Parashas Mishpatim; Judge thyself and not others!!!!

"Shoftim v'shotrim titen lecha/Judges and police you shall place for yourself" (Devorim 16:18) Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Parshischo commented: Make for yourself judges and police, that is, before you go and make judgments about other people, judge yourself first. As Chazal (Bava Basra 60b) have said "First correct yourself and only then correct others."

This ties into one of my all time favorite vorts. In Parashas Tazria while discussing the affliction of tzoraas the pasuk says; "V'tamei tamei yikrah/And[the metzora] shall call out: Unclean, Unclean..."(Vayikrah 13:45) The Shaloh hakadosh wrote that this pasuk can be read as, "Unclean," an unclean person says about others. That is, a person who finds fault with others is really only projecting his own faults and imperfections onto others. As Chazal have said (Kidushin 70a), "Those who try to invalidate others do so with their own blemishes."

The last thing I want to mention for now is also one of my favorite vorts and something that I say over very often because I feel that it is one of the most important lessons that we need to learn. When Moshe Rabeinu stumbled across the burning bush as a simple shepherd, Hashem offered him the job of going back to Mitzrayim and saving the Jewish people. For a whole week Moshe turned down the offer. Was he repeatedly telling Hashem no? How could he, a simple shepherd say no to Hashem?!? No, he kept saying "Mi ani/Who am I?" Who am I to be a leader? Who am I to be the messenger of God? Who am I to be the savior of an entire nation? The message is simple. If we would stop always looking at and worrying about what other people are doing, not doing, etc... and instead look at ourselves, judge ourselves, fix ourselves, worry about ourselves, we would be much more relaxed people, we would be much more accomplished people, we would be much happier people and because of that the world would be a better and happier place.