מדבר שקר תרחק
Sforno writes that one must distance himself from anything that might lead to falsehood. Sometimes we do something innocuous, but it creates a situation in which someone else is compelled to lie – albeit inadvertently. Sefer Chassidim mentions an all-too common situation, whereby one notices a group of friends speaking furtively among themselves. Of course, he wants to know what it is they are shrouding in so much secrecy. If he approaches them and asks, “What are you talking about?” he knows that he might cause them to lie. Let’s face it, if they wanted him to know the topic…
