Another situation where chessed-kindness can be done with speech is when one sees that there are individuals who wish to harm someone – it is a mitzvah to say things to them that will dissuade them from their scheme, and it is even permissible to say a falsehood to accomplish this. [For instance, if one hears that there are people who want to steal money from a certain person, it is a mitzvah to tell them that the person is poor and that he doesn’t have anything of value, even if one knows that the truth is otherwise.] This is included in chessed as we see from the fact that our forefather Avraham asked of Sarah, let this be your kindness which you shall do for me – to whatever place we come, say of me: He is my brother (Bereishis 20:13). It goes without saying that if one can give some advice to the fellow so he can protect himself from those harmful individuals, it is certainly an act of chessed.
