Today's world is one of extremes, and judgement is no exception. Judgement, particularly in the religious realm, is portrayed to have two extremes. The first is one that is associated with those on the right of the religious spectrum. For those people who take this approach, many who can be labeled as religious fundamentalists, all judgements are black and white. If you don't fall within the very narrow path of what is expected, you're not only wrong, but you have been forsaken by G-d and your rebellious behavior will harshly be dealt with either in this life or the next. Then you have the other side, the more religiously liberal side, to the point where some are so open-minded that their brains fall out. Many on this extreme have either abandoned G-d or try to fit their notion of G-d into their worship of liberal secularism, like so many of my fellow Jews in the Reform movement have sadly done. This side of the extreme are hesitant to make judgements on others. Their sense of religious pluralism is so strong that they will even believing in other religions' tenets or even partake in certain aspects of their religious practices. They are the ones who will tell you "Who are you to judge? You've made mistakes before. Get off your high-horse, you holier-than-thou hypocrite." This sort of attitude à l'extrême, of course, is dangerous because without any sense of judgement, you can't even say that theft or murder are morally wrong.
These sorts of extremes don't fit within the Jewish framework. To be sure, Judaism doesn't advocate the two previously mentioned approaches. Although there are many Jewish approaches to life, one that I like to personally take is the Maimonidean concept of the golden mean, which I'm sure he took from Aristotle. The principle states that in terms of acheiving an ends, the means you take are within a desirable middle between two extremes. [SIDE NOTE: Read Ecclesiastes 3! Not only will you get a good idea of what I'm talking about when it comes to the middle road, but you'll also realize that The Byrds were not being original when they wrote the song Turn, Turn, Turn] The issue of judgement also follows suit. In order to do so, we need a look at Jewish sources on judgementalism.
We first and foremost have to deal with the fact that the Torah commands us to make judgements:
לֹא-תַעֲשׂוּ עָוֶל, בַּמִּשְׁפָּט--לֹא-תִשָּׂא פְנֵי-דָל, וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָדוֹל: בְּצֶדֶק, תִּשְׁפֹּט עֲמִיתֶךָ.
"You shall not do any unrighteousness in judgment; you shall not respect the person of the poor, nor favor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness you shall judge your neighbour." -Leviticus 19:15
Judgements are an essential component of Judaism. A G-d-fearing Jew believes that the Almighty created us in His image, and as such, gave us the free will to follow what He dictates an absolute, objective sense of right and wrong. It's why the beit din, rabbinic court, has been around for generations, and why Judaism has such an extensive legal corpus. It's why Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says that "[it] is no coincidence that in the Hebrew Bible, G-d reveals Himself primarily in the form of laws, for Judaism is concerned not just with salvation (society as a vehicle for its relationship with G-d), but also with redemption (society as a vehicle for the Divine Presence). A law-governed society is a place of mishpat."
To paraphrase Rabbi Sacks: Without judgements, there would be no Judaism!
The Torah is a blueprint of how best to live one's life. It is a guide that lays out His laws, and yes, that does entail judging others. At this point, it doesn't seem like I have laid out the slightest inkling of a golden mean . But that's because I haven't arrived at the best part: When it comes to Judaism, it is not a matter of if we should judge others, but rather how we should judge others. Judgments should be made fairly, as well as in perspective. What exactly do I mean by that? A few verses to help us better grasp the idea:
והוי דן את כל האדם לכף זכות. "And judge all men meritoriously ." (Pirke Avot 1:6) Alternate translation: "Judge the whole of a person favorably."
כִּי אָדָם, אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ--אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה-טּוֹב, וְלֹא יֶחֱטָא. - "There is no man on earth that is so righteous that he doesn't sin." (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
ואל תדין את חברך עד שתגיע למקומו. - "Do not judge a fellow man until you have been in his place." (Pirke Avot 2:4)
"A fault that you have, don't go pointing it out in others." -Bava Metzia 59b
"May I see the good traits of others and not their defects." -Elimelch of Lizhensk, 18th-century Chasidic rabbi
והוי שפל רוח בפני כל אדם. "Be humble of spirit before all." (Pirke Avot 4:10)
Concluding thoughts: The Infinite One, blessed be He, has given us an objective sense of right and wrong in the Torah, and subsequently elaborated upon in a myriad of other Jewish texts, both halachic and aggadic. There is a mitzvah to make judgements, and that is an inescapable part of being a Jew. However, when making judgments, a few things have to be realized. One, we are all human and we all make mistakes. The righteous, who lead an overall wholesome, blameless life, will even make mistakes once in a while. That is why when judging anybody, you need to do your utmost to judge the whole of a person, rather than just a blip in time. Maybe that "idiot" who cut you off was rushing to the hospital because his wife is in labor. Maybe that "moronic cashier" just broke off his engagement and is disgruntled. There is a reason why the Sages tell us to judge deliberately (Pirke Avot 1:1) rather than capriciously. If you were in a particular situation that you are judging, ask yourself "How would it feel to be in such and such a situation?" "Would I handle myself as well as this person if faced with this?" Asking yourself these questions and bringing a degree a fairness to your judgments will humble your soul as well as keep you on an even keel.
ואל תדין את חברך עד שתגיע למקומו. - "Do not judge a fellow man until you have been in his place." (Pirke Avot 2:4)
"A fault that you have, don't go pointing it out in others." -Bava Metzia 59b
"May I see the good traits of others and not their defects." -Elimelch of Lizhensk, 18th-century Chasidic rabbi
והוי שפל רוח בפני כל אדם. "Be humble of spirit before all." (Pirke Avot 4:10)
Concluding thoughts: The Infinite One, blessed be He, has given us an objective sense of right and wrong in the Torah, and subsequently elaborated upon in a myriad of other Jewish texts, both halachic and aggadic. There is a mitzvah to make judgements, and that is an inescapable part of being a Jew. However, when making judgments, a few things have to be realized. One, we are all human and we all make mistakes. The righteous, who lead an overall wholesome, blameless life, will even make mistakes once in a while. That is why when judging anybody, you need to do your utmost to judge the whole of a person, rather than just a blip in time. Maybe that "idiot" who cut you off was rushing to the hospital because his wife is in labor. Maybe that "moronic cashier" just broke off his engagement and is disgruntled. There is a reason why the Sages tell us to judge deliberately (Pirke Avot 1:1) rather than capriciously. If you were in a particular situation that you are judging, ask yourself "How would it feel to be in such and such a situation?" "Would I handle myself as well as this person if faced with this?" Asking yourself these questions and bringing a degree a fairness to your judgments will humble your soul as well as keep you on an even keel.
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