BEFORE PASSING JUDGEMENT...
Vayeira
We are all judges and we pass judgement all the time. Our subjective perspective on any given event or interaction, leads us to make a judgement on how we interpret and therefore respond to the incident.
Before destroying the cities of Sodom and Amora. Hashem says ארדה נא ואראה הכצעקתה הבאה אלי עשו כלה “I will descend and see; if they have acted in accordance with the outcry that has come to Me - then destruction”.
Why does Hashem say “let me go down and see”. Hashem is everywhere, so why does He say ‘let me go down’? Further, Hashem is all-knowing, yet the Posuk implies that Hashem ’needs’ to go down to observe.
The Alter Rebbe presents a fascinating explanation to answer these questions. As a preface we need to understand some fundamental Chassidic concepts.
Kabbalah distinguishes between 2 of Hashem’s Middos; the Attribute of Judgement (מדת הדין) and the Attribute of Compassion (מדת הרחמים).
The Attribute of Din, a manifestation of Gevurah, is likened to fire which rises up from below to above. The Middas Harachamim is from the side of Chessed, which is like water which flows from above to below.
In Kabbalah, Chessed is connected to sight and Gevurah is connected to the sense of hearing.
Based on this, the ‘cry that comes to Me’ from Sodom is the accusation of the Attribute of Judgement. It rises from below to above and is described as a sound that is heard on High.
The attribute of judgement looks at the facts of the case with a critical eye, looking to find fault and ascribe blame.
Before passing judgement, Hashem says “let Me go down and see”. Let me look at the from the perspective of Middas Harachamim. The Attribute of Compassion seeks to find the redeeming quality, to find a justification and the be Melamed Zechus.
Hashem is saying that it may be possible to be Melamed Zechus on the people of Sodom, to judge them favourably and not have to punish them. Only if their sins are so great that even Middas Hachessed cannot be Melamed Zechus for them, only then they will have to be punished.
Before bringing the Flood upon the earth to destroy mankind, Hashem said “every product of the thoughts of his heart was always only evil.” After the Flood, Hashem said that He will no longer destroy the world because “the inclination of man is evil from his youth.”
What changed? Before the Flood man’s evil was a reason to destroy him, but after the Flood the very same reason of man’s evil was seen as a reason for not destroying.
Chassidus explains that before the Flood, Hashem interacted with the world through the Attribute of Din. But after Noach’s Korbanos, the Attribute of Compassion was awakened and man’s evil nature became a reason for understanding and compassion.
We see from this that the same set of facts can be interpreted in different ways, depending on which lens we use to look at them.
When it comes to our own faults and wrongdoings, or those of our family and friends, we tend look to justify and be Melamed Zechus; There must be mitigating factors, there must be some explanation, they surely didn’t mean it...
But when it comes to others, we are more predisposed to jump to conclusions and pass the castigating judgment of Middas Hadin.
On this Posuk, Chaza”l (as quoted in Rashi) teach that a judge in a capital offense may not rule on the case without first seeing. The intent is that they must examine the case carefully. But why do they use the word “seeing”?
Chaza”l are telling us that like Hashem, a judge must approach each case with the lens of Chessed.
This message is not just for Dayanim. It is a guide for each of us when we pass judgement on other’s and interpret the realities in our lives and the actions of others.
If this is how Hashem treated the people of Sodom whom the Torah describes as people who are exceedingly wicked and sinful, certainly we can all do the same in our interactions with others.
Before destroying the cities of Sodom and Amora. Hashem says ארדה נא ואראה הכצעקתה הבאה אלי עשו כלה “I will descend and see; if they have acted in accordance with the outcry that has come to Me - then destruction”.
Why does Hashem say “let me go down and see”. Hashem is everywhere, so why does He say ‘let me go down’? Further, Hashem is all-knowing, yet the Posuk implies that Hashem ’needs’ to go down to observe.
The Alter Rebbe presents a fascinating explanation to answer these questions. As a preface we need to understand some fundamental Chassidic concepts.
Kabbalah distinguishes between 2 of Hashem’s Middos; the Attribute of Judgement (מדת הדין) and the Attribute of Compassion (מדת הרחמים).
The Attribute of Din, a manifestation of Gevurah, is likened to fire which rises up from below to above. The Middas Harachamim is from the side of Chessed, which is like water which flows from above to below.
In Kabbalah, Chessed is connected to sight and Gevurah is connected to the sense of hearing.
Based on this, the ‘cry that comes to Me’ from Sodom is the accusation of the Attribute of Judgement. It rises from below to above and is described as a sound that is heard on High.
The attribute of judgement looks at the facts of the case with a critical eye, looking to find fault and ascribe blame.
Before passing judgement, Hashem says “let Me go down and see”. Let me look at the from the perspective of Middas Harachamim. The Attribute of Compassion seeks to find the redeeming quality, to find a justification and the be Melamed Zechus.
Hashem is saying that it may be possible to be Melamed Zechus on the people of Sodom, to judge them favourably and not have to punish them. Only if their sins are so great that even Middas Hachessed cannot be Melamed Zechus for them, only then they will have to be punished.
Before bringing the Flood upon the earth to destroy mankind, Hashem said “every product of the thoughts of his heart was always only evil.” After the Flood, Hashem said that He will no longer destroy the world because “the inclination of man is evil from his youth.”
What changed? Before the Flood man’s evil was a reason to destroy him, but after the Flood the very same reason of man’s evil was seen as a reason for not destroying.
Chassidus explains that before the Flood, Hashem interacted with the world through the Attribute of Din. But after Noach’s Korbanos, the Attribute of Compassion was awakened and man’s evil nature became a reason for understanding and compassion.
We see from this that the same set of facts can be interpreted in different ways, depending on which lens we use to look at them.
When it comes to our own faults and wrongdoings, or those of our family and friends, we tend look to justify and be Melamed Zechus; There must be mitigating factors, there must be some explanation, they surely didn’t mean it...
But when it comes to others, we are more predisposed to jump to conclusions and pass the castigating judgment of Middas Hadin.
On this Posuk, Chaza”l (as quoted in Rashi) teach that a judge in a capital offense may not rule on the case without first seeing. The intent is that they must examine the case carefully. But why do they use the word “seeing”?
Chaza”l are telling us that like Hashem, a judge must approach each case with the lens of Chessed.
This message is not just for Dayanim. It is a guide for each of us when we pass judgement on other’s and interpret the realities in our lives and the actions of others.
If this is how Hashem treated the people of Sodom whom the Torah describes as people who are exceedingly wicked and sinful, certainly we can all do the same in our interactions with others.