This continues the theme of lashon hara. He ends the essay with this key message - When no constructive purpose is served by being truthful, peace is valued more highly than truth.
Shalom bayit - peace in the house - is one of Judaism’s honored tenets. Peace in the house suggests that we must be WHOLE with those in our house. We have enough day to day mishagas to deal with in the world that, at least at home (at MOST at home?) we should expect a sense of safety and wholeness. “Peace is valued more highly than truth.” Such simple, yet powerful words. Not that truth isn’t important, but we must live with the people in our house, and so must be, and become, sensitive to the moments when truth is important, and moments when peace is important. If the truth is that important, there will be a time when it can be spoken AND peace in the house can be maintained.
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