Generation with the face of a dog

HH

The face of the generation will resemble the face of dog – פני הדור כפני כלב

This is the description of the Mishna at the end of tractate Sotah. The commentaries explain this to refer to imputence and brazenness. However, it occurs to me that there is another intention here.

Dogs are so loyal to their masters, but even more they are loving. This I have observed many times how dogs ingratiate their masters, and their masters revel in this love and attention. Jews never were big into dogs. In fact Rabbi Nachman revealing in his Book of Traits (Sefer Hamidos, Hamtukas Hadinim – Sweetening of Judgements #92) – one who raises a dog arouses din (judgement). For many this relationship of rosy love and attention from the dog is fulfilling and meaningful, but Jews were rarely that superficial. Sure animal life is important and respected, but where does it come to par in the relationship of a human being?!

The Mishna is describing the relationship we see today between the contemporary rabbis and their congregations, where the rabbis dole out to their masses all the beautiful messages that are expected from them. It so warm and rosy, and it so devoid of import.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Shame of homose*uality, leaving it forbidden to judge favorably

HH

Rabbi Nachman left a legacy in his teachings and tradition of the importance of judging favorably even the worst of sinners. Once someone asked Rabbainu, even if the person is an utter sinner, to which Rabbainu answered sharply, how is it possible to call a Jew an utter sinner?! Every Jew has got to have some little good point to him, and Rabbainu revealed that if we focus only on that good in the person, even if he is the worst sinner, we can turn him around completely to the good.

That is why it is astounding to find is Sefer Hamidos ("Character" - The Alef Bet Book of the Traits) in the entry on Promiscuity (Second Volume – which was compiled later in his life, from higher perceptions; #8) that it is forbidden to judge homose*uality favorably (in the Hebrew write up of this, I go a little more in length regarding a possible source in the Medrash for this). Even though this does not rule out our judging the person favorably, by not looking at all at his bad, even still it is astounding to see this exception.

Why is homose*uality worse than all the other sins of the Torah, in that only this sin is singled out, that it cannot be judged favorably?

From the accounts of homose*uals, I think it is established that there is an intrinsic shame to their homose*uality, in their accounts they tell of the utter shame they felt when they were confronted with their desires. This shame is not found in any other transgression, whether eating something forbidden or violating the Shabbos, etc., G"F. A person must feel ashamed before HY for transgressing, but there was no inherent shame in the action.

Why is there inherent shame in the matter of homose*uality?

First of all we will define shame as the realization of being deficient against something. The Ramchal explains that therefore shame, humility, and fear, all go together, because they are based on this. So why is homose*uality intrinsically full of shame as opposed to all the other transgressions.

It seems to me that this is because it is the exact opposite of the Haughtiness of HY. We find that HY is called Haughty in His Unity (see the 6^th name of Unna BiKuach), and in the song of Uz Yushir, that the Jews sang to HY upon crossing the Yam Suf, they sang that HY is haughty haughty, and the Zohar explains that this refers to the fact that Zeir Anpin ('the smaller countenance' i.e. the countenance that is associated with running this world) is crowned with complete 'mochin' (minds) from the higher countenances of Aba, Ema, and Erich Anpin. That means that the Unity of HY even in this world is absolutely complete and perfect.

Now man is created in the image of HY, and therefore he has to reflect this perfection, any shortcoming will result in shame. Every man by himself is in the image, and is a reflection of HY. Every single person has to say, for me the entire world was created etc.. Therefore all transgressions which damage the Image will result in shame, but homose*uality actually cuts at the very Unity of the Image itself. For the Image is one, and homose*uality says one is not sufficient. The haughtiness of G-d is in His Unity, without the Unity, there is the exact opposite, shame and degradation. Therefore homose*uality is intrinsically full of shame. There is nothing that can change that.

The main pleasure the homose*ual gets is based on the shame involved. The Talmud revealed that forbidden pleasures are all the more pleasurable, "stolen waters are sweet," and the height of the theft is described, "as the embarrassment of a thief when he is caught," thus the greatest sweetener, is embarrassment, it is the greatest kin* and fe*ish of them all. In truth all se* should be the same thing, just achieving an orga*m, however that is not the case, it all depends on the mind, and here embarrassment plays the ultimate game changer, and all of homose*uality is completely based on this shame, without this shame there would be no 'fun' in this disgusting perversion, but with the shame comes all their pleasure.

The problem is that despite all the pleasure the homose*ual is able to derive building on the shame, at the end of the day he is left with even more shame and degradation. This is not a small matter. It is extremely hard to live with such shame. No matter what they do, no matter who if they are officially recognized, officially married, honored, you name it, nothing can undo or fix their shame.

This explains why the homose*uals are so busy promoting their honor, pride, and recognition. Because as much as they derive so much pleasure from their aberration, because of the shame, the shame will always haunt them and completely dwarf them. So they will constantly have to fight in every way to cap their shame with some sort of pride, or topple the whole world so that everyone is just as shameful as they are.

Now we can understand even better why it is forbidden to judge homose*uality favorably. The whole idea of judging favorably is based on the Unity of HY, that HY is completely good, and is completely One, that means that everything in the world is for the good. Therefore we always try to see the good in everything. Even when we see something that looks completely wrong, we look deeper and try to understand how it is really good. However the homose*ual does the exact opposite. He takes the shame, the bad, and builds on it to fulfill his lust with the shame itself. There is no side to judge this favorably. It is an act of shame, period.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman!

Missionaries - don't speak to them period!

HH

Sefer Hamidos ("Distancing the Wicked" 17):
ספר המדות - הרחקת רשעים יז: אל תדבר עם המסיתים אפלו להוכיחם ולקרבם.
Do not speak to seducers (missionaries), even to chastise them or bring them close (to repent).

Question is if there are loopholes and leniencies to this, because we find for example that Rabbainu said (- ibid item #6): One who judges a wicked person favorably is also called wicked. Yet we know that Rabbainu said at a different occasion how is it possible to consider a Jew so wicked that it is inconceivable to judge him favorably?! Every Jew has some point of good, and from viewing the person from that point one can turn that person around completely to the good. So can that be done for a missionary?

Judging Good and Bad

In todays Chok Bresluv we learned Sefer Hamidos – Harchakus Rishuim – distancing from evil people, in Simon Vuv (sixth principle), 'whoever judges an evil person favorably, he to is called an evil person' (ספר המידות – ערך הרחקת רשעים סימן ו', ז"ל מי שמלמד זכות על רשע, גם הוא נקרא רשע, ע"כ). The question is how does this not contradict the famous teaching of Rabbi Nachman (Likutay Moharan 282) to always judge everyone, even the most evil person, favorably, and in fact in today's Chok this teaching is brought down in Likutay Eitzos ( ישתדל בכל כחו למצא זכות וטוב בכל אחד מישראל, ואפילו אם נדמה, חס ושלום, לרשע, ישתדל למצא בו נקודות טובות ששם אינו רשע, עד שיהיה כל אחד מישראל יפה ונאה בעיניו, ע"ש).
Here are a few possible solutions. The first, one following the teachings of Rabbainu will judge even an evil person favorably even though for this itself he himself will be call evil, even still he will be loyal to the teachings of Rabbainu and in the end, both will be found righteous.
A second possible solution, which I once heard applied to a similar contradiction found by the Berditchiver, when judging a person in one's own mind or in solitary communication with G-d it is necessary to realize and decide the goodness, however the person being judged should not be complimented or shown off to others.
A third possible solution, from the language of the Likutay Eitzos it seems that the evil things done are not to be judged favorably, rather they should not be paid attention, attention should be paid only to finding good points, and by concentrating only on seeing the good points all the bad will fall away or be turned around. So it is definitely in place to say that it is forbidden to judge an evil person favorably, and whoever does so will also be called evil, what should be done is to find the good things that the evil person did, and judge that good to his and its favor.
The first solution we will call cute, and consider it of the derech of Ishbitz, the second we will call yeshivish and what that means depends on who we're addressing.... The third solution seems to be right on the money.
Nanach.
Over two years have past since I wrote this post I am reviewing it on the same day I learned Likutay Moharan Tora 55, which teaches that in order to be saved from the evil eye of the evil one has to judge them favorably, and to this end even G-d judges them favorably, in order to save the righteous from their evil eyes. This teaching seems to me non comparable to what what discussed above, because it is clear in Tora 55 that even though the evil are to be judged favorably that is just in term of their success, that is to say that the judgement isn't whether or not they are wicked or righteous, they are for sure evil, the judgement is whether or not they should be successful. However this might not be so simple and it need much more thought and consideration.
Nanach.