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SELF-CRITICISM
In a scholarly article published by the American Psychological Society entitled Flawed Self-Assessment, the authors quote numerous studies supporting the notion that friends are much more effective at noticing disorders than the individual himself.
When one is afflicted with the spiritual malady known as tzaraas, the Torah prescribes the following action: The one with tzaraas shall rip his clothes, leave his hair disheveled, cloak his upper lip and cry out tamei, tamei [impure, impure] (Vayikra 13:45).
Rashi understands the end of the pasuk to mean that the afflicted one should call out to others “tamei tamei!” to notify them of his state of impurity. The Shelah interprets the pasuk based upon the gemara (kiddushin 72b) that one who condemns others condemns with his own faults. This principle teaches that when one criticizes someone else with a shortcoming, they likely possess that very shortcoming.
One contracts tzaraas when speaking ill of others and gossiping. On a psychological level, when one denounces others it is often a tactic of deflecting the deficiency from upon oneself.
The Mishna (Negaim 2:5) states: רואה חוץ מנגעי עצמו כל הנגעים אדם, a person can see all tzaraas afflictions aside from his own. The basic meaning is that a Kohen cannot self-diagnose. Homiletically, it can mean that it is easy for a person to detect the faults of others, but not his own.
Although we don’t experience tzaraas nowadays, we nonetheless have a responsibility to purify ourselves from our figurative negaim, improve our character and our interpersonal relationships.
It is very difficult for us to spot our own deficiencies. The Torah is providing us with an insightful tool. If we are thinking of the faults of others, it behooves us to look inward and honestly assess how we can cleanse ourselves of those very faults.
Wishing you all a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi David Claman
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