Vayikra
Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Isaiah 43:21-44:23
An apparent redundancy in the opening words of the book of Leviticus evokes an odd comment from a talmudic rabbi. The book begins, “He called to Moses, and God spoke to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them…” (Lev. 1:1-2).
God apparently asked Moses our teacher twice, in the same sentence, to pass this message on to the children of Israel. It does not appear entirely clear why Moses needed instruction once to pass along this message, let alone twice.
Rabbi Menasia derived from this emphatic instruction to repeat the message that in general, one should not publicize what one has heard until and unless the speaker tells him, “Go and say it” (Yalkut Shimoni 247:429 and Yoma 4b). Absent specific instruction to repeat what he has heard, it seems, Moses would have had to keep the Laws as his private information.
So, too, when anyone tells you anything, you should assume it is confidential unless he explicitly says otherwise. This biblical analysis appears as a legal ruling in the Sefer Mitsvot Gadol (Prohibition No. 9). A verse in Proverbs states the rule more directly: “A gossip reveals a secret, but a trustworthy spirit conceals the matter” (Proverbs 11:13).
Confidentiality, which in American law limits the conversation of lawyers and doctors, in Jewish law limits every one of us, at least, according to these authorities. This requirement of confidentiality applies even when not explicitly evoked.
Perhaps one can trust truly pious listeners to keep confidences implicitly, without even asking. If one really wants others to maintain a secret, though, one should not rely on them keep this high standard, but should explicitly ask for their silence.
As the judicious rabbi of Sarajevo, Eliezer Papo (1785-1828) counsels in his book of advice, “Many times a man says his words to his relatives and his confidants, and does not bother to command that they not reveal it, and they go and tell his words about, producing ruin” (Pele Yoetz, “Secret”).
Even more reliable than asking people to keep secrets is not telling anyone in the first place. Papo recommends: “Do not tell your friends something which you would not divulge to your enemies.” He warns that “one should take great care not to reveal the secret of his fellow to anyone, not even his wife. Even if he commands the other, and says not to reveal it, his fellow will do as he has done, and reveal it to someone else on condition that he not reveal it, and so on until at the end everyone hears it …”
Who knows how recent American history would have turned out differently if certain people had followed the counsel of the wise rabbi.
So it seems that one should keep secrets faithfully. Sometimes, however, keeping one person’s secrets works out to hurt another person. Rabbi David Cohen of Brooklyn, in a recent address on this topic, pointed out that rabbis have typically ruled that one must disclose information in such circumstances. Keeping those secrets puts us in cahoots with those who do evil.
His admonition parallels the law of derogatory speech. Jewish moralists teach that Mr. Smith should not make conversation out of evidence that discredits the honesty of Mr. Jones. But if Mr. Brown plans to go into partnership with Mr. Jones, Mr. Smith certainly must reveal the evidence without exaggeration or malice or pulling punches (for further discussion, see Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s book “Guard Your Tongue”).
So, too, one must reveal confidences to protect the innocent, or take part in the effortless evil of keeping silent as our friends take advantage of strangers.
In the best of circumstances, you can ask the person who told you the secret to recognize that he must reveal it. When that person cannot, or will not, tell the truth, then you cannot evade the unpleasant task of doing so.
Some decades ago, when doctors felt it right to withhold possibly devastating information from their patients, an oncologist asked his rabbi what to do: “My patient does not know that he has cancer. Should I tell his prospective fiancée?” What do you think the rabbi should have said?