As we approach the end of Elul and the end of the year itself, we must reassess our goals. What do we want to accomplish during these final days of 5784? As always, we can learn in two ways. We can watch the villains and derive what not to do. This is called sur meira. Then we can learn the correct way from our tzaddikim.
Last week’s New York Times was a sharp example of how not to change and what is not teshuvah. Ever since October 7th – Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah to us – it has been vilifying us and lauding Hamas as the victim. All of a sudden, they seemed to be heading in the right direction. The front page of the news section displayed the headline “Hamas Uses Brutal Tactics to Keep Its Grip on Gaza.” Despite a few of the usual swipes at “Israel the aggressor,” the Times finally admitted that Hamas “puts civilians in peril in war and violently represses dissent.” So far, so good.
Yet, in the same issue, under Columns and Commentary, it allowed a correspondent to shout with glee, “If Donald Trump ends up serving a term in prison (there’s still hope!), I’d relish the chance to refer to him as an ex-con.” Well, as Ronald Reagan said so effectively, “there you go again.” The Times’ vitriol, hatred and bias toward Trump and all he supports dripped once again from the acidic pages of what it claims on its banner to be “All the news that’s fit to print.” So there is no change and no teshuvah. Just more of the same bait and switch.
Conversely, what should we – lehavdil – do to fulfill the middah of emes at this crucial time?
Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaarei Teshuvah 3:184) famously writes, “Ha’emes hu m’yesodei hanefesh – Truth is one of the foundations of the soul.” My rebbi, Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l (Pachad Yitzchok, Rosh Hashanah, Maamorim 15 and 16) explains that our prayer that Hashem “should purify our hearts to serve Him with truth,” indicates that falsehood is even more destructive than stealing. He goes on to prove that our efforts to embrace emes begin on Rosh Hashanah and culminate on Yom Kippur, but the rest of that profound approach is beyond the scope of these words.
However, what we can do is explore the practical teachings of our sages in words and deed, which can obtain for us the power of the middah of emes in the Thirteen Middos we shall soon recite daily.
Let’s start with one of the paragons of emes, the Chazon Ish. He generally davened Mincha Gedolah at 12:30 p.m. in his home both on Shabbos and weekdays. One day, it was difficult to assemble a minyan and there was none until 12:45 p.m. Rav Shmuel Greineman, his brother-in-law, turned to the gadol hador to ask a question. “I asked someone to meet me at home at 1 p.m,” he explained. “If I stay and daven Mincha now, I will be late for the appointment. What should I do?” The Chazon Ish did not have to think for a moment. “For one who is attached to the middah of emes,” he responded, “there is no question at all. Let the minyan be disbanded because of you, but you should keep your word and not deviate from it by even a moment.”
Wow! How often are we late for something because of a triviality and we don’t even think about having shattered the pristine glass of truth? The Chazon Ish didn’t even like the word sheker. He found it odious, urging people to substitute “that is not true,” rather uttering the objectionable word sheker (Pe’er Hador 33:20).
It has been taught that even a so-called white lie is an affront to the Ribono Shel Olam, whose seal is truth (Shabbos 55a). Therefore, one who prevaricates breaks Hashem’s personal seal, making it extremely difficult to obtain divine intervention and forgiveness when we want it. Hence the need to not only be on our best behavior during Elul, but to watch every word we say to make sure that it doesn’t wreak of falsehood and deceit. Rav Aharon Kotler was once raising funds for a certain organization, but the philanthropist he was visiting was opposed to the project and turned the rosh yeshiva down. “However,” the baal habayis said, “since the rosh yeshiva troubled himself to travel so far and has graced my home, I will make a substantial contribution to your yeshiva in Lakewood.”
Rav Aharon thanked the man but refused the check. “I am here for a certain cause and it would not be emes to accept money for the yeshiva. Thank you anyway.” The gevir was so impressed with the rosh yeshiva’s middah of emes that he became one of the major supporters of Bais Medrash Govoah (Marbitzei Torah 3:263). An amazing corollary of the contempt in which gedolim held any deviation from the truth is a story with Rav Simcha Zissel, the Alter of Kelm. He visited a certain man who had fallen ill and had been moaning horribly in pain. When the Alter emerged from his bikkur cholim, the sick room was silent and no more sounds were heard. His astonished talmidim inquired, “Rebbi, are you a baal mofeis? Did you pull a miracle?” The Alter responded simply, “Not at all. I merely asked the choleh gently, ‘Is it possible that your cries are somewhat exaggerated? If so, you may be committing an untruth.’” The man admitted the truth and indeed stopped groaning, which in turn made him feel much better as well (Tenuas Hamussar 2:56).
This particular anecdote with one of the pillars of the Mussar Movement dramatically teaches us that emes is not only words and speech. It permeates every aspect of our lives, including body language and even sounds that have not become what is usually referred to as speech at all.
Interestingly, along these lines, the Alter was once walking by a home from which could be heard the sounds of someone singing a certain tune. The singer did not know the exact musical presentation of this song. The Alter knocked on the door and gently corrected the would-be chazzan for the “false niggun.” Again, truth has no limits, while falsehood should never be tolerated.
Other mussar seforim (see Maalos Hamiddos, “Temimos”) also stress that “one who continually lies is as if he denies Hashem Himself, Who is the embodiment of truth, and is as if he imputes falsehood, G-d forbid, to Hashem.”
A fascinating commitment to emes even under the most dire of circumstances occurred during the middle ages and more recently under the Nazis ym”sh. Rav Avrohom Schorr (Toras Chaim to Avodah Zarah 17a) records that a certain tzaddik was accosted by an anti-Semite who was unsure if he was Jewish. His life was literally in danger, so he responded, “Kein Yid,” by which he meant that he is not a Jew. But in order not to transgress the edict against lying, he had in mind that in Lashon Hakodesh, this phrase means, “Yes, I am Jewish.”
This conversation replayed itself with Rav Menashe Klein, who was blond and blue-eyed when he was young, allowing him to circulate more freely than other Jews, for whom he was able to obtain food and medical supplies. A Nazi suspected him and demanded, “Ein Yude,” and he, too, responded, “Kein Yude. No, I’m not Jewish.” In his later years, he became concerned about whether or not he had transgressed a serious sin of denying his Yiddishkeit, which according to many poskim requires one to give up his life. However, his conclusion was that since the phrase was ambiguous, he was allowed to utter it to save his life. In fact, though, he also concluded that he would not have been permitted to simply say that he was a gentile, even to save his life.
Let us take to heart how far a good Jew must go not to utter a lie and not to deny his religion.
Another insight into this commitment to truth under the worst of circumstances may be seen in a teshuvah. The Chavos Yair (136) records that his brother-in-law had to bribe an anti-Semite to save a Jewish life. However, he explained in a responsum that this was permitted because the bribe was not proffered to pervert justice, but just to overcome the hatred and lack of objectivity of the anti-Semitic judge. Otherwise, bribery would certainly be forbidden under several prohibitions, including engaging in falsehood.
This should be a sharp reminder to us not to be cavalier with the truth for trivial reasons.
Let us be careful with every word, speak only emes, and Hashem will hopefully answer our tefillos letovah.
As we approach the end of Elul and the end of the year itself, we must reassess our goals. What do we want to accomplish during these final days of 5784? As always, we can learn in two ways. We can watch the villains and derive what not to do. This is called sur meira. Then we can learn the correct way from our tzaddikim.
Last week’s New York Times was a sharp example of how not to change and what is not teshuvah. Ever since October 7th – Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah to us – it has been vilifying us and lauding Hamas as the victim. All of a sudden, they seemed to be heading in the right direction. The front page of the news section displayed the headline “Hamas Uses Brutal Tactics to Keep Its Grip on Gaza.” Despite a few of the usual swipes at “Israel the aggressor,” the Times finally admitted that Hamas “puts civilians in peril in war and violently represses dissent.” So far, so good.
Yet, in the same issue, under Columns and Commentary, it allowed a correspondent to shout with glee, “If Donald Trump ends up serving a term in prison (there’s still hope!), I’d relish the chance to refer to him as an ex-con.” Well, as Ronald Reagan said so effectively, “there you go again.” The Times’ vitriol, hatred and bias toward Trump and all he supports dripped once again from the acidic pages of what it claims on its banner to be “All the news that’s fit to print.” So there is no change and no teshuvah. Just more of the same bait and switch.
Conversely, what should we – lehavdil – do to fulfill the middah of emes at this crucial time?
Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaarei Teshuvah 3:184) famously writes, “Ha’emes hu m’yesodei hanefesh – Truth is one of the foundations of the soul.” My rebbi, Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l (Pachad Yitzchok, Rosh Hashanah, Maamorim 15 and 16) explains that our prayer that Hashem “should purify our hearts to serve Him with truth,” indicates that falsehood is even more destructive than stealing. He goes on to prove that our efforts to embrace emes begin on Rosh Hashanah and culminate on Yom Kippur, but the rest of that profound approach is beyond the scope of these words.
However, what we can do is explore the practical teachings of our sages in words and deed, which can obtain for us the power of the middah of emes in the Thirteen Middos we shall soon recite daily.
Let’s start with one of the paragons of emes, the Chazon Ish. He generally davened Mincha Gedolah at 12:30 p.m. in his home both on Shabbos and weekdays. One day, it was difficult to assemble a minyan and there was none until 12:45 p.m. Rav Shmuel Greineman, his brother-in-law, turned to the gadol hador to ask a question. “I asked someone to meet me at home at 1 p.m,” he explained. “If I stay and daven Mincha now, I will be late for the appointment. What should I do?” The Chazon Ish did not have to think for a moment. “For one who is attached to the middah of emes,” he responded, “there is no question at all. Let the minyan be disbanded because of you, but you should keep your word and not deviate from it by even a moment.”
Wow! How often are we late for something because of a triviality and we don’t even think about having shattered the pristine glass of truth? The Chazon Ish didn’t even like the word sheker. He found it odious, urging people to substitute “that is not true,” rather uttering the objectionable word sheker (Pe’er Hador 33:20).
It has been taught that even a so-called white lie is an affront to the Ribono Shel Olam, whose seal is truth (Shabbos 55a). Therefore, one who prevaricates breaks Hashem’s personal seal, making it extremely difficult to obtain divine intervention and forgiveness when we want it. Hence the need to not only be on our best behavior during Elul, but to watch every word we say to make sure that it doesn’t wreak of falsehood and deceit. Rav Aharon Kotler was once raising funds for a certain organization, but the philanthropist he was visiting was opposed to the project and turned the rosh yeshiva down. “However,” the baal habayis said, “since the rosh yeshiva troubled himself to travel so far and has graced my home, I will make a substantial contribution to your yeshiva in Lakewood.”
Rav Aharon thanked the man but refused the check. “I am here for a certain cause and it would not be emes to accept money for the yeshiva. Thank you anyway.” The gevir was so impressed with the rosh yeshiva’s middah of emes that he became one of the major supporters of Bais Medrash Govoah (Marbitzei Torah 3:263). An amazing corollary of the contempt in which gedolim held any deviation from the truth is a story with Rav Simcha Zissel, the Alter of Kelm. He visited a certain man who had fallen ill and had been moaning horribly in pain. When the Alter emerged from his bikkur cholim, the sick room was silent and no more sounds were heard. His astonished talmidim inquired, “Rebbi, are you a baal mofeis? Did you pull a miracle?” The Alter responded simply, “Not at all. I merely asked the choleh gently, ‘Is it possible that your cries are somewhat exaggerated? If so, you may be committing an untruth.’” The man admitted the truth and indeed stopped groaning, which in turn made him feel much better as well (Tenuas Hamussar 2:56).
This particular anecdote with one of the pillars of the Mussar Movement dramatically teaches us that emes is not only words and speech. It permeates every aspect of our lives, including body language and even sounds that have not become what is usually referred to as speech at all.
Interestingly, along these lines, the Alter was once walking by a home from which could be heard the sounds of someone singing a certain tune. The singer did not know the exact musical presentation of this song. The Alter knocked on the door and gently corrected the would-be chazzan for the “false niggun.” Again, truth has no limits, while falsehood should never be tolerated.
Other mussar seforim (see Maalos Hamiddos, “Temimos”) also stress that “one who continually lies is as if he denies Hashem Himself, Who is the embodiment of truth, and is as if he imputes falsehood, G-d forbid, to Hashem.”
A fascinating commitment to emes even under the most dire of circumstances occurred during the middle ages and more recently under the Nazis ym”sh. Rav Avrohom Schorr (Toras Chaim to Avodah Zarah 17a) records that a certain tzaddik was accosted by an anti-Semite who was unsure if he was Jewish. His life was literally in danger, so he responded, “Kein Yid,” by which he meant that he is not a Jew. But in order not to transgress the edict against lying, he had in mind that in Lashon Hakodesh, this phrase means, “Yes, I am Jewish.”
This conversation replayed itself with Rav Menashe Klein, who was blond and blue-eyed when he was young, allowing him to circulate more freely than other Jews, for whom he was able to obtain food and medical supplies. A Nazi suspected him and demanded, “Ein Yude,” and he, too, responded, “Kein Yude. No, I’m not Jewish.” In his later years, he became concerned about whether or not he had transgressed a serious sin of denying his Yiddishkeit, which according to many poskim requires one to give up his life. However, his conclusion was that since the phrase was ambiguous, he was allowed to utter it to save his life. In fact, though, he also concluded that he would not have been permitted to simply say that he was a gentile, even to save his life.
Let us take to heart how far a good Jew must go not to utter a lie and not to deny his religion.
Another insight into this commitment to truth under the worst of circumstances may be seen in a teshuvah. The Chavos Yair (136) records that his brother-in-law had to bribe an anti-Semite to save a Jewish life. However, he explained in a responsum that this was permitted because the bribe was not proffered to pervert justice, but just to overcome the hatred and lack of objectivity of the anti-Semitic judge. Otherwise, bribery would certainly be forbidden under several prohibitions, including engaging in falsehood.
This should be a sharp reminder to us not to be cavalier with the truth for trivial reasons.
Let us be careful with every word, speak only emes, and Hashem will hopefully answer our tefillos letovah.
