(א) וְדַע, שֶׁאִישׁ אֱמֶת, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה מִצְווֹת בִּשְׁלֵמוּת וּבְכָל הַדִּקְדּוּקִים בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּדַקְדֵּק לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּצְוָה בִּפְנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם, שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת אֱמֶת, שֶׁהַכֹּל אֶחָד אֶצְלוֹ, בֵּין כְּשֶׁעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה לִפְנֵי ה' וּבֵין כְּשֶׁעוֹשֶׂה בִּפְנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם – זֶה הָאִישׁ הָאֱמֶת, יֵשׁ לוֹ כֹּחַ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ לְעַצְמוֹ כָּל הַצְּדָקוֹת, כִּי אֵלּוּ הַצְּדָקוֹת הַנַּ"ל שֶׁהֵם עוֹשִׂין, הִיא עוֹמֶדֶת רְחוֹקָה מֵהֶם וְאֵינָהּ אֶצְלָם, כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הַצְּדָקָה לִמְשֹׁךְ עַצְמָהּ לָאֱמֶת, וּמֵחֲמַת שֶׁהֵם רְחוֹקִים מֵאֱמֶת, הַצְּדָקָה רְחוֹקָה מֵהֶם, וְזֶה הָאִישׁ אֱמֶת מוֹשֵׁךְ לְעַצְמוֹ כָּל הַצְּדָקוֹת, כִּי הַצְּדָקָה נִמְשֶׁכֶת רַק אַחַר הָאֱמֶת.
(ב) וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (ישעיה נט): וּצְדָקָה מֵרָחוֹק תַּעֲמֹד, כִּי כָשְׁלָה בָרְחוֹב אֱמֶת; הַיְנוּ שֶׁהַצְּדָקָה עוֹמֶדֶת מֵרָחוֹק, זֶה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁנִּכְשַׁל בָּרְחוֹב אֱמֶת, כִּי מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאֵין אֱמֶת, עַל־כֵּן הַצְּדָקָה רְחוֹקָה מֵהֶם כַּנַּ"ל:
(ג) וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב: וּצְדָקָה תִּהְיֶה לָנוּ כִּי נִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ (דברים ו). הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָנוּ בְּחִינוֹת אֱמֶת, דְּהַיְנוּ לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת לִפְנֵי ה' לְבַדּוֹ, בְּכָל הַדִּקְדּוּקִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה בִּפְנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם, שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת אֱמֶת כַּנַּ"ל,
(ד) וְזֶה: כִּי נִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ וְכוּ' – לִפְנֵי ה אֱלֹקֵינוּ דַּיְקָא, הַיְנוּ שֶׁנִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת לִפְנֵי ה' לְבַד, בֵּינֵינוּ לְבֵין קוֹנֵנוּ, בְּכָל הַדִּקְדּוּקִים וְהַפְּרָטִים.
(ה) וְזֶהוּ: כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ – הַיְנוּ בְּכָל הַדִּקְדּוּקִים כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת אֱמֶת הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁגַּם כְּשֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַד, הוּא מְדַקְדֵּק בְּכָל הַדִּקְדּוּקִים וְכוּ' כַּנַּ"ל,
(ו) וְאָז: וּצְדָקָה תִּהְיֶה לָנוּ. לָנוּ דַּיְקָא, הַיְנוּ שֶׁנַּמְשִׁיךְ לְעַצְמֵנוּ כָּל הַצְּדָקוֹת, כִּי דֶּרֶךְ הַצְּדָקָה לִמְשֹׁךְ לָאֱמֶת כַּנַּ"ל.
(ז) נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁזֶּה הָאִישׁ אֱמֶת מוֹשֵׁךְ לְעַצְמוֹ הַצְּדָקוֹת, אֲזַי אֵין לָהֶם כֹּחַ הַצְּדָקָה וְאֵין כֹּחַ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּם לְהִתְקַיֵּם כַּנַּ"ל:
(1) 2. Know, too, that a man of truth—this is someone who is as impeccable and meticulous in observing the commandments [in private], between himself and his Maker, as he is when observing the mitzvah in the presence of human beings; for this is the aspect of truth, in that everything is one for him, whether he does the mitzvah before God or he does it in the presence of human beings—this man of truth is able to draw all the charities to himself. This is because the aforementioned charity performed by [the wicked] remains far from them and is not with them. For it is charity’s nature to draw itself to truth, and since they are far from truth, the charity is far from them. Yet, this man of truth draws all the charities to himself, for charity is drawn only to the truth.
(2) This is the aspect of “and charity will stay far away, for truth has stumbled in the street” (Isaiah 59:14). That is, the reason charity stays far away is because truth has stumbled in the street. Since there is no truth, charity is therefore far away from them, as explained above.
(3) And this is as it is written (Deuteronomy 6:25), “It will be our charity when we safeguard and observe this entire mitzvah before God our Lord, as He has commanded us”—i.e., when we possess the aspect of truth. For safeguarding and observing all the commandments before God alone, in every detail, just as one does in the presence of human beings—this is the aspect of truth, as explained above.
(4) This is: when we safeguard and observe this entire mitzvah before God our Lord, as He has commanded us…—Specifically “before God our Lord”—i.e., we are careful to observe all the commandments that are solely before God, between ourselves and our Maker, with all the details and particulars.
(5) And this is: as He has commanded us—That is, with all the details, as God has commanded us—i.e., the aforementioned aspect of truth. That also when a person observes the mitzvah solely before God, he is meticulous about all the details, etc., as explained above.
(6) And then: It will be our charity—Specifically “our”—i.e., we draw all the charities to ourselves, for it is charity’s nature to draw [itself] to truth, as explained above.
(7) Thus it is that when the man of truth draws the charities to himself, [the wicked] then lack charity’s power and their thoughts are unable to prevail, as explained above.
(א) וְגַם נֵצַח יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יְשַׁקֵּר (שמואל א ט״ו:כ״ט):
(ב) כִּי זֶה יָדוּעַ, שֶׁמִּדַּת הַנִּצָּחוֹן אֵינָהּ סוֹבֶלֶת הָאֱמֶת, כִּי אַף אִם יֵרָאֶה לָעֵינַיִם דְּבַר אֱמֶת, יִדְחֶה אוֹתוֹ מֵחֲמַת הַנִּצָּחוֹן, וְזֶה מְבֹרָר מְאֹד.
(ג) אַךְ לֹא כְּמִדַּת בָּשָׂר וָדָם מִדַּת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא אַף בְּהַנִּצָּחוֹן הוּא אֱמֶת, וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁקֵּר, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
(ד) וְזֶהוּ: וְגַם נֵצַח יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יְשַׁקֵּר.
(1) “V’gam Netzach Yisrael (Also the Victor of Israel) does not lie.” (1 Samuel 15:29)
(2) It is known that the attribute of victory cannot countenance the truth. For even if a person clearly recognizes something as true, he will reject it because of [his desire to always achieve] victory. This is very clear.
(3) However, the attribute of the Holy One cannot be likened to the attribute of flesh and blood. This is because even in victory, the Holy One is true and does not lie, Heaven forefend.
(4) This is the meaning of: “Also the Victor of Israel does not lie.”
רַבֵּנוּ אָמַר: "הָעוֹלָם אוֹמְרִים שֶׁצַּדִּיק אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִטְעוֹת, וּבְאִם הוּא טוֹעֶה הֲרֵי אֵינוֹ צַדִּיק "וֶוערְט עֶר אוֹיס צַדִּיק", אֲנִי אוֹמֵר שֶׁצַּדִּיק כֵּן יָכוֹל לִטְעוֹת וּבְאִם הוּא טוֹעֶה עֲדַיִן צַדִּיק הוּא "וֶוערְט עֶר נִישְׁט אוֹיס צַדִּיק".
(שיח שרפי קודש א:מו)
Our Rabbi said: "Everyone says that a righteous person is not capable of making mistakes, and if he errs, he is therefore not a righteous person." I say, that a righteous person is capable of making mistakes, and if he does err, he is still a righteous person.
(Siach Sarfei Kodesh 1:46)
Although it’s difficult, changing our minds is not impossible. The challenge is to find a way to live with uncertainty, make the most informed decisions we can, and modify them when the scientific evidence dictates—as our leading researchers are already doing. Admitting we were wrong requires some self-reflection—which involves living with the dissonance for a while rather than jumping immediately to a self-justification.
Understanding how dissonance operates reveals a few practical lessons for overcoming it, starting by examining the two dissonant cognitions and keeping them separate. We call this the “Shimon Peres solution.” Peres, Israel’s former prime minister, was angered by his friend Ronald Reagan’s disastrous official visit to a cemetery in Bitburg, Germany, where members of the Waffen SS were buried. When asked how he felt about Reagan’s decision to go there, Peres could have reduced dissonance in one of the two most common ways: thrown out the friendship or minimized the seriousness of the friend’s action. He did neither. “When a friend makes a mistake,” he said, “the friend remains a friend, and the mistake remains a mistake.” Peres’s message conveys the importance of staying with the dissonance, avoiding easy knee-jerk responses, and asking ourselves, Why am I believing this? Why am I behaving this way? Have I thought it through or am I simply taking a short cut, following the party line, or justifying the effort I put in to join the group?
("The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in the Pandemic" By Elliot Aronson and Carol Tavris, TheAtlantic.com)