Equal Opportunity
In this week’s Torah reading, Parshat Mishpatim, the Torah warns a judge to reject false claims. It would be superfluous to say that one cannot accept outright false claims. Rashi (1040-1105, a leading biblical commentator) explains that the Torah is warning a judge that he should not listen to the claims of one party without the other one being present.
The Rambam (Sefer Hamitzvot, Lo Ta’aseh 281) explains the reason for this prohibition is because if the other party is not able to immediately share his side of the story, the judge’s first impression will be slanted falsely towards the first claim he hears, when judging the case.
First Impressions
The Ralbag (a medieval Torah scholar and philosopher) interprets a verse in Proverbs in a similar manner. The verse says (18:17), “The first one is righteous in his dispute, and his friend comes and is interrogated.” The Ralbag explains that the first party to present his case to the judge will be considered justified, and when the other one comes later, it will require much examination to challenge the first claim. In other words, once a first impression is made, it is not so easy to have it changed. Therefore, if one party has an opportunity to make a first impression on the judge in his favor, the judgment cannot be fair, because the judge’s mind will automatically lean in favor of his claim.
Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz derives a great lesson from here, not just for judges, but for everyone. Everyone is biased in accordance with their first impression. If you had an assumption that something was a certain way, it will require effort and discipline to change the way you think, even if it’s obviously true. This is a product of our ego. It requires humility to admit that we were wrong.
Old Views Die Hard
The place where awareness of this concept is most important is when it comes to our views and attitudes. If we believed in certain values, and we are taught that they are wrong, we have a hard time letting go of our original attitudes. If we made certain decisions in life, and we later face someone who challenges their merit, we feel compelled to defend the position we originally took. Objectively speaking, there is no reason why our first perceptions should be more correct than the later ones. The only difference is that if the new perspectives are correct, that would mean that we will have to admit that we were mistaken at some point, and human nature is loath to doing so. People will even act in the most foolish ways of denial, at their own expense, just to spare themselves from admitting that they were wrong.
The Humble Rabbi
Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach taught in a Yeshivah (school for Talmud study) and would lecture on the topics being studied. Although he may not have been able to be proven wrong, he loved the truth, and insisted on only delivering theories he was certain were absolutely true. Frequently, after giving a lecture, he would let his students know that he thinks he may have been mistaken.
He was sought after as a leading rabbi of his time for many decisions in many areas. Here too, it was not uncommon for him to retract his original position. Rabbi Shlomo Lorentz once questioned this practice since there is concern that if people see him changing his mind about his opinions, they wouldn’t rely on his positions so much in the first place. Rabbi Shach was undeterred and said, “There is nothing which justifies remaining with a mistake!”
The Courage to Admit I was Wrong
This is a challenge we all face, and it is imperative that we recognize it. As we see from the Torah’s instruction to judges, it means overcoming human nature. Just because we perceived matters were a certain way, it is not a reason why it should necessarily be right. The fact that we formulated certain perspectives, is not a reason in its own right that they should be correct. When faced with a view which challenges our original position, instead of defending the latter blindly, be open to that fact that you may have been wrong. The first impression is not necessarily the correct impression, even if your ego insists otherwise.
By Rabbi Yitzchok Aryeh Strimber torah4every1@gmail.com
