Half-Truths
Half-Truths
There is no fairness to truth in half-truths.
For despite their appearance of honesty, they do not give a complete understanding of the truth as it is.
Therefore, it is good that in testimony before a court, the oath states that the witness says “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” And the phrase “the whole truth” certainly has its meaning.
As an example of half-truths: at the beginning of my monastic life—while contemplating the life of humility—I wrote these verses:
O dust of the earth, O my ancestor and the ancestor of all people,
You are my origin, you who are older than Adam in age,
And my destiny—you are in the grave when I am laid down therein.
But when I advanced in the life of the spirit, I changed my view and said:
I am not clay, but I dwelt in clay.
I am not clay—I am a spirit that came forth from the mouth of God,
And I shall return to God, living where I once was.
In these two groups of verses, half-truths also appear.
For the human being is not merely a creature made of the dust of the earth alone, nor is he merely a spirit from God, but he is composed of both body and spirit together.
The matter of half-truths, just as it applies to speech, likewise applies to practical life as well.
We will present many examples of this:
Within the family environment, divorce sometimes happens.
Each of the husband and wife casts the blame upon the other.
The wife says that his mistreatment is the cause, while he says her wrong behaviors continually provoked him.
But these mutual accusations represent only half the truth.
The other essential half is that the mutual love that once existed between them—and was the motive for marriage—cooled, then continued to diminish gradually until it vanished, replaced by feelings of discomfort and a desire for separation…
In practical life as well, there are two halves of truth that must both be mentioned: right and duty—that which is yours and that which is upon you.
For example, you may have a right in a certain matter, but on the other hand, you also have a duty or duties…
By the same logic, we speak of action and its corresponding reaction.
You say: “It is our right to strike the enemy of our nation.”
We answer: this is something no one disputes.
But the second half of the truth is that the enemy will not remain silent before our strike; he will respond with blows that may be harsher.
What will the results be?
Will they be in our favor or against us?
Everything should be carefully considered.
Enthusiasm for war must be placed alongside the dangers, costs, and consequences of war—its destruction, ruin, and killing…
A person says: “Life has become tight for me here, and it is better for me to emigrate to have a better life abroad.”
But before this person stands the other half of the truth:
How will he travel? Are immigration procedures easy?
And if you travel abroad, will you find a job suitable for you? Will your academic degree be recognized there? Will you find housing?
Will the environment suit you and your children and their upbringing?
And if life becomes difficult for you there as well and you think of returning to your homeland, will you find your job and home?
Thus, it is not correct to focus on only one half of the truth and ignore the other half and its consequences.
We notice among those involved in journalism that a journalist often focuses on freedom of writing and publishing.
But the other half of the truth is that freedom of expression must be accompanied by integrity and honesty in expression.
If freedom of expression develops into freedom to defame, this is unacceptable to anyone.
In general, freedom is beloved and necessary.
But the other half is the necessity of disciplined freedom, for undisciplined freedom is dangerous and erroneous…
Many call for ideal behavior and its necessity—and this is very good.
But the other half of the truth is the obstacles and hindrances that stand in the way of this.
So those who call for ideals must make the path toward them easier, look for the obstacles that hinder them, and try to find solutions.
There is a great difference between theoretical thinking and practical thinking…
They speak of temptation and constantly say that the cause of a man’s fall is the woman, but they forget the other half of the truth, which is the moral character of the man!
A man of upright character possesses an inner immunity against all the woman’s temptations, whatever they may be.
The purity of his heart prevents him from sin.
But if the man’s morals are corrupted, his desire increases, and his will weakens, then he must not cast the blame for his fall upon the woman…
In study, most people focus on the duty of the student—his studying and diligence.
But the other half of the truth also concerns the school and the teachers:
What of the teacher’s interest and competence in explanation and clarification?
What of the school whose classroom includes sixty students or more, leaving no opportunity for the teacher to attend to each?
Shall we cast all the blame on the student if he does not understand and cannot grasp, thus becoming liable to fail?
And if we add to this the family’s lack of care for his studies—what is his fault?
Focusing on only one cause for a student’s failure or weak performance is impractical; attention must also be given to the other causes…
There are other examples which we mention briefly:
Love of the homeland is a sacred duty upon all its children; but the other half of the truth is the homeland’s duty toward its children—a matter the state must fulfill through all its legislative, executive, and popular institutions.
Order is very necessary and required; but the other half of the truth is: who establishes the order and oversees it?
And also a people who believe in order and accept submitting to it.
All matters of reform require constructive and beneficial proposals.
But who presents the proposals? And who implements them?
Economists see money as the essential backbone of every project, but alongside money there must be hands that manage it and carry it out with skill, integrity, and wisdom.
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