Judging Others

It’s easier to point a finger than to look inward. The human tendency to judge others is both superficial and dishonest, as it is often a projection of our own inner negativity. In this lesson, we explore methods of challenging our inner cynic and feeling...

One of the most fascinating clauses in the Torah's criminal justice system is the law of the "indefensible criminal." If the evidence against the accused is so compelling that not a single one of the 23-member tribunal is inclined to argue in his favor, h...

Hearing only half a conversation and drawing conclusions can be dangerous.

"וישמע יתרו" “And Yitro heard.” (18:1) QUESTION: Rashi writes, “Yitro had seven names; one was ‘Yeter’ because he ‘added’ a parshah in the Torah: “ve’atah techezeh” — “and you shall seek out” (18:21). When Yitro saw how hard Moshe was working, the first t...

Our strength as a people has always lied in our unity, but what is the key to transcending our differences? Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet explores the danger of religious prejudice and judgmental tendencies, and the fundamental imperative to foster loving respe...

We worry at times how G-d will judge us. You needn't worry any longer. G-d tells us that we set His judgment barometer. The way we judge others is precisely the way He judges us

I am constantly feeling undervalued and unappreciated at my job. I have a great position with a lot of freedom, which intellectually would seem to suggest that they are happy with me and my work. Yet continuously I feel that I am being marginalized and un...

There is always some explanation, some justification, some perspective for another’s behavior. If you cannot see it, you are not fit to be a judge.

I tell the psychiatrist that in our family we are all a bit weird. She seems taken aback by my openness. Perhaps she does not remember as clearly as I do what it means to be a child...

What if I could install a toxic thought alarm in my head that had a similar progressive sequence? A negative thought about someone's behavior generates a beep. If I ignore that and then generalize it into a story I make up in my head about the motives, et...