25 Nov TRUTH BE TOLD: WHEN LIES SPEAK THE TRUTH

In Parashat
Toldot, Yaakov
takes the
blessings from his
father Yitzchak
through deception. This event happens
when Yitzchak, who is blind and aging,
intends to bless his eldest son Esav
before his death. Rivkah, Yitzchak’s
wife, overhears and devises a plan for
Yaakov to receive the blessings instead.
Rivkah prepares a meal of Yitzchak’s
favorite dish, and she dresses Yaakov
in Esav’s clothes to disguise him.
She also covers his hands and neck
with goat skins to make him feel like
his hairy brother. Yaakov then enters
Yitzchak’s tent, claiming to be Esav,
and receives the blessings meant for his
brother. Although Yitzchak is initially
suspicious, he is ultimately convinced by
the smell of Esav’s clothes and the feel
of Yaakov’s disguised hands.
When Yitzchak asks Yaakov who he is,
he responds, “I am Esav, your firstborn.”
The episode raises ethical questions
because Yaakov deceives his father to

receive the blessings. It also highlights
the dilemma of how Yaakov was
permitted to lie to his father, especially
when the Torah explicitly forbids lying.
Rashi attempts to address this issue by
suggesting that when Yaakov said, “I
am Esav, your firstborn,” he intended
to divide the sentence as follows: “I
am”—referring to himself, Yaakov, who
brought the food—and “Esav is your
firstborn.” However, anyone reading
this understands that such manipulation
would not hold up in any Beit Din or
court. For example, if someone caught
committing a crime claimed, “I didn’t
commit the crime,” and later explained
that they meant, “I am [the one who
committed the crime], and the victim
didn’t commit a crime,” this would not
justify their actions in any way.
Why, then, is Yaakov allowed to do this?
Furthermore, Yaakov is famously called
“a man of truth” (Ish Emet). How can
this title align with behavior that appears
so untruthful?
Rav Eliyahu Dessler (Michtav
Me’Eliyahu) teaches a profound and

revolutionary concept. We often think
that truth is defined as stating things as
they are in reality, while a lie is stating
something contrary to reality. Rav
Dessler challenges this notion, asserting
that this definition is flawed. According
to him, truth means saying things that
align with Hashem’s will, even if they
contradict reality. Conversely, a lie is
saying things that do not align with
Hashem’s will, even if they are factually
correct.
With this new insight, we can understand
many aspects of Torah teachings. Firstly,
it resolves the question of how Yaakov
could deceive Yitzchak and say things
that were not true, such as “I am Esav.”
The answer lies in the fact that his
mother, Rivkah, instructed him to do
so, based on her understanding that this
was Hashem’s will. Rivkah had received
a prophecy that Yaakov was destined to
receive the blessings, even if it meant
taking them from Esav. Accordingly,
Yaakov’s actions were justified as
fulfilling the will of Hashem.
The Torah teaches us that even Hashem
altered the truth for the sake of peace
in the episode involving Avraham,
Sarah, and the announcement of
Yitzchak’s birth (Bereshit 18). When
Hashem informs Avraham that Sarah
will bear a child, Sarah, overhearing
this, laughs to herself and says,
“After I have become old, shall I have
pleasure, and my husband is old?”
(Bereshit 18:12). However, when
Hashem relays Sarah’s reaction to
Avraham, He says, “Why did Sarah
laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a
child now that I am old?’” (Bereshit
18:13).
Hashem changes Sarah’s words,
omitting her reference to Avraham’s
age, to preserve peace and avoid
causing tension between them. This
example is often cited in rabbinic
literature to emphasize the importance
of maintaining harmony, even if it
means altering the truth. However,
based on the above explanation,
Hashem is teaching us that this is not
merely an alteration but actually the
ultimate truth. In such an instance,
stating things as they are in reality,
if it leads to discord, is considered
a lie, while preserving peace aligns
with Hashem’s will and is therefore
the true expression of truth.

The Sefer Emet LeYaakov provides an
example to highlight this point. Imagine
a situation where someone is chasing
another person with the intent to kill, and
you witness the victim hiding. When the
pursuer approaches and asks if you have
seen the person they are chasing, what
should you answer? In such a scenario,
the true response, as aligned with
Hashem’s will, would be to say, “No,
he isn’t here.” This underscores that
preserving life and fulfilling Hashem’s
will takes precedence over factual
accuracy in such circumstances.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky (Masechet Kutim
30) adds that if one needs to change their
words to fit Hashem’s narrative, they
should try to do so by using expressions
with dual meanings, if possible. For
example, when Yaakov said, “I am Esav,
your firstborn,” this can be interpreted
as “I am Yaakov, and Esav is your
firstborn.” This is not considered lying,
as we explained that altering facts is
permitted in such scenarios. However, it
is still correct to find ways to align with
reality as much as possible.
It is also important to note that the
Torah’s warning against lying primarily
applies to testimonies in a Beit Din or
matters related to financial dealings. It is
not directed at situations where someone
might lie for reasons outside these
contexts.