B"H
Thursday, Sivan 12, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / June 1, 2023
During the summer months, we recite a chapter of the Pirkei Avot every Shabbat. One of the teachings of the Talmudic sage, Hillel The Elder, in the second chapter of Pirkei Avot, (sometimes called “Ethics of our Fathers), is, “Do not judge your fellow until you come to his place.”
In other words, if we see someone doing something wrong or something which in our eyes seems wrong, we should not judge them, unless we are in their place; in their position and have experienced what they experience.
Too often we judge others negatively, without giving any thought as to why they acted that way. Hillel tells us that if we put ourselves in their position, we may see that perhaps it wasn’t their fault, as we originally thought. Or perhaps, the fault we see in others, may be our own faults which we don’t see in ourselves but we see in others.
A man came to the doctor and complained that his wife has a hearing problem.
“How do you know she has a hearing problem?” asked the doctor.
“How do I know? I talk to her, and she doesn’t answer. Surely, she has a hearing problem. But she refuses to see a doctor, claiming that she has no problem for she hears perfectly well,” he replied.
The doctor thought for a while and said, “I want you to conduct the following test. Ask her something from across the room. If she doesn’t reply, get a few feet closer and ask her again. Get closer and closer to her, a few feet each time, this way you’ll be able to judge how bad her hearing is.”
The next day the man asks his wife from across the room, “What’s for supper tonight?” No answer. He walks a few feet closer, “My dear, what’s for supper?” No answer. He goes another few feet forward and asks the same question. No reply. Finally, he gets within a foot of her and screams, “What’s for supper?”
She yells back at him, “What’s with your hearing. For the seventh time… chicken and potatoes!!!”
Too many times, we see faults in others and judge them negatively, when the faults may in fact be with us!
Hillel teaches us, get close to him. Get into his shoes and you may see things very differently. When you consider the person’s background or conditions, you may realize that the flaw you see is not as bad as you think. You may even see that the fact that you perceived him or her in a negative light may actually be a result of something lacking within yourself!
We should always heed to Hillel’s teaching, “Do not judge your fellow until you come to his place.”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY