By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Rav Henoch Leibowitz zatzal used to say that one should always try to look at events past and events present through a Torah lens. He also referred to current events in the news. This article contains two thoughts pertaining to a tragic incident that has recently come up in the news once again. In 2021, the fate of Gabby Petito gripped the nation. Her body was found and was eventually positively identified. But what about her murderer, Brian Laundrie? Where did he go? Eventually, his partial remains were found in Florida’s Carleton Reserve, but also not yet positively identified At the time Laundrie’s remains were found, authorities had also found something else. They had found his suicide note. It was a note that was kept hidden and only recently released. Why the delay? It would seem that the authorities released its delay because it contained the preposterous and delusional claim that Laundrie had killed her as a “mercy killing” because she was in such dire pain. We can assume that the authorities had felt the pain was so raw, that it was not an appropriate time to release its existence. If this is the case, then why release it at all? Or why did they release it without an accompanying caveat that did not let Laundrie get in the last word? We can assume that they were perhaps concerned about legal issues and or lawsuits. FIRST THOUGHT – PROMOTION OF FALSEHOOD The Torah tells us something that is not found in any other Mitzvah. Midvar sheker tirchak – stay away from a false matter, not only forbids lying – but it tells us an additional warning – to distance ourselves from lies and falsehood. We can be inspired to this through an incident involving Rav Avrohom Pam zt”l. He once entered a taxicab along with a talmid, and gave the address to the driver. The driver then proceeded to begin the drive. Rav Pam, however, noticed that the driver had not yet turned on the meter. Rav Pam gently reminded him to turn on the meter. “Don’t worry, Rabbi.,” responded the driver. “I will take care of you.” Rav Pam did not understand the response. The driver elaborated, “the money will come to me. But do not worry, I will charge you significantly less than the meter rate would have charged.” Rav Pam was very concerned that he might be involved in an act of deception. Realizing that the driver was either planning on stealing from either the Taxi and Limousine Commission or the owner of the taxi medallion that rented by the job and not by teh day, Rav Pam took an assertive, yet gentle tone with the driver. He told the driver that the meter must be turned on, but that the driver will receive a significant tip that was beyond the fair that he had quoted him. Rav Pam was a tzaddik who was careful regarding every word and every action. He so much wished to avoid this act of deception, that he was willing to pay double the price just to avoid this. True, he could have availed himself of other options – but he did not and instead stood up for the cause of emes. [For those interested, this […]
The post Brian Laundrie and Halacha: The Laws of Unidentified Remains and the Promotion of Falsehood appeared first on The Yeshiva World.
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