A couple of months ago, I asked a Rabbi a question and he gave me an answer. When I saw him later that week, he said to me, “I was wrong. The answer is something else.” Why did I love that moment?

By telling me he was wrong and giving me the correct answer, he made several statements. He did not care what I thought about his being wrong. He respected my right to have the correct answer. He also showed his integrity by correcting himself and learning from his mistake.

Talmudic learning is done in pairs. Each person discusses his view on what the Talmud said, and many times there is a difference of opinion as to what the Talmud meant. Sometimes one person realizes his explanation is not valid. This happens several times during a study session. The most valuable aspect of this interaction is the ability to acknowledge you were wrong and to accept the correct interpretation. The search for truth involves a bumpy road.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting with my primary care physician and we were having a discussion about doctors. He told me his patients deserve to have a second opinion, because that will provide peace of mind if the first diagnosis is correct. It may also provide a better answer. He then said “A doctor that does not approve of getting a second opinion is a doctor worth leaving. He or she needs to know if the advice was incorrect.”

This week’s Torah reading talks about confessing a sin, saying “I was wrong.” Then you need to do something about it. Correct your mistake.

To quote Rabbi Joseph Telushkin ,“We all need to be more humble.” Saying, “I was wrong,” is humbling, constructive, and endearing. It is a beautiful phrase.