RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot
Chapter 2:5
By: Yehudah ben Shomeyr
“Hillel would
say: Do not separate yourself from the community. Do not believe in yourself
until the day you die. Do not judge your fellow until you have stood in his
place. Do not say something that is not readily understood in the belief that
it will ultimately be understood [or: Do not say something that ought not to be
heard even in the strictest confidence, for ultimately it will be heard]. And
do not say "When I free myself of my concerns, I will study,'' for perhaps
you will never free yourself.”
Maybe this is
where the famous saying comes from, “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a
mile in his shoes.” And maybe this was partially what Yeshua was thinking when
He said:
Matt. 5:37 But let your
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh
of evil.
This was further
reiterated by His half-brother Ya’akov (James):
James 5:12 But above all things, my
brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any
other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
Lastly excuses and
procrastination is dealt with. Just as one has a fixed time to eat, sleep,
shower, and work, even moreso one must have fixed time to study Torah. There
are no excuses for not doing so. If you say you are to busy, then you are to
busy and you need to let something in your life go so as to fit in Torah study.
Torah study is like our food and sleep combined! It is of the utmost importance
to the soul.
Shalom,
-- Yehudah ben
Shomeyr
