Project Genesis




Judging Favorably

Question: I’m having trouble understanding “judge everyone favorably”. If I turn a blind eye and I don’t use my mind and say “he’s a honorable, he’s correct he only does what’s right, he doesn’t have bad character”, then that means I have to listen to what he tells me and do as he says because if I don’t then did you really judge favorably? By not hanging out with that person and not doing as they say, your actions are showing otherwise, that you really don’t believe what you judged. So how can I possibly be commanded to judge favorably but at the same time use my brain to get out of bad situation and not be around people that bring me down?

Answer: Judging favorably and exercising good judgement are two entirely different concepts.

Judging favorably means looking for alternative possibilities that allow for the presumption of innocence.

Excercising good judgement is acting upon what you know to be true and right. If not hanging out with certain people you know to be the right decision, that has nothing to do with judging favorably. You haven’t condemned them to be bad people, just not right for your personal development, social comfort level,etc.

In addition judging favorably is when you dont know all the facts. If the people you are referring to are doing drugs in front of you, you dont have to lie to yourself that they are taking insulin shots…

Sounds like your gut insticts are telling you what to do, listen to it.

All the Best, Rabbi Azriel Schreiber

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