Rabbi Jonathan Kligler

After Jacob is buried, Joseph's brother's fabricate a charge that their father supposedly wanted to Joseph to hear, telling him not to bear a grudge against his brothers. Joseph bears no grudge, having forgiven his kin a long time ago. The commentaries do not condemn the brothers for their lie, but rather justify it...this leads us on an excursion into Judaism's teachings about when it is acceptable to bend the truth in order to preserve harmony and peaceful relations.