Machshava:

Middot 

Description

How do we relate to others in our community who don’t share the same religious values as we do? Our child comes to us one day and says her friend acts a certain way, or speaks a certain way or dresses a certain way that you find inappropriate. What does it mean to judge the friend favorably in this context? Shouldn’t we tell our child that her friend is wrong – because if we don’t, then our child might act that way, or speak that way or dress that way? But is that being judgmental? Is there something called healthy judgmental behavior in halacha or are we always required to be dan l’kaf zechut?