It says in Pirkei Avos, “Al tehi baz l’chal adam” - don’t embarrass any person. Says the S’fas Emes, we need to put the stress on the word “l’chal” adam, which can mean the whole, the entire person. Perhaps you see something negative about what the person is doing, but don’t judge the entire person. The one negative thing that you see about the person doesn’t define who he is. The three unkosher animals are written in different tenses for that reason. You don’t know what a person is going through, you don’t know what his past was, and you certainly don’t know his future. Therefore, you cannot judge him.
This is the essence of chodesh Nissan. By geulas Mitzrayim, the “Sar shel yam” complained that both the Yidden and the Mitzriyim served avoda zara, so why do they deserve to be saved over the Mitzriyim? Hashem answered that while the Mitzriyim served idols willingly, the Yidden did it unwillingly. Hashem said to the Sar shel yam, “You don’t know the situation of the Yidden in Mitzrayim. They went through slavery for so many years and suffered so much that you can’t just judge them based on the present situation”. Comes out that our redemption from Mitzrayim came about because Hashem showed the Sar shel yam that you can’t look at the exterior of an action. You have to know the entire history. True, Klal Yisroel at the time of geulas Mitzrayim served avoda zara, but it wasn’t their fault. Their past as slaves for hundreds of years in the most immoral land in the world led them to their present low level. Besides for viewing the past, we have to look at the future too. Even if there was no zechus for the present, but in future Klal Yisroel are going to accept the Torah, so that merit demands that they be saved. So you see that besides for taking their past into account, Hashem looked towards the future as well. And that’s why we were zoche to geulas Mitzrayim.
This is the attitude a person has to take upon himself, not to judge people quickly. You have to know the whole picture. Chazal tell us that we shouldn’t judge another person “until you reach his place”. But you never will reach his place. And because we can never know the whole picture, we should refrain from judging at all. We should love and accept every yid, viewing him through a positive lens, because who knows where he’s coming from and where he’s heading? Our job is not to judge. Our job is to love and forgive.
As we welcome in the month of Nissan, let’s try to increase our love and compassion for all yidden, regardless of their present status. May we all reach this level of ahavas Yisroel, to love and accept our fellow yidden without judging them. In the merit of achdus, Klal Yisroel will be zoche to the final geulah.
