Peace vs. Truth
This week’s Parsha discusses the purification process of a Metzora who has gotten leprosy, often as a result of speaking Loshon Hara. The first step in the process is to go to a Kohen and have him determine if it is leprosy. Even if the Kohen is not a Talmid Chachom there is still an obligation to go to him. Why?
One of the commentators [I believe it is the Sakachaver Rebbe] explains that often the rational of a Baal Lashon Hara is that the lashon hara is true and ‘for the sake of truth I have to expose him and tell people about him. In fact the sign of Hashem is emes [truth] so we see emes is very important.’
Therefore the Torah says, send him to the Kohen regardless of whether he is a Talmid Chachom, as all Kohanim are descendants of Aharon who loved and pursued peace even at the expense of emes. [Aharon at times would even alter the truth for the sake of peace.] Hence the lesson for the Baal Lashon Hara is, that there is something more important than Emes. Granted Emes is the sign of Hashem, but Shalom-peace which is the name of Hashem, is a much higher level.
May we all take this lesson to heart to realize that although saying the truth is very important, at times being at peace with people takes precedence.
