[Avodah] 5TJT - Wordle and Halacha

[Micha Berger]

R Yair Hoffman wrote an interesting column for 5tjt.com on the halakhos of
cheating, and then lying to one's friends about it.

   Wordle and Halacha
   March 17, 2022 8:57 pm
   By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

   A recent study about the online daily word-guessing game "Wordle"
   revealed that a significant number of Americans are cheating at it.

   The game was purchased by the New York Times in January and since then,
   cheating has been at an all-time high, according to a study done by
   WordFinderX, a website that is described as one that assists players
   in word games.

   According to the study, the biggest cheaters are the residents of the
   following states - New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington,
   and Massachusetts. [Yes, this is the order].

   Our purpose here, however, is not to reveal who the biggest cheaters
   are, but to determine the halachic and hashkafic implications of
   this finding. But before we get to that, there is one more vital
   piece of information that we need to know before we proceed to the
   Torah implications of this phenomenon.

   It seems that built into the mechanism of the Wordle game is the
   ability to share the personal results of "how one did" with others,
   albeit without revealing the answer to the daily wordle. The subtext
   of this component is, "Haha, my dear friend! My intellectual abilities
   lay far beyond yours! I got the answer in 3 tries or 4 tries! Let
   us see how you fare in this intellectual duel - where we match wits
   with each other!"

   THE QUESTION

   Now, if cheating is, in fact, so prevalent - we have a halachic
   question here. The Torah tells us in parshas Mishpatim, "MiDvar
   Sheker Tirchak - stay away from a false matter (Shmos 23:7)."

   Regarding this prohibition itself we have three opinions: The Chofetz
   Chaim writes in his Sefer Ahavas Chesed that the verse, "MiDvar Sheker
   Tirchak" is a full-blown biblical prohibition. There are Rishonim who
   seem to write that it should be understood as good advice, but is not
   fully binding. (This is how many authorities understand the position
   of the Sefer Yereim Mitzvah #235.) A third opinion, attributed to
   Rabbeinu Yonah, may hold that the verse was directed to judges in
   a court case, and not, in fact, to the general aspect of lying.
   [However, see Rav Chaim Kanievsky [zt"l -mb] (Kusim Siman 30) where
   he explains the Rabbeinu Yonah somewhat differently.]

   How do we rule? The halacha follows the view that it is a fully
   binding Mitzvah.

   DOES IT APPLY TO NON-MONETARY LIES?

   We are left with another question, however. Does this biblical
   admonition apply to non-monetary matters as well? Or do we say
   that the verse would only apply to monetary matters, wherein the lie
   affects a purchase? An example of this would be saying something like,
   "Oh no maam, this bobka was baked this very morning.."

   One's first reaction brings us to the Gemorah in Kesuvos (17b),
   where Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel debate whether it is permitted
   to praise a bride's beauty. When Bais Shammai asks on Hillel from
   the words in the pasuk, "Distance yourself from a lie" it clearly
   indicates that it refers to all matters - not just monetary ones.

   THE HIGHER LEVEL OF SPEAKING TRUTH IN ONE'S HEART

   But what if one does not share his or her results with others?
   Then would it be permitted to cheat?

   To answer this question we need to go to two different sources: The
   first is a well-known Rashi on Makkos about Rav Safra, and the second
   is a section in the Shacharis davening that people, unfortunately,
   skip at times.

   We first place our attention with Rav Safra, who it seems was some
   sort of shopkeeper. There were items for sale and a customer entered
   the shop. The customer lifted up the item for sale and gave an
   offer. Rav Safra did not respond. The customer must have thought,
   "Wow, this shopkeeper is a master bargainer and negotiator. He is
   not giving my offer even the courtesy of a response. Brilliant!"
   He raised his offer. Again, absolute silence. He raised the offer
   again and again. Finally, Rav Safra responded, "I will sell you the
   item for the first, lower sum that you offered, because I had already
   agreed in my heart to that price."

   Rav Safra revealed that he was unable to respond to the offer because
   he was in the middle of reciting the Krias Shma. But in his heart
   he had agreed to the price. This is the known as the level of,
   "dover emes bilvavo - speaking or seeking truth in one's heart."

   We next go to the section found in the siddur after brachos and before
   boruch sh'amar. There, the siddur tells us that a person should always
   demonstrate fear of heaven both publicly and privately and also be
   "modeh al haEmes" admit the truth, and be, "dover emes bilvavo -
   speak truth in one's heart."

   We see from here that one should also speak truth in one's heart.

   The question now is, what are the person's intentions when doing the
   Wordle, but one cheats at it, by Googling what other's have revealed
   through their hard work? It is likely, that there is some sort of
   self-deception going on here.

   What the siddur is advising us here is that we must be true to
   our own self, we must reach that level of Rav Safra. Rav Safra put
   aside all concerns for making extra money in order to reach an ideal.
   That ideal was being true to one's own self.

   DOES THIS PASSAGE ADDRESS THE MEANS TO BATTLE LOW SELF-ESTEEM?

   Let us perhaps delve a little bit further into the idea of
   self-deception. Why do we do it? Why do we lie to ourselves?

   Hashem placed certain mechanisms in the world. One mechanism is pain.
   When dealing with fire or danger, pain is helpful. It ensures that we
   very quickly remove ourselves from the source of that pain in order to
   preserve both life and limb. This is, in fact, a second mechanism -
   the mechanism of avoidance of pain.

   Just as there is physical pain, there is emotional pain.
   We self-deceive, it seems, in order to avoid emotional pain. But,
   ultimately, self-deception is not the ideal. We may need this salve,
   this crutch, in order to get by in life when it is difficult - but
   it is not the ideal.

   What this passage may be telling us is that there comes a time
   when that emotional crutch should be sent away (shiluach ha Cane!),
   and rather we should grab hold of something else that remedies our
   low self-image. We should think, "I do not need this crutch of
   self-deception to get by - I pride myself on speaking truth in my
   heart - to mine own self, I am true."

   Doing so can rid us of the sadness associated with low self-esteem,
   and it is absolutely becessary to get rid of this sadness, because
   otherwise we will not be serving Hashem with joy and happiness.
   Rav Yitzchok Feigelstock zt"l, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mesivta of
   Long Beach once said, "Serving Hashem without a sense of joy is not
   considered serving Hashem at all."