The Benefit of the Doubt

Question

Dear Rabbi,

Why does Judaism teach to look at others in a positive way and not with negativity – even when they do something that clearly seems to be a problem?

Thank you

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    The Torah says: Judge your fellow person justly (Lev. 19:15). This rule applies both inside and outside the courtroom. It calls for seeing a person in a positive light if there is no clear proof that wrongdoing occurred. A person deserves to be considered innocent until proven guilty.

    There are two aspects to this mitzvah: judging justly in a court case, and also judging people favorably in general. These two aspects are complementary since the first upholds the justice of a society and the second upholds the peace of a society. When people are willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, they do not feel resentment toward others, for they assume that anyone who has slighted them must have done so unintentionally, or that he must have subsequently regretted his actions.

    Some rabbis include the mitzvah to judge others favorably as part of the mitzvah “to love one another like yourself.” Just as a person would want others to see his actions in good light, the person should do the same for others.

    We are taught that when we judge others favorably, God likewise judges us favorably. When we judge others favorably, we ultimately benefit ourselves.

    An aide of the Skulener Rebbe, Rabbi Eliezer Zusia Portugal, once related: Among the many people whom the Rebbe had rescued from Europe was a woman who had informed the Rumanian government of his religious activities, which led to his arrest and imprisonment. Why go to such effort and expense to save a person of her ilk? “You have no idea how much she suffered beforehand, and how tempting the authorities make it to inform,” the Rebbe said with tears in his eyes.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team