AVROHOM YAAKOV
Moshe instructs the Jews that upon entering the Land of Canaan, half the tribes were to gather on Mount Grizim and half on Mount Eval. Those on Mount Grizim were to recite the blessings for those that keep Torah and Mitzvos and those on Mount Eval were to cover the reverse. (11:29)
The Midrash Tanchuma points out that just as the blessings were announced loudly, so too were the curses.
R’ Chaim of Sanz notes that human nature is that people are quick to make a big deal about a person’s good qualities and sign their praises, but problems are whispered behind closed doors.
The Torah approach is to openly acknowledge the challenges so that people learn from their mistakes and not repeat them. Therefore, the same publicity given to the Blessings were also given to the Curses.
Our society seeks to minimise or even ignore bad behaviour in the hope that eventually, somehow, perhaps miraculously, the bad behaviour will cease. So we are counselled not to raise our voices or show dissent when our children misbehave or stray from the Derech. To raise a protest will cause psychological scarring or worse (we are told).
As far as the work environment is concerned, we are prohibited with raising issues as that could be construed as workplace harassment or worse.
Yet we wonder how we can break out of the behavioural downwards spiral that we are witnessing since we cannot utter a word against anything that is happening and in fact, we must respect the poor decision making and the selection of pronouns!
The Torah says, no! Bad behaviour needs to be called out, just as praiseworthy actions need celebration.
