Let My People Know

"One must not judge others by the same criteria that one uses to judge oneself"

 

"Hillel (d.10 CE) was famous as a lover of humanity, and even more for his appreciation of the uniqueness of each person he encountered.

 

He was known for his ability to address each one who approached him in a way that was most appropriate for that person.

 

An interesting expression of this ideal is his attempt to summarize the Torah on 'one leg': 'Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.'

 

This negative formulation of the Biblical passage, 'Love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19: 18), expresses most aptly the notion that each of us has unique qualities, and therefore one must not judge others by the same criteria that one uses to judge oneself."

 

–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

 From Talmudic Images, p.6 by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz