This week’s Torah portion is Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23) which contains the Ten Commandments. Each day, a member of the Wise clergy will share their insights on one of the commandments.

In Hebrew, the Ninth Commandment is

לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר׃
(Exodus 20:13)

It is often translated as “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” However, that simple English translation leaves much to the imagination.

As with many principles in the Bible, texts scattered throughout the book help us understand a particular sentence under examination. This text is often seen as an expansion of and explanation of the Ninth Commandment: “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.” (Exodus 23:1-3)

So the prohibition is not against merely lying, in fact, Judaism even endorses a white lie for the purposes of maintaining peace between people. Our tradition, however, objects vehemently to perjury. That is the presentation of false information meant to knowingly damage another person’s legal standing, reputation, or stature. Whether or not one actually takes an oath in the perpetration of the lie is not clarified by the text but is certainly a part of later understandings of perjury.

No text could have more relevance in our world today as the internet reveals itself as a platform for the malicious dissemination of misinformation that maligns reputations and undercuts facts. The very ease with which we spread the misinformation—and the anonymity afforded to us—exacerbates its destructiveness and danger.

So, if you have ever asserted that the Ten Commandments are important guidelines for life, if you’ve ever even offered lip service to the relevance of Jewish values, it is imperative that you pause and reflect on the meaning of these ancient words. Doing so before you like, or forward, or write something about another person (whether they be a neighbor across the street or a distant fellow citizen) and resisting the temptation to do so even if it’s just a slight exaggeration of untruth reflects not only your own moral rectitude, but ensures that a few fewer eyes “bear witness” to damaging words.

— Rabbi Ron Stern