כא וְאַתָּה תֶחֱזֶה מִכָּל-הָעָם אַנְשֵׁי-חַיִל יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים, אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת--שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע; וְשַׂמְתָּ עֲלֵהֶם, שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת, שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים, וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת
Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens (Exodus 18:21).
The Kotsker Rebbe asks: "There is only one truth. If so, why are there men of truth who are rulers of thusands, men of truth who rule over hundreds and ones who rule over tens? Isn't all truth the same? "
He answered - there are three types of truth: those who do not lie, those who speak the truth and those who fight for the truth.
(Quoted from the ArtScroll biography of R. Moshe Sherer, p.140)
Aside:Did you know there was another biography of R. Moshe Sherer? see here
Avakesh comments:
The Kotsker only tells us of three kinds of "men of truth" but the possuk has four: the heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Which then is the fourth man of truth?
I would say that it is he who lives a lie but tolerates the truth.
That is also a man of truth!
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