did not know about it in advance.
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