When considering foundational Jewish texts about justice, Deuteronomy 16:20 immediately comes to mind: “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” Rebbe Yehuda Leib Alter of Ger, the 19th century Chasidic master known as the Sefat Emet, suggests this verse teaches that “the quest for justice and truth is endless.”
Are justice and truth related? Are they the same? The Sefat Emet references a different rebbe of the previous century, Rabbi Simchah Bunim of Pshischa, who says, “With justice, you shall pursue justice. Even the pursuit of justice must employ only just means, and not falsehood.”
In other words, achieving just outcomes requires us to pursue justice honestly, with attention to discovering the truth of things. An early midrash (Genesis Rabbah 8,5) features both justice and truth personified, characters in a heavenly debate about whether humanity ought to be created at all:
“Rabbi Simon said: When the Holy One of Blessing came to create Adam, the first man, the ministering angels divided into various factions and various groups. Some of them were saying: ‘Let him not be created,’ and some of them were saying: ‘Let him be created.’ That is what is written:’Kindness (chesed) and truth (emet) meet; justice (tzedek) and peace (shalom) kiss.” (Psalms 85:11). Kindness said: ‘Let him be created, as he performs acts of kindness.’ Truth said: ‘Let him not be created, as he is all full of lies.’ Justice said: ‘Let him be created, as he performs acts of justice.’ Peace said: ‘Let him not be created, as he is all full of discord.’
“What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He took Truth and cast it down to earth. That is what is written: ‘You cast truth earthward.’ (Daniel 8:12). The ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the Universe, why are You demeaning Your very seal? Let Truth ascend from the earth.’ That is what is written: ‘Truth springs up from the earth.’” (Psalms 85:12)” Bereishit Rabbah 8.
In the legend, God breaks the tie, casting truth to the ground. But the ministering angels challenge God in the story. “Isn’t truth your very seal?” It seems heaven is not in danger of compromising on truth. Earth, on the other hand, could use a bit more. The Psalm quoted at the end of the midrash includes a second clause: “Truth springs up from the earth; justice looks down from heaven” (85:12). Justice is truth’s heavenly partner. Justice yearns for truth to ascend, perhaps to meet her halfway.
Seeking the truth about history, policy and law can have a positive effect. Spreading lies or insisting that anything one claims as true is actually true imperils our pursuit of justice. Our commentators like Rashi, writes an Atlanta colleague Rabbi Ari Kaiman, often suggest another possibility, but this should not be construed as a sort of empirical relativism.
“We don’t have to abandon truth simply because there exists a davar acher, another possibility. On the contrary, davar acher does not mean that there is no truth, or that there are multiple truths, rather that there are multiple perspectives to find our way to the same truth. The work of our time is to not abandon truth altogether, but to find it sprouting from the earth. … ”
Pursuit of justice must go hand in hand with the pursuit of truth. We live in a time when the very notion of truth is being called into question. Some insist, “Everything I personally feel to be true must be true.” Others question long-established scientific facts or historical evidence. Ignominious foreign actors are gearing up for this fall’s election to sow confusion once more. It is essential we remain focused on heaven’s true north: justice. But doing so requires us to seek out truth, that which can be found on earth but yearns for the divine, grows toward heaven.
“Even when one attains a level of truth, they must seek deeper understanding, as God’s seal is truth,” teaches the Sefat Emet. “True justice involves becoming wholly dedicated to God.” Being dedicated to God, I would add, is to be relentless in our pursuit of truth, but humble in claiming our possession of it.
Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg is spiritual leader of Beth Am Synagogue in Reservoir Hill. This column and others also can be found on his blog, The Urban Rabbi.
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