The Seal of Truth

“It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last Shabbat I gave a sermon about telling the truth. I’ll send it out tomorrow to those on my list, and others will soon find it on the website.

Here is an interesting source I did not use: The Talmud teaches that “the seal of Gd is Truth.” Once upon a time, letters were sealed with wax. The seal meant that the person who wrote the letter approved of its contents. The seal therefore had to have some distinguishing characteristics. Well, Gd’s seal is the truth. When people tell the truth, especially when telling the truth costs them something, then Gd’s presence is felt.

This is a Jewish teaching that the world needs now more than ever. A front-page story in the Inquirer this week (Mon. 5/22) pointed out how lying can really be a rational response. In a society that values only winners (remember the Nike Olympic ad – “You don’t win the silver – you lose the gold!”), cheaters have very good incentive to do what it takes to come out on top AND feel good about it.

That’s why Judaism has to give us another perspective – the perspective of the Master of the Universe. From Gd’s perspective, it is integrity that counts. That’s why we value our Jewish education so much. It flies in the face of popular culture. Lying, cheating and deception tear away at the fiber of the soul. It does damage inside even when we do not feel it. Study reenforces faith - in our Gd and in ourselves.

As I say in the sermon, lying is an affront to Gd. Pretending to be someone we are not is essentially saying to Gd – “No, You’ve got it wrong. I am not who You said I am. I’ll pretend to be someone else and no one will know the difference.” But you will. That’s why, of all the commandments in the Torah, the only thing we are told to stay as far away from as possible is lying. It distances us from Gd, from our family and ultimately from ourselves.