Hello,
Yashar koach on the heavy question.
The matter is very dependent on context.
If it is clear to everyone that we are dealing with a Purim newsletter, where everyone says stories that never happened – it is like writing a fiction story, and there is no prohibition involved.
However, if we are dealing with a case where some of you write seriously and the reader does not know which is a true or false story – we cannot do this, due to two reasons:
First is the fact that the only place the Torah commands us to distance ourselves from something is falsehood – “distance yourself from falsehood” – and therefore one cannot do this at all.
The second reason is that the Sages were careful not to say incorrect things – even if they were for a good reason, because it trains you to say improper things. It is best to learn the story that appears in Mesechet Yevamot 63a and see one of the explanations.
All the best and Yashar koach once again,
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
Head of the Tzohar Ethics Center
For additional reading:
- Is It Permissible to Lie In Order to Preserve My Values?
- When is It Permissible to Lie? An Ethical Look at Parshat Vayechi
- Distance Yourself from Falsehood
