Middot Unit Part 1

Middot Unit# 4
TANACH SOURCES
“Dan Lekaf Zechut”
“Giving the benefit of the doubt”

You should not commit a falsification of
justice [as a judge in court]. You should
not favor the poor, nor honor the great.
With righteousness you should judge
your fellow.
.
Study the Pesukim below and answer the questions.
Torah Source; Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:15
1. What is Hashem asking from us in the Pasuk?
2. Why should I judge others positively, isn't it better not to judge others at all?
3. What exactly is meant by the phrase "judging righteously"?

Rashi explains the previous Pasuk:
Rashi: You shall not favor a poor person: [This means] that you shall not
say, “This man is poor, and the rich man is obligated to provide him with food;
therefore, I will acquit him in judgment, and he will therefore be feed
respectably.”- [Torath Kohanim 19:37]
1. How does Rashi explain why one should not judge a poor person favorably?
Rashi: or show respect to the great: [This means] that you shall not
say, “This man is rich, the son of prominent people; how can I embarrass him
and behold his shame? That would surely be a punishable act!”
Therefore, Scripture says here, “or respect a great man.” - [Torath Kohanim
19:38]
2. How does Rashi explain why one should not show extra respect to the great?
Shlomo Yitzhaki (Hebrew: ), or in Latin
Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the
acronym Rashi (Hebrew: " , RAbbi SHlomo Itzhaki;
Lived: February 22, 1040 – July 13, 1104)

Study the piece of Talmud below and answer the questions.
Source: Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud) Shavuot 30a
TALMUD: This means that you should judge your fellow
favorably.
Explanation of the Talmud:
“Judge your fellow favorably” – This does not refer only to judging
people in court. Rather, it refers to someone who observes another
person doing an action that could be interpreted as either a
wrongdoing or as a neutral act. You should not suspect him of a
wrongdoing; rather assume he is innocent.
"."
PASUK:“With righteousness you must judge your fellow”
[Vayikra]
1. How does the Talmud interpret the Pasuk?
2. How are we "Judges" in our daily lives, give an example.
3. What is the difference between wrongdoing and a neutral act?

12. And it was, as she prayed long before the
Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.
13. But Hannah, she was speaking in her heart,
only her lips were moving, and her voice was not
heard, and Eli thought her to be a drunken
woman.
14. And Eli said to her: Until when will you be
drunk? Throw off your wine from upon yourself.
1. Who was praying, and where?
2. Who was observing her pray?
3. Why were the woman's lips not moving?
4. Why did Eli the Kohen Gadol think she was drunk?
5. What did Eli the Kohen Gadol accuse her of being?
6. What did Eli the Kohen Gadol ask her to do?
Continued on the next slide...

15. And Hannah answered and said: No, my
lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit, and
neither new wine nor old wine have I
drunk, and I poured out my soul before the
Lord.
.
:
16. Deliver not me before the unprincipled
woman, for out of the size of my complaint and
my irritation I have spoken until now.
.
:
17. And Eli answered and said: Go in peace,
and the God of Israel will grant your request
which you have asked of Him.
.
:
1. How did Chana explain her seemingly 'odd' behavior?
2. How did Eli respond to her explanation?
3. What did Eli offer Chana after she explained herself?
Continued on the next slide...

Study the piece of Talmud below and answer the questions.
Eli told Chana to "go in peace". Rabbi Eleazar said: From this we learn that
those who suspect their neighbours of a fault which they have not
committed, they must beg their pardon. And even more, they must bless
the, as it says: "And may Hashem grant you, what you have asked for"
Source: Talmud Brachot 31b
1. What did Eli the Kohen Gadol do that showed Chanah the benefit of the doubt?
2.How did Chana react?
3. What does Eli the Kohen Gadol say when he realized he had been mistaken in
his judgment?
4. What lesson does the Talmud see from the interchange between Channa and
Eli the Kohen Gadol?
5. How should Eli the Kohen Gadol have behaved differently?
6. What could Eli the Kohen Gadol have done to have given Channa the benefit
of the doubt?
7. If you had been in Eli the Kohen Gadol place, would you have "jumped to
conclusions" as quickly? (not that G-d forbid you are better than him).

FORMATIVE MINI ASSESSMENT
Option 1: Do we give our public figures the benefit of the doubt? Are they less
deserving of receiving the benefit of the doubt than anyone else? If we vote someone
into public office i.e the president, are we obligated to weigh his/her actions on the
scale of merit? What about the rich and famous, movies stars etc?
Research newspaper articles or magazines online, Examine the reports or articles
about public officials or famous people. Using the Middah of Don Lekaf Zechut rate
each article from 1-10 (1 being the lowest) how well the article used the principle of
Don Lekaf Zechut.
Then explain the rating you gave. Explain in general, does our culture through media
give people the benefit of the doubt (Don Lekaf Zechut)? SHOULD newspapers and
magazines be Don Lekaf Zechut of others?
Option 2: Imagine you harmed someone by not being Don Lekaf
Zechut. Using a scenario that you created on slide 2 or write a
new one, now imagine the person found out about your suspicion.
They were badly hurt by your judgment.
Now write an apology to the person for judging them before
having all the facts od for not being Don Lekaf Zechut.

Middot Unit Part 1

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Middot Unit Part 1