Reserve your Judgements for Yourself
A lesson from the Tiferes Shlomo Parshas Shoftim
שֹׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ בְּכׇל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ... וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶֽדֶק׃
Place for yourself judges and policemen in all of your gates... and they shall judge the people righteous judgements.
Place for yourself judges and policemen in all of your gates... and they shall judge the people righteous judgements.
In Pirkei Avos, the sages direct us to be Dan Lekaf Zechus. Even when we see someone who has acted wrongly or appears sinful and lowly, the Torah requires us to judge them favourably; giving them the benefit of the doubt and judging them in a positive light.
This trait is absolutely vital for a leader to posses and is the path of the Tzaddikim and true leaders of the Jewish people.
This was the quality that Shlomo Hamelech sought when he asked Hashem “Grant, Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people...”
In relation to themselves, Tzadikim are self-critical. With humility, they see themselves as lowly. They constantly evaluate their deeds and chastise their shortcomings, living as though they are under the scrutiny of judges and policemen.
But this critical eye is reserved only for evaluating themselves. When judging others, they are filled with love and see only the good.
This is alluded to in the teaching of Hillel; “That which is hateful to you, do not do to others”. Even though the Tzaddikim “despise” themselves with self-criticism, they do not place it on others, by judging them in the same way.
This is the inner message of the opening verse of the Parsha.
The judges and policemen of criticism and judgement, you shall place ‘for yourself’. But when you judge the people, it should be a judgement of righteousness, to find the righteousness within them.
This trait is absolutely vital for a leader to posses and is the path of the Tzaddikim and true leaders of the Jewish people.
This was the quality that Shlomo Hamelech sought when he asked Hashem “Grant, Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people...”
In relation to themselves, Tzadikim are self-critical. With humility, they see themselves as lowly. They constantly evaluate their deeds and chastise their shortcomings, living as though they are under the scrutiny of judges and policemen.
But this critical eye is reserved only for evaluating themselves. When judging others, they are filled with love and see only the good.
This is alluded to in the teaching of Hillel; “That which is hateful to you, do not do to others”. Even though the Tzaddikim “despise” themselves with self-criticism, they do not place it on others, by judging them in the same way.
This is the inner message of the opening verse of the Parsha.
The judges and policemen of criticism and judgement, you shall place ‘for yourself’. But when you judge the people, it should be a judgement of righteousness, to find the righteousness within them.