VaYechi
In Parashat VaYechi, in Perek 50, Pasuk 16, the Torah writes that Yoseph’s brothers came to him after their father’s death and said to Yoseph that their father Yaakov gave to them orders prior to his passing. The orders given to the brothers by Yaakov, was to go on to Yoseph and ask forgiveness for all the spiteful deeds committed. Rashi comments on this Pasuk and says that the brothers actually fabricated this request from Yaakov. Yaakov Aveenu never explicitly instructed the brothers to go to Yoseph and ask him for forgiveness. So this was a lie. So Rashi asks how can it be that the brothers came and lied to Yoseph?? Rashi answered that the brothers did this for the sake of peace.
From here we learn a great lesson. It is so important to keep peace that it would even be permissible to fabricate or extend the truth a little if necessary.
The Ba’ale Tosafot (a group of Torah Scholars, mainly grandsons and great grandsons of Rashi) learn from this that peace is so important, that the Jewish people must even engage in conciliatory discussions before heading into war. That includes our arch enemies. We must expend all efforts to attain peace before going to war.
The Torah tells us earlier in Parashat VaYera that Sarah had laughed when she heard that she was going to have a baby. She disparaged her husband remarking how can he have a baby at his age?? But when G-d spoke to Avraham, G-d told him that Sarah felt she was too old to have a baby. So you see, G-d himself changed what was said in order to keep peace between Avraham and Sarah. This is the same motivation and purpose as used in Parashat VaYechi. So twice already in the Torah we see how a fabrication was made in order to achieve peace.
Now if the Torah writes it then it means fabrication is an acceptable behavior in cases where it is done in pursuit of peace. The Torah brings this story down of the brothers not to show us that they made a mistake, but to teach us that peace sometimes supercedes truth. Furthermore, since this theme was repeated in the Torah, we therefore must acknowledge its great importance and clear message. One must go out of his way to achieve peace at all costs. That includes peace between man and wife, man and family, man and his siblings, man and his fellow friends, etc. The Torah is teaching us that Shalom is so important that it even overrides one of the most important values of being Emet (truthful). It seems that true Emet manifests itself as a result to peace. Meaning, that it is a proper behavior to lie if needed to achieve pace, for that lie ultimately will lead to Shalom.
