The Art of Criticism

(ב) מִכֹּ֣ל ׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה תִּֽקַּח־לְךָ֛ שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹ֣א טְהֹרָ֥ה הִ֛וא שְׁנַ֖יִם אִ֥ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

Genesis 7:2

(2) Of every clean beast you shall take unto you seven pairs, each with his mate; and of the beasts that are not clean two [and two], each with his mate;

Talmud Masechet Pesachim daf 3a

That is not clean-

By using this long expression instead of the single word "ha'tme'ah"- defiled, the Torah teaches a moral lesson: One should never utter a gross expression, for the Torah, which stresses using exact and concise wording, added several extra letters to our text in order to avoid using the word "hatme'ah" - defiled.

Example

The difference between saying"

"Not good" implies -

"Bad" implies -

Of the primal sources of nurture of the klipah is negitive speech

The Admu"r Haryat"s Sefer mamarim 5704

The art of criticism is the art of being a doctor

1 - Be a doctor

2 - Are they your patient?

3 - Are they coming to you?

4 - Are you in a "healing" mood or...

The Admu"r Harayats "shot" anaolgy Igrot Kodesh of the Previous Rebbe, Vol. 3, p. 291ff.

1 - make sure that the hands and the needle are sterile

2 - make sure that adequate medicine

- (make sure patient is ready)-

3 - Make sure to target the exact area

4 - make sure that the skin area has been cleaned

5 - inject the medicine, and pull out needle asap

6 - bandage area

משנה נגעים ב׳:ה׳

(ה) כל הנגעים אדם רואה, חוץ מנגעי עצמו.

Mishnah Negaim 2:5

(5) A man can examine all Negaim except for his own Negaim.

Seeing faults in others

בראשית ט׳:כ׳-כ״ג

(כ) וַיָּ֥חֶל נֹ֖חַ אִ֣ישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וַיִּטַּ֖ע כָּֽרֶם׃ (כא) וַיֵּ֥שְׁתְּ מִן־הַיַּ֖יִן וַיִּשְׁכָּ֑ר וַיִּתְגַּ֖ל בְּת֥וֹךְ אָהֳלֹֽה׃ (כב) וַיַּ֗רְא חָ֚ם אֲבִ֣י כְנַ֔עַן אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יו וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לִשְׁנֵֽי־אֶחָ֖יו בַּחֽוּץ׃ (כג) וַיִּקַּח֩ שֵׁ֨ם וָיֶ֜פֶת אֶת־הַשִּׂמְלָ֗ה וַיָּשִׂ֙ימוּ֙ עַל־שְׁכֶ֣ם שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וַיְכַסּ֕וּ אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וּפְנֵיהֶם֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃

Genesis 9:20-23

(20) And Noah, the man of the land, began and planted a vineyard. (21) And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. (22) And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. (23) And Shem and Yaphet took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and their father’s nakednes the did not see

Two fundamental principles taught by Ba'al Shemtov

1 - Everything that happens by Divine providence

2 - We are mirrors of each other -

Are we always "wrong" ?

ויקרא י״ט:י״ז

(יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃

Leviticus 19:17

(17) You shall not hate your brother in your heart; You shall surely rebuke your neighbour, and not bear sin because of him.

Akeidat Yitzchak 81:5

The Torah demands on repeated occasions that we rid ourselves of negative virtues such as hatred, jealousy and the like. Not only are we commanded "do not hate your brother in your heart," (Leviticus 19,17) but we are even commanded to physically assist our enemies in loading or unloading his donkey, should the occasion demand it.

אבן עזרא על ויקרא י״ט:י״ז:א׳

לא תשנא את אחיך. הפך ואהבת לרעך והנה אלה המצות כולם נטועות בלב ובהשמרם ישבו בארץ כי על שנאת חנם חרב בית שני

משנה תורה, הלכות דעות ו׳:ח׳

המוכיח את חבירו תחלה לא ידבר לו קשות עד שיכלימנו שנאמר ולא תשא עליו חטא כך אמרו חכמים יכול אתה מוכיחו ופניו משתנות ת"ל ולא תשא עליו חטא מכאן שאסור לאדם להכלים את ישראל וכל שכן ברבים אף על פי שהמכלים את חבירו אינו לוקה עליו עון גדול הוא כך אמרו חכמים המלבין פני חבירו ברבים אין לו חלק לעולם הבא לפיכך צריך אדם להזהר שלא לבייש חבירו ברבים בין קטן בין גדול ולא יקרא לו בשם שהוא בוש ממנו ולא יספר לפניו דבר שהוא בוש ממנו במה דברים אמורים בדברים שבין אדם לחבירו אבל בדברי שמים אם לא חזר בו בסתר מכלימין אותו ברבים ומפרסמים חטאו ומחרפים אותו בפניו ומבזין ומקללין אותו עד שיחזור למוטב כמו שעשו כל הנביאים בישראל.

Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 6:8

One who rebukes his colleague at first should not speak harshly to him until he becomes embarrassed, as it says, "And you shall not bear a sin because of him (Leviticus 19:17)." Thus our sages say, "Can you rebuke him and face changes [color]?" Tradition teaches, " And you shall not bear a sin because of him (Leviticus 19:17)." From here, it is forbidden for a person to embarrass his fellow Jew and even more so, in public. Even if one embarrassed his colleague, he is not liable for lashes. It is [still] a great sin. Thus our sages say, "One who causes the face of his colleague to turn white in public, does not have a share in the world to come." Therefore a person needs to be careful not to embarrass his colleague in public, whether he is lesser or greater, He should not call him a names that causes embarrassment, nor tell a story that causes him embarrassment. To what do these words apply? To matters that are between people. But to heavenly matters, if he does not repent [after being rebuked] in private, embarrass him in public and publicize his sin. He may be abused, scorned and cursed until he returns toward goodness as did all the prophets in Israel.

משנה תורה, הלכות דעות ו׳:ה׳

כל השונא אחד מישראל בלבו עובר בלא תעשה שנאמר לא תשנא את אחיך בלבבך ואין לוקין על לאו זה לפי שאין בו מעשה ולא הזהירה תורה אלא על שנאה שבלב...

Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 6:5

Everyone who hates one from Israel in his heart transgresses a negative commandment, as it is written, "You shall not hate your brother in your heart (Leviticus 19:17)."

משנה תורה, הלכות דעות ו׳:ו׳

כשיחטא איש לאיש לא ישטמנו וישתוק כמו שנאמר ברשעים ולא דבר אבשלום את אמנון מאומה למרע ועד טוב כי שנא אבשלום את אמנון אלא מצוה עליו להודיעו ולומר לו למה עשית לי כך וכך ולמה חטאת לי בדבר פלוני שנאמר הוכח תוכיח את עמיתך ואם חזר ובקש ממנו למחול לו צריך למחול ולא יהא המוחל אכזרי שנאמר ויתפלל אברהם אל האלהים.

Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 6:6

When one person sins against another, he should not hate him and be silent, as it says concerning the wicked ones, "And Avshalom did not speak to Amonon, neither bad nor good because Avshalom hated Amnon (II Samuel 13:22)." Rather, it is a mitzvah to inform him and say to him, "Why did you do this to me?" "And why did you wrong me in this matter?" As it says, "You shall surely rebuke your kinsman (Leviticus 19:17)." And if he returns and asks forgiveness from him, he needs to forgive. The one forgiving should not be cruel as it says, "And Abraham prayed to God...(Genesis 20:17)"

משנה תורה, הלכות דעות ו׳:ז׳

הרואה חבירו שחטא או שהלך בדרך לא טובה מצוה להחזירו למוטב ולהודיעו שהוא חוטא על עצמו במעשיו הרעים שנאמר הוכח תוכיח את עמיתך המוכיח את חבירו בין בדברים שבינו לבינו בין בדברים שבינו לבין המקום צריך להוכיחו בינו לבין עצמו וידבר לו בנחת ובלשון רכה ויודיעו שאינו אומר לו אלא לטובתו להביאו לחיי העולם הבא אם קיבל ממנו מוטב ואם לאו יוכיחנו פעם שניה ושלישית וכן תמיד חייב אדם להוכיחו עד שיכהו החוטא ויאמר לו איני שומע וכל שאפשר בידו למחות ואינו מוחה הוא נתפש בעון אלו כיון שאפשר לו למחות בהם.

Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 6:7

One who sees his colleague sin or follow a path that is not good, it is a mitzvah to warn him for his own good and inform him that he is sinning against himself by his wicked deeds, as it says, "You shall surely rebuke your kinsman (Leviticus 19:17)." One who rebukes his colleague, whether over matters that are between him and his colleague or matters between his colleague and God, one needs to rebuke him privately and speak to him quietly and patiently and inform him that you are not speaking to him except for his good and for the sake of his entering the world to come. If he accepts the rebuke, it is good. If he does not, rebuke him a second time and a third time. Thus a person is always obligated to rebuke until he (the rebuked) strikes him and says "I will not listen." Every one that has the opportunity to rebuke and does not rebuke, he is responsible for that sin, because he had the opportunity to rebuke him.

Lesson from "seeing" faults

וַיַּ֗רְא חָ֚ם אֲבִ֣י כְנַ֔עַן אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יו וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לִשְׁנֵֽי־אֶחָ֖יו בַּחֽוּץ׃

And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father

וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ

and their father’s nakednes the did not see

Not To defame yourself

The Chofetz Chaim was once traveling by train to a Jewish community to give a lecture. A man sat down next to him during the trip and started a conversation. When the Chofetz Chaim asked where he was heading, the man replied, "I'm going into town to hear the Chofetz Chaim speak. He's the greatest tzaddik (righteous person) in the Jewish world today." Embarrassed by what he was hearing, the Chofetz Chaim told the man, "People exaggerate about his greatness. I know him very well and he's not that great." The man became infuriated by what he was hearing and slapped the Chofetz Chaim in the face. That night, the man was horrified when he came to the lecture and realized that the person he hit was actually the Chofetz Chaim. As soon as the lecture was over, the man pleaded for forgiveness. The Chofetz Chaim smiled and said, "There's no need for forgiveness - you were defending me. In fact, you taught me a great lesson: my whole life I've been teaching people not to defame others; now I've learned that it's also wrong to defame yourself."

Noa'ch haya mikatnei ha'eumna - He beleved in Hashem, But had little faith in humanity

Unlike Avraham and Moshe who beleved and argued on behalf of their generation,

Someone said that the greatness of the Rebbe is that he greatly believes in Hashem

the truth is that the greatness of the Rebbe is that he greatly believes in what hashem belives... am yisrael