Reply To: Very Judgemental

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#709490
oomis
Participant

mdd, the problem often is that the posters who are being MOST judgmental are NOT judging according to the Torah, but according to standards set by the particular rov whom they follow. One should follow whatever rov one chooses; Pirkei Avos teaches us to make someone our rov. But we should try to avoid deriding others who follow the p’sak of a different rov from our own. On this site, too many people have not yet learned that, and continuously criticize other people who have different hashkofos from their own. Note I said “different,” not better or worse. (Still, I can almost bet there are those thinking to themselves right now, “Yeah, but my hashkafa IS better than theirs!”)

While it is not always the best thing to be meikeil in certain things, neither is it a maileh to be machmir all the time. And if one is machmir on himself – fine. But he should not feel superior because he does, or make fun of someone else who does not.

It is very easy for a man to be tzanua, for example, if one never speaks to women, never goes to public places where they might congregate, and never works with them. The TRUE ish tzanua, however, is the one who maintains those high standards when living a normal life that includes the necessity for doing all those things at some time or another. It’s kind of like the nazir versus the frum yid who drinks wine, but does not get drunk, go after women, or excessively concern humself with his appearance, except to be neat and well-groomed.