Should Moral Individuals Ever Lie?

A Selection From My Favorite Jewish Sources
Rabbi Mordechai Levin

Avot D’Rabbi Nathan 12 3
When two people had a dispute, Aaron, the High Priest, went and sat near one of them and said to him: “My son, see what your friend is doing? He is beating his heart and tearing his clothing saying: “Woe is me. How can I lift up my eyes and look at my friend. I am ashamed of myself since I was the one who offended him.”
Aaron would sit with him until he removed the hatred from his heart.
Aaron would then go and sit next to the other and say to him: “My son, see what your friend is doing? He is beating his heart and tearing his clothing saying: “Woe is me. How can I lift up my eyes and look at my friend. I am ashamed of myself since I was the one who offended him.”
Aaron would sit with him until he removed the hatred from his heart.
When the two met, they would they hugged and kissed each other.

Talmud, Eruvin 53b
Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah remarked: I was once staying at an inn where the hostess served me with beans. On the first day I ate all of them leaving nothing. On the second day too l left nothing. On the third day she over seasoned them with salt, and, as soon as I tasted them, I withdrew my hand.
‘My Master’, she said to me, ‘why do you not eat?’ ‘I have already eaten’, I replied: ‘earlier in the day”.

Torah, Exodus 1:15-20
The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, saying, When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birthstool: (the brick or stone supports used by Egyptian women during childbirth.) if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.
The midwives, fearing God, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing, letting the boys live?
The midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women: they are vigorous. Before the midwife can come to them, they have given birth.
And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and increased greatly.

Talmud, Yebamot 63a
Rav was constantly tormented by his wife. When he asked her to prepare him some lentils, she would prepare peas. When he asked for peas, she would prepare lentils. When Chiya, Rav’s son, grew up, he would reverse his father’s request.
Once, Rav said to Chiya: “Your mother has improved.” Rabbi Chiya replied: “It is I who reversed your requests to her.”
Rav remarked to Chiya: “This is what people say, ‘Your own offspring teaches you reason.’” However, you should not continue to do so, for it says (Jeremiah 9:4): “They have taught their tongues to speak lies.”