Q&A: Is There Heavenly Reward for Bluffing?
Is There Heavenly Reward for Bluffing?
Question
A link is currently being circulated in WhatsApp groups inviting people to answer questions from the Ministry of Transportation about public transportation.
Why is it being circulated at all in groups of people who own private cars?
Attached to the link is a request:
According to whoever wrote the message, the Ministry of Transportation is asking in secular areas, because there is a question there about on which days you need public transportation, and there is concern that the survey will conclude that public transportation is needed on the Sabbath.
Therefore, people are being asked to go in and write that public transportation is wanted only on weekdays.
Of course this is a bluff, because someone who does not use public transportation should not be answering a survey about public transportation in the first place.
But the writers of the message say that the merit of the Sabbath will stand by those who respond and their descendants, etc.
I am confused.
It seems to me that even for the sake of preventing public transportation on the Sabbath for secular people in secular areas, it is forbidden to lie.
On the other hand, the writers of the notice promise that the merit of the Sabbath will stand by them…
Who is right?
Answer
I also think it is not proper to lie in this case. The reason is that there is no obligation to prevent violations by someone who in any case is not obligated in Torah and commandments, and of course there is also an element of dishonesty here. By the same token, secular people could go in and answer that public transportation is needed on the Sabbath even in Haredi areas. Lies have no legs. See also column 21 about holy lies.