...truth, the truth of the truth, and peace...
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov said: there is truth, the truth of the truth, and peace. Truth is: a kid stole an apple. The truth of the truth is: the kid was hungry. Peace is: Nobody stole anything; give the kid an apple!" (Heard from Reb Shlomo Carlebach - picked up at Kolel)What is the Truth? And why would we rather pursue the Truth than achieve Peace? And what is Rebbe Nachman trying to teach us here?
I think that we most often look for the truth without looking for the reason for the truth or for the peaceful way to solve human interaction is because we have been told that the Truth is somehow Sacred. Someone hurt us. Why? What lay behind the action or words that hurt - what was in the other's heart? Perhaps they were having a bad day at work, and simply didn't have enough emotional energy to keep it in when they interacted with us. Perhaps they are going through a really tough time at home. Or they might be just under a lot of stress in general. That is the Truth of the Truth. Perhaps we find it difficult to extend the benefit of a doubt, because to do so would mean admitting that not just the people around us are weak, but that we are?
I think he is trying to teach us that there are offenses and there are offenses, and before we judge whether a real offense has been committed, we need to weigh the circumstances and that in most cases, dismissing any allegations or thoughts that an offense has been committed is preferable, because it gives all involved Peace. I also think he is trying to convey a Principle about G-d.
G-d works from the angle of Peace. He looks at our offenses and because we turn to Him with our shortcomings He says: Nothing happened here - here, have a blessing!". The biggest problem is that we don't work from that angle, and therefore we have great trouble rrealizing that G-d does. We treat our fellow humans from the "the truth is the truth is the truth", instead of looking beyond the Rock-Hard truth and see the Person.
G-d always sees the Person. May we learn to do so too.
Shalom!