Q&A: Leading Someone Into a Lie
Leading Someone Into a Lie
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Is there a problem of "do not place a stumbling block" in having someone sign a document when I have proof that he is lying, and in that way I trap him in his lie? He does not know that I have proof. What do I gain from this? Mainly, it makes the bureaucratic process of firing him easier for me, and it also prevents him afterward from saying, "Yes I said it, no I didn’t say it." It is simply easier in dealing with him, and also more pleasant in relation to the other employees.
Answer
If you really need this document, then it seems to me that it is permitted. If he chooses to lie, that is his problem. But if you do not need it and you only want to make him stumble, then in my opinion that is problematic. If the dismissal is because of lies, then perhaps there is room to be lenient in order to prove his lies. In any case, in my opinion it is forbidden to reveal this to the other employees. That is slander with no constructive purpose.