Parshat Re'eh- Dignity
by Rabbi Lobel

“You shall seek out, investigate, and inquire well, and behold it is true, the word is correct.” (Deuteronomy 13:15) This verse is in reference to investigating abominations done by a whole congregation of people in your midst. Rashi explains that this warning applies to all judicial inquiries.

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 29:1) states that courts are supposed to eradicate corruption in false testimonies. There are a series of threats placed in front of witnesses to make sure their allegations are correct. Rav Yehuda says we scare them - if they lie, their false words will bring starvation to the world. Rava says this threat will not scare witnesses because they may think the famine will not affect them. Rather, Rava suggests we threaten them that G-d will send sickness and death to the world. Rav Ashi warns the witnesses may not heed to such a threat either. He suggests we threaten them with the fact that if they lie, even if they do not get caught, they will be considered low lives by those who had corrupted them or paid them to lie.

Rav Ashi’s position is hard to understand. A witness prepared to offer false testimony might not be affected by the threat of starvation, might not be scared of disease, but would be afraid to lose respect in the eyes of the people he’s helping?

A person could recover from famine and disease but he will never recover the loss of his integrity. No matter what he does or the life he leads, somebody will always know what he did. Even if he is able to keep his actions secret amongst only those who know the truth, he will bear the shame of his false testimony for the rest of his days. And he will always live in fear that others may discover the truth.

As Rav Ashi shows, a witness who gives false testimony will never be perceived as the same person again by others. He will lose a part of his self respect that he can never recover. Even those he helped will know that he is a liar and can sell himself to lie in the future. Whatever incentives or reasons a person can have for lying on the stand, can they ever be worth losing your dignity?