Shayla:

I have heard you teach that we should not follow the letter of the law if it will cause us to contradict the intent of the law. Aren’t you setting yourself above God’s commands? Isn’t that a slippery slope?

Meforshim:

You are right in two ways. First, I do teach that principle which is referred to in Hebrew as “darkei shalom”. Second, it does inherently present an ethical challenge at times. I try to be very careful and if anything to lean on the side of caution. I do not want to do harm to the Word of God.

I believe that God’s Spirit of Wisdom desires peace on earth and goodwill toward men (Proverbs 3:17 cp Luke 2:14), particularly among the children of God (Psalm 133; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:14). That is not always possible as the Master Himself admitted (Matthew 10:34; Luke 12:51). However, it is the Lord’s desire (Colossians 1:20).

• Leviticus 19:11 HCSB "You must not steal. You must not act deceptively or lie to one another.

If Hashem commanded that we not lie, it is in order to promote peace between us. If He commanded us to not covet our neighbor’s things, it is once again in order to encourage peace and to discourage interpersonal or social strife.

This principle is called darkei shalom or “the ways of peace”. So as we examine the Scriptures, we must keep darkei shalom in mind as we seek to interpret them.

For instance, if I were to take the law “do not lie” to an extreme, I would believe that I would be obliged to inform a murderer of the location of his intended victim if he asked me. Because of darkei shalom, I understand that I am not obliged to speak the truth in that case because to do so would taint my spirit with the blood guilt of the murdered victim.

In another instance, we are told “speak the truth one to another” (Ephesians 4:25). Darkei shalom compels me to balance that passage with another that says there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Just because I know something or think something doesn’t mean that I should automatically blurt it out without considering the potential harm my words may cause for “on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak.” (Matthew 12:36).

In yet another historic instance, a literal and hard lined interpretation of the Old Covenant was used by many Southern clergy to support the practice of slavery. Had they taken darkei shalom into account, they might have balanced their view by the entire book of Philemon where Paul urged Philemon to consider his slave, Onesimus, a brother in Christ. Or, they could have considered the example of the Roman centurion who cared so much for his slave that he was willing to humble himself before the Lord Jesus in order to seek his slave’s healing (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10). Or, they would have considered the passages in Halakhic law that denounced the senseless beating or maiming of a slave (Exodus 21:26-27). At the very least, they should have considered the ethical dilemma they faced purchasing a human who had been kidnapped and forcibly brought to this continent!

• Exodus 21:16 HCSB "Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.

As supposed believers, surely they should have considered Paul’s instruction that for the children of God “There is no slave or free… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Darkei shalom is not intended to be a means to circumvent the Scriptures, but is an imperative to follow the WHOLE counsel of God in order to ensure that we fulfill His intended will.