The Most Important Question We Refuse to Ask: Was I Wrong? | 10@9 | 2026.08.10

Last time we asked whether admitting a mistake makes a leader - or any of us - weaker. Why does Moshe repeatedly remind the Jewish people throughout Devarim of where they failed, while also speaking openly about his own failures? Daniel Gordis recently did something that is much harder than pointing out where other people went wrong. Prompted by a news story in Israel, he turned the question on himself: Was I wrong? He revisited four contentious issues on which he had taken positions in recent years and seriously considered whether he had misunderstood something, failed to think deeply enough, or dismissed people whose arguments deserved more consideration. That may be exactly what Moshe is teaching us. Remembering our mistakes is not about guilt, humiliation, or proving that the other side was right. It is about learning. The people most in need of asking "Was I wrong?" may be those of us most certain that we weren't. If we refuse to question our own conclusions, we give ourselves very little chance of becoming wiser - and every chance of repeating our mistakes. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.