Stop before you Judge

Yosef created a parallel; the brothers had suspected him of designs on lording over them, and had not taken his dreams at their face value. Well, it’s tough being suspected of something you didn’t do. Yosef, in turn, subjected his brothers to suspicions on crimes they didn’t do, such as spying, perhaps not paying for their grain, and stealing his goblet. Now they felt what it means to stand unjustly accused.

Perhaps his goal was to bring them to reconsider their entire approach to their fellowman, and to be more withholding of judgment on him. When they change that attitude, they will certainly regret what they has done to Yosef, because they will realize that they were hasty in judging him, and may have erred. They will then come to repent the sale of their brother.


Perhaps thats a method we can all appreciate; when faced with judging another, think for a moment about the times when you were accused of something you didn’t do by someone judging hastily, as you yourself are about to do. Maybe that will give us pause and perspective before we go ahead and condemn our fellow.

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