The Malach (angel) sat behind the desk and looked sternly at Sam Stein. \u201c79 times,\u201d said the Malach. Sam had no idea what he meant.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere in the world am I?\u201d Sam asked with much trepidation. \u201cAm I in heaven now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. In a time warp,\u201d the angel answered tersely.<\/p>\n
\u201cA time what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTime warp,\u201d the Malach repeated deliberately.<\/p>\n
Sam was stunned. \u201cMaybe I\u2019ve lost my mind,\u201d he thought to himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Stein, why don\u2019t you have a seat, and I will explain exactly why you are here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam slowly sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are fortunate to be here, Mr. Stein. You recently committed a crime that was so egregious that you forfeited your share in Olam Habah. But we are giving you a second chance to reclaim your place in eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n
It occurred to Sam that he might be dreaming. He pinched himself to no avail. \u201cYou are not dreaming, Mr. Stein. Do you know to which incident I refer?<\/p>\n
Sam knew. Due to a terrible error in judgment, Sam mistakenly accused a coworker of being a petty thief and had her fired. The ensuing damage was horrific, and Sam would have given anything to undo the past and correct his awful mistake. Sam listened intently as the Malach continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are sending you back into your own past, turning the clock back 30 days, just before the unfortunate incident occurred. The same set of circumstances will repeat themselves, but you will have a chance to choose more wisely this time around. Of course, you understand that you will not recall being here, nor will you realize that you are re-experiencing this event again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam protested. \u201cBut at the time that I made my decision I was certain that what I did was appropriate. I will probably make the same bad mistake once again.\u201d<\/p>\n
The angel smiled. \u201cYes, you are correct Mr. Stein. But this is a rehabilitation center for people who leap to conclusions and don\u2019t give others the benefit of the doubt. We intend to retrain you before you return to reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam could not believe this was happening, but he was excited about the incredible opportunity to right the past.<\/p>\n
The Malach concluded the discussion. \u201cMr. Stein, I hope you choose more wisely next time. If you will now walk down the corridor, you may attend your first instructional class.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam walked into the hall and was surprised to see a large group of people seated in the room. Comments erupted from the audience. \u201cHey, you too.\u201d \u201cLook, another one.\u201d \u201cWelcome to the club.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon a Malach walked to the front of the room and the class began.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know why you are here? Because you are all fools! You have acted with callous indifference, and the results have been catastrophic. Hopefully, you will leave my class in a far more thoughtful state.\u201d<\/p>\n
The audience began to grumble and Sam wondered why the angel felt it necessary to start the lesson by attacking the students.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are offended, and you think I am off the mark. Well then, let me ask you the following question.<\/p>\n
The Torah requires a person to be dan likaf zechus \u2013 to give one the benefit of the doubt. Now, is it smart or naive to judge people in a generous fashion?\u201d<\/p>\n
The audience was silent for fear of being attacked by the aggressive angel. The question was also a minefield. Who would say that the Torah expects a person to be naive? The Malach took the initiative. \u201cWhy are you so quiet? I am sure you all have an opinion. Mr. Stein, why don\u2019t you give us your honest view of this matter?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam stammered, \u201cWell, I think it\u2019s good to give the benefit of the doubt, but you know there are times\u2026\u2026.I mean it depends on the situation, every case is different. Of course sometimes\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Stein\u201d, the Malach interrupted, \u201cdon\u2019t beat around the bush. Your honest opinion please!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell then, if you must know, I do think it is naive. Life is not black and white and a person must assess the facts and formulate an educated opinion.\u201d Sam gained confidence as he spoke. \u201cYes, a person who ignores compelling evidence and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt is really a simpleton.\u201d<\/p>\n
The audience applauded Sam for his courageous stand.<\/p>\n
The Malach was quick to respond. \u201cThank you for your candor Mr. Stein. You have articulated your position well and struck a responsive cord with the entire group.\u201d The audience was smiling and nodding their affirmation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, this is precisely why you are all here today in our rehab center. Because you people thought it foolish and naive to be dan likaf zechus, you have made terrible errors of judgment and destroyed innocent people\u2019s lives in the process!\u201d<\/p>\n
The Malach had the upper hand now, and no one was smiling anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo let\u2019s see if G-d thinks it\u2019s naive to give people the benefit of the doubt. The Rabbis derive the mitzvah to judge favorably from the Biblical verse, Bitzedek tishpot amisecha \u2013 with righteousness judge your fellow. Now let me ask you. Why is it tzedek, righteous, to judge people favorably? It is compassionate, merciful, generous, doing a favor. But what does it have to do with being righteous? Anyone know?\u201d<\/p>\n
The audience was silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will tell you why. Because giving people the benefit of the doubt is the intelligent and shrewd thing to do. That\u2019s why it\u2019s characterized as tzedek-righteous, and not compassion.<\/p>\n
I know you are not yet convinced, but you will soon come around and see the light.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abruptly, the Malach ended the class. \u201cThat\u2019s it for today. Think it over and we will reconvene tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next day, the angel began immediately to hammer his message.<\/p>\n
\u201cOk, let\u2019s be honest. You people have consistently jumped to conclusions which turned out to be false and erroneous.\u201d<\/p>\n
The students shifted in their chairs and shook their heads in disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou obviously think I am exaggerating? Ok, I will prove my point.<\/p>\n
Mr. Goldberg, do you remember last week you were angry at your son\u2019s teacher for giving a 20 page homework assignment. You called every single parent in the class and complained that the school hired incompetent teachers. What did you discover when you went to the principal?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, they did have three months to do the assignment, but my son didn\u2019t tell me, so how could I know?\u201d stammered Mr. Goldberg.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know. Hmm. Mrs. Hertz, do you remember how angry you were at your friend Leah for buying the exact same outfit as you. You thought, surely she saw you wearing it at the class play a week earlier. And what did you discover when you told her she lacked common sense?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Hertz quickly defended herself. \u201cShe was sick and didn\u2019t come to the play. She never saw my outfit. But my error was an honest mistake. Her daughter had the lead part, and it was logical to assume she was at the play.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Malach chose another target. \u201cAnd Mr. Feinstein, do you remember recently telling your friends that the Greenblatt\u2019s are cheap because they don\u2019t buy their children clothes that fit properly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but it wasn\u2019t my fault, Mr. Malach, because I didn\u2019t know that both Mr. and Mrs. Greenblatt had lost their jobs. I had no way of knowing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Mrs. Shore, do you recall spreading the word that Chaim Green once spent two years in prison because he embezzled money from his company?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I head that from my best friend Chani. She told me she heard it first hand from a friend who knew Chaim back when he was incarcerated. How was I to know that Chani exaggerated a bit and didn\u2019t really hear it first hand but fourth hand, and that it wasn\u2019t Chaim Green but rather Chaim Wein who stole the money?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Malach leaned back in his chair and smiled. He waited a few minutes while the audience shuffled uncomfortably in their chairs. Finally, he spoke in a hushed tone and quiet voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy friends, don\u2019t you see the pattern? There is a common denominator to each of these episodes. It\u2019s always the same story. Mr. Stein, would you care to tell the audience what that unifying thread is?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam scratched his head. \u201cI guess it was bad luck in each case that there was a misunderstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Malach became agitated. \u201cYou still don\u2019t get it, do you? Does anyone else understand?\u201d<\/p>\n
No one volunteered to answer the question. \u201cAlright, I\u2019ll have to spoon feed you people\u201d, said the Malach in exasperation. \u201cIt was not bad luck. In each instance a piece of information was missing. You all made assumptions that turned out to be erroneous because you didn\u2019t know the whole story.<\/p>\n
Remember the classical detective story. There are five people in a secluded mansion and one is found brutally murdered. It is apparent that one of the four survivors is the murderer. Everyone assumes it was the butler. He had the motive and the ability to commit the crime. But along comes the brilliant detective and he is not convinced. Reality is not always the same as appearance. He investigates and carefully examines the evidence. He goes through the crime scene thoroughly, and follows up on every lead. He doesn\u2019t trust anyone. Ultimately, the detective solves the mystery and discovers that the crime was not committed by any of the four, but rather by the most unlikely candidate, the Chief of Police.<\/p>\n
The mitzvah of bitzedek tishpot amisecha, judging your fellow righteously and giving him the benefit of the doubt, teaches that every person must be a sleuth, a Sherlock Holmes or Inspector Poirot. Don\u2019t be fooled by the evidence. Don\u2019t believe what people say. Don\u2019t assume anything. Probe, explore, talk to all the parties, learn all the facts and discover the rest of the story before formulating an unjustified opinion \u2013 or you will miss the boat.<\/p>\n
You people have been naive because you leap to conclusions without investigating the facts. That\u2019s just as foolish as leaping off the Empire State Building and imagining that you are Superman.<\/p>\n
Remember these lessons well: Don\u2019t be a fool!<\/p>\n
Ok, that\u2019s it for today. Class dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one spoke when the class ended. The Malach had hit them hard and they were finally beginning to hear the message.<\/p>\n
\u201cClass, this is the final session. It\u2019s time for me to tell you a famous joke.<\/p>\n
There was an aspiring actor who wanted to be in a Broadway play. Finally, after ten years of auditioning he landed a minor part. After hearing the report of the cannon, he was supposed to say his classic line, \u2018Hark, I hear the cannon\u2019s roar\u2019.<\/p>\n
The young actor practiced day and night, \u2018Hark, I hear the cannon\u2019s roar, Hark, I hear the cannon\u2019s roar.\u2019<\/p>\n
The great day arrived. The theater was packed; the curtain rose and the play began. Finally, the cue for the aspiring actor echoed through the hall as the cannon let out a thunderous blast. Boom!!!<\/p>\n
The aspiring actor was startled to death and he yelled out, \u2018Hey, what in the world was that?\u2019<\/p>\n
Why do I tell you this story? Because, it has a great lesson. The actor forgot his lines because the cannon sounded so real.<\/p>\n
Well that\u2019s exactly what happens in life. G-d asks us to give people the benefit of the doubt, but most people think like you that it\u2019s naive to do that. So G-d says, \u2018Ok, I\u2019ll teach you a lesson!\u2019 He arranges situations that seem compelling and you jump to conclusions. Then you discover you made serious mistakes. If you are smart, you say to yourself, \u2018I\u2019ve got to be more careful from now on.\u2019<\/p>\n
Part of the mitzvah of Bitzedek tishpot amisecha is to learn from the past to be more discerning in the future. Unfortunately, many people never learn from their mistakes. Why? Because, G-d doesn\u2019t give us easy tests. He presents realities that seem so compelling that people say, \u2018This time there\u2019s no question, he\u2019s guilty as sin!\u2019 The blast seems so loud that we forget our lines and instinctively cry out, \u2018Hey, what in the world is that?\u2019 That is why most people make the same terrible mistakes over and over again throughout their lifetime.\u201c<\/p>\n
The Malach let his words sink in and then concluded his talk.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will now return to normal life. You will not recall being in my class, but the lessons you learned will be embedded in your memory. Next time you must decide whether or not to give the benefit of the doubt, don\u2019t get back on the merry-go-round. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, \u2018Hark, I hear the cannon\u2019s roar. I will not forget my lines.\u2019 Maybe you will remember to act intelligently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam was about to go into the Yeshiva office when he noticed Leah walk to the area where petty cash was stored. Leah unlocked the drawer and removed the contents, closed the drawer and returned to her desk. No doubt Leah did not realize that he observed what had just transpired. Sam was aghast.<\/p>\n
In the back of his mind, Sam heard a faint voice say, \u2018Hark I hear the cannon\u2019s roar. Don\u2019t jump to conclusions before you investigate and find out the whole story\u2019. But Sam blocked out this nagging voice, \u201cThis time there is no question\u201d, he thought. \u201cLeah is guilty as sin\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sam knew what had to be done. He called the executive director and told him the story. \u201cMr. Brown, it pains me to make this call, but I\u2019m doing this lishaim shamayim (for the sake of heaven). Leah Pearl is a petty thief and she must be dismissed from her position. Even though there was probably no more than $50 in the box, a crook is a crook and she should not be employed by our institution\u201d. Mr. Brown concurred.<\/p>\n
Three days later Mr. Brown notified Leah that her employment was terminated. Not wishing to embarrass her, he told her and the entire staff that her job was eliminated for budgetary concerns.<\/p>\n
Leah\u2019s husband had passed away suddenly two years earlier. The loss of her husband and the challenge of raising three young children by herself were extremely difficult burdens and had brought on a bleeding ulcer. Losing her job added further stress, as she could no longer provide for her children, and her ulcer now required hospitalization.<\/p>\n
While Leah was in the hospital, her children initially stayed with neighbors. Eventually the neighbors found it too difficult to care for the children, and they were placed in foster homes. This made Leah\u2019s condition even worse.<\/p>\n
One day Sam saw Leah\u2019s six-year-old son walking in a mall with his foster parent. Sam asked the little boy where his mother was, and with tears in his eyes, he said she was in the hospital the past few months.<\/p>\n
Though Sam was upset with Leah, he decided to visit her in the hospital to discuss her children\u2019s well being. On the way, Sam thought to himself, \u201cIsn\u2019t it amazing how G-d punishes people for their misconduct? What Hashgacha Pratis (Divine Providence)!” Sam was now more certain than ever that he had done the right thing.<\/p>\n
Sam walked into Leah\u2019s room and was shocked to see her. Leah was a shell of her former self. Sam felt sorry for her and asked how she had become so sick.<\/p>\n
Leah told Sam about the stress in her life, which led her to her medical condition. Leah concluded by telling Sam the following.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday, Rabbi Rabinowitz, the principal of the Yeshiva, came to see me. Rabbi Rabinowitz has been a good friend. He knew how hard things were for me. In fact, three days before I was fired, I came to Rabbi Rabinowitz in tears because I had no money to buy supper for my three children. Rabbi Rabinowitz gave me the key to the petty cash drawer and said to take whatever was in there. He said he would return the money the next day. When I was let go from my job, he tried to intercede, but Mr. Brown insisted the Yeshiva had to trim the budget. It\u2019s nice of you to come as well and express concern for my children and me. It means a lot to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam almost fainted on the spot.<\/p>\n
The Malach sat behind the desk and looked sternly at Sam Stein. \u201c80 times\u201d, said the Malach. Sam had no idea what he meant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Malach (angel) sat behind the desk and looked sternly at Sam Stein. \u201c79 times,\u201d said the Malach. Sam had no idea what he meant. \u201cWhere in the world am I?\u201d Sam asked with much trepidation. \u201cAm I in heaven now?\u201d \u201cNo. In a time warp,\u201d the angel answered tersely. \u201cA time what?\u201d \u201cTime warp,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":150,"featured_media":37747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rosh-hashanah"],"yoast_head":"\n