In recent weeks, the new reality of AI has dominated both the secular news and our own Torah voices. In this major purveyor of daas Torah itself, several articles in the same issue, statements by members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and other responses, including my own modest contribution, indicated that this newest incursion into and erosion of the uniqueness of the tzelem Elokim is not disappearing anytime soon. If anything, one of the most powerful newspapers published a column entitled “Worries Grow About How Fast AI Can Move.” Not only are many people concerned that their jobs will soon be overtaken by hunks of metal and plastic, but that, like some secular dybbuk, mankind’s soul is being highjacked forever. People are consulting with these substitutes for human beings and allowing themselves to be guided by empty shells. One of these secular organs highlighted a picture of an old woman with the caption “An AI companion and Roommate.”

This is not another such column. Chazal often teach us that the best refuah must come before the makkah. If the pen name for this makkah is sheker, the refuah must be emes. Let’s therefore strengthen our own commitment to the truth in all circumstances and aspects of our lives. Although we will try to proceed chronologically throughout our history, discovering how to fight falsehood and embrace veracity, we will begin with a characteristic Brisker story.

In the year 5652 (1892), Rav Chaim Soloveitchik was about to follow his father, the Bais Halevi, as the rov of the prestigious city of Brisk. This was a historic moment, because the “Brisker derech,” what was to become the most accepted approach to limud haTorah, would forever be associated with Rav Chaim Brisker.

However, before accepting what seemed to be a natural transition, Rav Chaim insisted that the city fathers also bring in Rav Simcha Zelig Rieger as the av bais din. This appointment actually continued even after Rav Chaim’s passing, into the reign of his son, Rav Yitzchok Zev, also known as the Brisker Rov. Together, Rav Chaim and Rav Velvel, as he was popularly known, formed the Brisker dynasty which has just been renewed once again with the union of two of the branches of this royal family of Klal Yisroel. Why did Rav Chaim make sure that Rav Simcha Zelig would lead the Brisker bais din and in effect be the posek of the city? The surprising answer was not Rav Rieger’s tzidkus, lomdus or even ability to give responses to halachic queries. It was his commitment to the absolute truth. It was well known that if he felt that he had erred in some matter, he would announce it immediately with the admission, “I was wrong.” Starting a new approach to Torah study and teaching required another objective observer who would never hesitate to correct the new young rov. That is the commitment to emes that resulted over the past century and a half in tens of thousands of talmidei chachomim learning with the single goal of discovering and promulgating the truth.

The entire foundation of the world is built upon our commitment to truth. The holy Zohar (Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 63) states that Hashem created the world with and for truth. It elevates all the worlds, above and below, but falsehood destroys its structure and fabric. In another place (Mikeitz 201b), the Zohar adds, “When someone is honest, Hashem protects him. Those who are honest will be fortunate and will not have any worries in this world or the next.” If we wish for peace, tranquility, hope and healing, we must practice honesty. “When mankind follows this regimen, Hashem treats His creatures kindly with compassion, saves them from pain and suffering, and goodness comes to the world” (Yalkut, Tehillim 834).

We know that Yaakov Avinu’s middah was emes (Micha 7:20, Taanis 5b). He became the merkavah — meaning the vehicle — for all truth in the world and merited being the father of all twelve shevatim (Shaarei Orah 7). In fact, if we are careful never to tell a lie, we will always be trusted by people (Rabbeinu Yonah, Mishlei 12:19) and Hashem will help him avoid any sins (Sefer Chassidim 648, Yaaros Devash 1:15).Even Yaakov Avinu, who was the embodiment of truth, was not allowed to deviate from the truth except that his mother, following divine revelation, commanded him to do so, in order that Eisav not receive the brachos and wreak havoc upon the world.

Why is there so much falsehood in the world? The good news is that we must be nearing the coming of Moshiach (Sotah 49b). If it is the out and out lies of politicians, especially anti-Semites or the new plague of AI, the power of falsehood in the world senses that its time will soon be up, when the world will be filled with emes. Thus, we must be aware that sheker will be rearing its ugly head more and more until the geulah sheleimah. We know that Hashem’s seal is truth. Why is this? The Chofetz Chaim taught that anything in the world can be imitated, but if someone imitates the truth, it is by definition no longer the absolute truth. Therefore, it is the seal of Hashem, since it is the only thing that cannot be copied, forged or made from or into something else.

In fact, Rav Yisroel Hager, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, points out that the first word in Parshas Nitzavim is atem, the letters of the word emes. This signifies that if one tells the truth, his words will be accepted and he will always be respected. We must always be careful to examine not only our actual speech, but even our motives. We find that Yaakov Avinu was afraid of Eisav because he performed two mitzvos, honoring his father and living in Eretz Yisroel. The meforshim ask: Why was Yaakov afraid? Surely, he, like the other avos, fulfilled the entire Torah, so why did he think that Eisav’s two would outweigh his 613? The answer is that, despite Eisav’s general evil-doing, he did these mitzvos with the proper intent, not for gain or prestige. Therefore, Yaakov, like all tzaddikim throughout the ages, was nervous that perhaps his own mitzvos were not done with absolute integrity.

Two poskim, several generations apart, experienced the same divine test. Anti-Semitism has always been with us. During the days of Rav Avrohom Chaim Shorr, the author of the Toras Chaim and many other seforim, an enemy of Klal Yisroel who was the local depot, spotted the rabbi and screamed at him, “Ein Yude?” meaning, “Are you a Jew?” In his fear, he answered, “Kein Yude,” which to the anti-Semite meant, “No, I am not,” but in Yiddish meant, “Yes, I am” (Chiddushei Toras Chaim to Avodah Zarah 17a).

Similarly, when Rav Menashe Klein, the rov of Ungvar, was a young man under the Nazi rule, he had blond hair and blue eyes and could be mistaken for a gentile. A well-armed Nazi suspected that he might be Jewish and also demanded, “Ein Jude?” Rav Klein gave the same answer as the Toras Chaim. However, later, he worried if he should have given up his life rather than deny his heritage. Of course, he spoke ambiguously to save his life, but he still worried if he had the right to do that. Later in life, he wrote up an entire responsum in his magnum opus, Mishneh Halachos, to defend his action.

This is how far gedolei Yisroel have gone to avoid sheker and to embrace only emes.

Although there is a mitzvah to properly eulogize someone who was a good person, many gedolei Yisroel weighed their words extremely carefully not to exaggerate, let alone lie. Rav Yisroel Salanter was giving a hesped and said simply that the deceased was an adam yoshor, a decent, honorable man. Then he caught himself and explained, “I meant that it seems to me that he was a decent, honorable man.” Even at a person’s funeral, he wanted to be precise. He couldn’t really say that someone was a certain way. All he could really testify about was that he thinks he was decent and honorable (Tenuas Hamussar, Volume 1, pages 345-347). These were our role models of yesteryear. We would do well to follow their example in this world of rampant sheker. If emes is always our guide, we will triumph over AI iy”H, much better letters indeed.

Finally, we may learn from one of the great baalei mussar and a talmid of Rav Yisroel Salanter, Rav Simcha Zissel, the Alter of Kelm. He was visiting an ill man who had been moaning and groaning in his agony. After the Alter left, the man ceased groaning and seemed to be improving. People asked the Alter if he had become a Chassidic rebbe and pulled off a miracle. “No, not really,” he answered. I simply asked, “Is it possible, Reb Shmerel, that you are exaggerating a little bit? Are all of those groans necessary and really coming because of your pain?” The man admitted that he was just eliciting compassion from the people who were visiting. Thereupon the Alter explained to him that this, too, is considered sheker and will not help him get well. The man ceased his groaning and in fact experienced a refuah sheleimah.

Let us also make sure that all we say and do is emes and Hashem will surely repay us with our being respected, held in high esteem, and never have to worry about enemies again.