In Eretz Yisroel we read on Shabbas about the obligation to judge your friend favorably. This requires great strength on our part even in cases where it seems abundantly clear that the person was wrong or guilty.

I heard a story from R'Elimelech Biderman:

There were two wealthy business partners who embarked on a business trip together. They sat down in the train they were taking and they spotted a fellow Jew who looked poor and downtrodden. They spoke with him and invited him to join them as they were all going to the same destination city. The poor man told the others that he had been away from home for a number of months working as a tutor for school children in a far off village. He was finally able to save enough money to return home. The wealthy business partners paid for the man to join them and they took care all of his expenses. They arrived one night at an inn to spend shabbat, before continuing the journey. The two partners shared a room and got a room for the poor teacher as well. After Shabbat one of the businessmen checked his wallet and realized a sizeable sum of 200 rubles were missing. The first person they blamed was the school teacher. They approached him asking him if he saw anyone or anything suspicious, hoping he would admit and return the money. When he answered in the negative, their tone changed and they began to accuse him directly. The schoolteacher again denied all the accusations and they began to threaten him. They then asked to check his garments and they found sewn into the hem of his coat 200 rubles. As the commotion escalated, the innkeeper came and asked what was happening. They explained the story and the innkeeper said he can corroborate the claim as the schoolteacher approached him before Shabbat and asked for a sewing thread! The schoolteacher kept to his story and claimed that this was the money he had saved up from his months of work and he had no idea what happened to their money. The businessmen were enraged; after all of the kindness they did for this fellow he had the chutzpah to steal from them 200 rubles. They beat him up and took back their 200 rubles and left the man stranded.

As they proceeded along their journey one of the businessmen received a telegram from his wife.

"When you left for your trip I was not home and I did not have the chance to tell you, so I am writing you now. I was rushing out of the house and you were not home. I needed money and I saw the stack of bills you had prepared for your trip. I wanted to let you know that I took from your wallet, 200 rubles."

When the man read the telegram he almost fainted. They realized the grave mistake they made. And furthermore that they had now stolen from this poor man 200 rubles.They immediately got off the train and returned to the inn where they left the schoolteacher.They asked the innkeeper where the man was and he told them that he was so overwhelmed by the entire incident that he had a heart attack.The wealthy businessmen called in the top doctors to treat the schoolteacher but it was to no avail as he soon passed away. The businessmen were distraught and broken over the mistake they made. They went to visit one the great rabbis who told them, besides for their repentance, they should accept upon themselves to provide all the needs of the man's widow and children making sure they are married off in the finest fashion. In addition, he instructed them to make sure they publicize the story throughout the city.

This is just one of the many stories that teach us the importance of judging a person favorably.

It is always worth noting the words of Rav Nebenzhal the chief rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem. The command to judge your friend favorably is only after the fact. Meaning, IF you judge your friend then you should do it favorably, but there is no reason we need to judge another person at all.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath