Two Types of Truth

There was once a Kotzker chassid who could not bring himself to accept Rav Wolf Strikover as a Rebbe after the Kotzker's passing. When he was asked what fault he found with the tzaddik, he answered, "I cannot believe that anyone else could be as truthful and sincere as the Kotzker. After his truth, there can be no other."

These words reached the Strikover. One day the chassid grew very ill and was confined to bed. He sent his son to ask the Strikover to daven for his recovery. The tzaddik read the kvittel and answered that the chassid must come himself, "and if he cannot make it here on his own, tell him that they should carry him here in his sickbed." The chassid heard this and agreed. When he arrived before the Strikover, Rav Wolf said to him:

"You surely know the parshah of Metzora in the Torah. You surely also know that the metzora is afflicted because he spoke lashon hara, evil words of forbidden speech. This is a strange turn of events, since lashon hara refers to truthful statements. It means that this man has been afflicted with tzaraas for the sin of walking around telling the truth all day long.

"Nonetheless, for this kind of truth he is punished with tzaraas, and you know what the tikkun is for such a person, right? He is brought before the kohen. Now, it is known that part of the kohen's work is not to speak the truth. All day long the kohen is busy making peace between Jews, between neighbors, friends, and husbands and wives. To do so, he must slightly alter what each of them said, bending the truth for the sake of peace. It is further known that if the truthful one subjugates himself before the one who bends the truth, he is healed. Now do you understand?"

The chassid expressed his sincere regret and accepted the Rebbe's authority, and he was healed.