Reply To: I need to get this rant off my chest!

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#799100
kol daveed
Member

I understand and recognize this issue and yes, it is certainly sad when members of Klal Yisrael act in such a way as to bring shame to themselves, the Klal, and HaKadosh Baruch Hu. That being said, we need to recognize that the only individual we can control is ourselves. Moreover, the most effective way we can change others is to first change ourselves and serve as an inspiration for others. I believe it’s said by the saintly Chofetz Chaim ZTL that as a young man he wanted to change the world, then resigned himself to only changing Poland, then Radin, and finally only himself. Yet, in perfecting himself, he revolutionized Radin, Poland, and the world.

Lastly, I think the following explanation from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (copied from http://torah.org/learning/halacha/classes/class79.html) is especially relevant:

“One should regard everyone else as greater than himself…If the other person is on a lower level, both with regard to wisdom and financial standing, one should consider him more righteous. Since, his is less learned, should he commit a sin, it is considered to be an inadvertent and involuntary act. However, when one commits a sin oneself, it is considered to be a willful violation.” That being the case, when we Chas v’Shalom see one of our own fall, we need to give them the benefit of the doubt and think maybe on their madrega, this action simply wasn’t one of bechira (for more on this refer to Michtav M’Eliyahu – R’ Dessler).