On “The Good Place”, it’s the classic lying episode, and on the podcast Jon and Rebecca jump off from the Talmud’s analysis of white lies to talk about truth and relationships, how and when we tell people important truths, and how truth emerges between people not just by telling.
Text: Babylonian Talmud, Ketubot 16b-17a
(Click the link for the text in context, and head to our lexicon for background. As was mentioned in the podcast, the source here is both sexist and ableist; many have been able to take it out of its original framework as we hope we have.)
The Sages learned: How does one sing while dancing in front of the bride? Beit Shammai say: The bride as she is, and Beit Hillel say: “A beautiful and devoted/pious bride.” Beit Shammai said to Beit Hillel: If the bride was lame or blind, would one say to her: “A beautiful and devoted/pious bride”? Rather the Torah states: “Keep far from a false word” (Exodus 23:7). Beit Hillel said to Beit Shammai: According to your statement, with regard to one who acquired an inferior item from the market, should another praise it for his eyes or denigrate it in his eyes? You must say that he should praise it in his eyes. From here the Sages said: A person’s disposition should always be interwoven with fellow creatures/humanity.
Deeper Dives
Rabbi Louis Jacobs, “Truth and Lies in the Jewish Tradition” reprinted at myjewishlearning.com — a good overview of Talmudic sources
Classic philosophical works on lying include Immanuel Kant’s “On the Supposed Right to Lie From Benevolent Motives” and Sisela Bok’s must-read tour de force book, Lying. Here is an interview of her by Bill Moyers as well.
Here is the call to action that Rebecca referenced from Central Synagogue teens:
