[Avodah] Truth v Peace: The White Lie (J. Sacks)

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Jan 07, 2009 at 04:37:55PM -0800, Harvey Benton wrote:
: R. Jonathan Sacks (as brought down by R. Micha Berger):
:> Truth matters, but peace matters more.

: Pirkei Avot 1:18 says: R. Shimon ben Gamliel says the world is sustained
: on 3 things: Din, Emet, Shalom. Shenemar: Emet, Umishpat, Shalom ...
: In both of these 2 lists Shalom (Peace) is listed after both Din/Mishpat
: and Emet (Truth).
: 
: If these 2 lists are described in their order of importance...

I don't think this assumption is teneble. After all, if RSbG thought the
order was significant, wouldn't he have placed din after emes, parallel
to mishpat's location in the pasuq?

However, you did remind me of something RMFeinstein explained to his
nephew (who married a cousin of mine, and therefore he had opportunity
to tell me).

RMF was not overly picky about giving out te'udot ishur to people who
claimed to be aniyim. Anyone who asked got a letter attesting to their
poverty. So his nephew asked what about emes? Is it fair to the people
he is going to collect from for them to see a piece of paper that doesn't
mean as much as they think it does?

The truth is there is a straightforward halachic origin to this
prioritization. But rather than cite rishonim, RMF referred to a different
pasuq. In the 13 middos, HQBH's actions are described as those of a
"Rav Chessed veEmes". Why does chessed come before emes?

Because we shouldn't get so caught up in the pursuit of the emes that
it reduces the chessed. Chessed comes first.

There RMF does assume order means priorization. Although it's chessed,
not shalom, that is placed ahear of emes.

Also, R' Shim'on says (Bereishis Rabb 8:5, see my translation at the
start of <http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2008/04/geulah.shtml>) that to
resolve the warring mal'akhim, emes was thrown down, and peace was
knowingly ignored. Of the two, it's emes that was cast to the ground.
So it would seem peace plays a greater role in the running of things.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             When you come to a place of darkness,
micha at aishdas.org        you don't chase out the darkness with a broom.
http://www.aishdas.org   You light a candle.
Fax: (270) 514-1507        - R' Yekusiel Halberstam of Klausenberg zt"l