Read the title again. There seems to be an error, no? It must deal with tactics in judging OTHERS favorably. But, no - there are many wonderful books and tapes on judging others favorably. We should make all efforts to do so. Here, however, is another unthought of angle.

An Evil Decree is Annulled
A True Story by R. Chadshai

The year is 1929. The Jews of the Old Yishuv are still reeling from the shock of the Hebron massacres and the ensuing violence which threatens to engulf the settlers of Holy Land. The situation is very tense.

WHAT'S COOKING?
Peanut-Butter Loaf

Just the thing for an after-school snack, especially when mated with that all-American favorite, peanut butter and jelly. And, by the way, did you ever try peanut butter and ketchup? Do. Note: this is dairy.

POET'S CORNER

Gone
By Rifca Goldberg

What's a tear anyway?
Just a small droplet of water -
Coming through my eye
Slowly rolling down my check
And gone.
She's gone.
More than just a friend.
She was an anchor for me in a tumultuous world.
A refuge in a jungle of problems.
Helping each other after the birth of each child.
Encouraging each other through every life trial.
We spent hours together;
Made time together.
Walking,
Talking,
Growing,
Sharing,
And now...
I look in the mirror and I see my tears
But they're not from water
Not from my eyes
But from my heart.
Small droplets of my heart
Squeezing through my eyes and...
gone

...and another poignant poem, straight from the heart, written for those who share this or another plight, and a lesson for those who don't, but empathize...

LIFE'S PRESENTS

There is a beautiful world - we'll call it `Motherland',
Where the blessed ones push prams, or hold a child by the hand,
But around it is a high fence, plus a locked gate,
I stand among the crowd who yearn - and wait -
to be invited inside
What do I learn while I live patiently and impatiently, outside?
I work on strengthening my perseverence and trust on this bumpy ride,
Prayer is a wholly different experience than what it used to be,
My Tehillim and siddur - direct lifelines to Hashem, Blessed be He,
I am also enabled to empathize with the rest of the queue,
As a bonus, I can relate to others - outside other gates, too.
And so, help them bear the pain while they endure,
To wait, and wait, while growing in His faith secure,
For every cloud has its silver lining,
Look carefully - you'll see and feel it shining.

All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.