Parshas Ki Seitzei
Favorable Judgement
Rabbi Moshe Peretz Gilden
"Remember what G-d your Lord did to Miriam on the way when you were leaving
Egypt" (Devarim/Deuteronomy 24:9). We are instructed to bear in mind that
G-d punished Miriam for speaking derogatorily about her brother Moshe by
giving her tzora'as, a spiritual affliction that physically manifested
itself with skin blemishes that appeared like leprosy. This memory compels
us to be vigilant not to speak lashon hara, slanderous speech, about
others.
The Mishna (Tractate Sotah 1:9) informs us that Miriam was rewarded for the
hour that she watched Moshe from afar to make sure he was safe when, as an
infant, he floated upon the Nile River. She was rewarded over eighty years
later, when afflicted with tzora'as: G-d had the nation wait seven days for
her to recover before continuing to travel. The Talmud (Sotah 13a)
explains that she prophesized that Moshe was to be the savior of the
Jewish people. Her watchful eye over her brother was out of concern for
the future of the entire Jewish nation.
With intentions so lofty, how was she was rewarded in this world? One who
made such an effort to save the life of the savior of our nation would be
given rewards in the world to come that are incomprehensible to the human
mind. Yet her reward was reduced to a seven day delay to the nation's
travels.
Chasam Sofer (1) explains that when one speaks negatively of another
person, that sin is rooted in not judging one's fellow man favorably. If
one judged people favorably, he would not have anything negative to pass
on to others. G-d's judgment always calculates reward and punishment
measure for measure. One prone to judge favorably is treated by G-d the
same way. The reverse is also true. Since Miriam did not extend to her
brother a favorable judgment, rather she took his actions at face value, G-
d did the same with her. Whereas she had the loftiest of intentions when
she was waiting upon Moshe, she was rewarded only for her action. She
waited for him, so the Jews waited for her. No more.
In the weeks before Rosh Hashanah, our annual Day of Judgment, we search
for means to ensure a positive verdict. We need to regret past sins and
improve ourselves by committing to fulfill G-d's will. However, we must
appreciate that how we are judged is very much contingent upon how we
judge others. Let us begin to judge others favorably, so G-d will likewise
give us a favorable judgment and bless us with a sweet year filled with
His blessings.
Have a Good Shabbos!
(1) Rabbi Moshe Sofer of Pressburg, 1762-1839, acknowledged leader of
Hungarian Jewry of the time
Text Copyright © 2004 by Rabbi Moshe Peretz Gilden
and Torah.org.
Kol HaKollel is a publication of The Milwaukee Kollel Center for Jewish Studies · 5007 West Keefe Avenue · Milwaukee, Wisconsin · 414-447-7999
