The municipality has been doing major repairs on several
roads in Jerusalem lately. I was walking along one of them
recently because it is not too far from my home and it is
flanked by several small stores, several of which I needed to
go to.
As with many thoroughfares that are being repaired, metal
fences were erected to re-route pedestrians farther from the
traffic and closer to the entrances to the stores. This means
that the stores had to "re-route" their outside display
stands.
As I was walking by the flower store, I noticed that the many
flowers that they usually had on display outside of their
store were now spread out over a larger but narrower area,
closer to the wall of their store, but also in front of the
abutting apartment building.
Suddenly, from an upper balcony of the apartment building, I
heard, then saw, water was pouring out onto some of the
displays of flowers. Looking up, I saw that it was not just
water, but sponja water — the dirty, soapy
liquid remnants of washing a floor.
Well, I immediately realized that this wasn't the preferred
environment for the flowers, and so I went inside the store
to call the shop owner. She was profusely grateful, and moved
the flowers from under the waterfall of soapy water.
Meanwhile, I began ruminating on the amount of damage that is
caused to us by people who are completely oblivious of the
fact that they are in any way causing us any harm —
whether physical or emotional. I mean, why would a woman who
has been washing her floors for years suddenly decide to look
down onto the street below to check where her dirty
sponja water is going?
I guess that this is really the essence of learning to judge
people favorably, getting it into my head the idea that any
pain or irritation that someone else causes me is —
while being a direct message to me from HaShem —
probably being caused completely unintentionally by the
person — just like that upstairs neighbor who was
innocently washing her floor, oblivious to the fact that the
flower store owner three flights below had been forced to
move her plants under the dirty-water egress point.
Walking along the sidewalk and seeing the falling water, it
was very obvious to me that any damage or inconvenience
caused was completely, one hundred percent, absolutely
utterly unintentional.
So the question is, why can't I apply this lesson to my own
life as well, and realize that the myriad situations that
irritate me as I "walk along the way" are probably also
caused by people no more incompetent, thoughtless, or cruel
than that completely unaware floor washer three flights
above?
And then, it only took me about one half of a second to
comprehend — in shock and in fear — that there
must be many people out there who I must be causing damage or
pain to as I plow through my daily life. Completely
obliviously, and completely unknowingly.
And this, I must admit, is a very unpleasant thought —
for I am not too forgiving of others who "just don't realize
. . . " or "just didn't pay attention."
Conclusion: It really is wise to just judge everyone
favorably. 'Cause chances are, "I am that person."
