Judging Others Favorably

Is it possible to read others' actions in a positive way and judge others favorably even when it seems clear that they are doing something wrong? It’s not necessarily easy, because our natural reaction is usually to judge others harshly and criticize them for their actions.

Advice from Pirkei Avos

The siddur contains lots more than Shacharis, Mincha and Maariv. It includes tefillos that are said on special occasions, Torah readings and brachos. It also includes Pirkei Avos, the Mishnah which teaches us how to live our best lives. One crucial piece of advice from Pirkei Avot is that in every situation, a Jew must judge others favorably. This is known in Hebrew as being “dan lekaf zechus.”

Rabbi Siddur takes you into the pages of Pirkei Avot and explains how and why to accomplish this. He provides concrete methods to looking at things from a different point of view and increasing your tolerance. This course will teach you to assume that there is a bigger picture even when you can’t see it.