Who are you to judge me?

Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD

Rosh Hashanah is normally looked upon as the beginning of the Jewish year. Let us get something out of the way at the outset. According to the Mishnah and Talmud, Rosh Hashanah was originally celebrated, prior to the Babylonian exile, approximately two weeks before Passover. In the Bible, it is not even called Rosh Hashanah. It is called “Yom Teruah,” the Day of Sounding the Shofar. So, it’s roots are somewhat suspect and not exactly clear.

Be that as it may, Rosh Hashanah has become our Jewish New Year with emphasis on judgment, forgiveness and introspection. This year, in September, we will ring in 5783 with prayer, feast and shofar. All three are important elements of this special holiday. What I really want to concentrate on today is the theme of judgment.

We are told over and over in High Holiday liturgy that we are judged by God on this day. One of the Hebrew alternative names for this day is “Yom Ha-din,” Day of Judgment. Metaphorically, we are told that God sits in judgment of us, and we are given the information as to “who will live and who will die, who will see ripe age and who will not.” All are judged on Rosh Hashanah and our fate is sealed on Yom Kippur. The midrash explains that days of judgment, like Rosh Hashanah, are celebrated with joy because God’s pardon is built in the scheme of judgment.

Don’t we also spend a good deal of time judging others? In fact, we can be harsh in our judgment of others even though Judaism teaches, “Don’t judge your fellow human being until you have stood in that person’s place.” What looks one way from a distance, may look very different if we, ourselves, experience the same situation.

One difficulty is that our judgments of others are often unfavorable and ungenerous; often quick, riddled with bias and sparked by fear and hurt, made as a way of self-protection.

Anytime we operate in ways that are not rooted in decency, fairness and honesty, we are judging the worth of another person as less than our own — a judgment with numerous repercussions. Judaism holds the iron-clad assertion that no human being is worth more or less than another.

Rather than tell us not to judge others, Jewish tradition accepts that judging is built into human nature. Judaism is also aware that often, unfortunately, our default judgment of others is negative. Therefore, it teaches, “When you judge, give others the benefit of the doubt.” This advice is considered so important that it is listed in the Talmud (Shabbat 127a) as one of the six behaviors that benefit us in this world as well as the next.

Our sages ask, “When are you allowed to judge another person?” The answer is never! The explanation: Who says your blood is redder than his or hers? (Sanhedrin 74a). In other words, we do not know who is beloved in the eyes of God. Who is the better person -- the homeless person or the activist?

We don’t know what challenges God may have given someone growing up. We meet people in the midst of their life stories, say in “chapter 3.” We have no idea what went on in chapters 1 and 2. We certainly don’t know what lies ahead in chapters 4, 5 and 6. Yet, we are so quick to judge.

So, on this upcoming Rosh Hashanah, let’s think about judgment and how we can alter our attitudes and perceptions of others and ourselves so that, in this New Year, we can live with others in a judgment-free zone. Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD serves at

Naples Jewish Congregation.