Our sages advise us that one sure way to help soften the judgment on Rosh Hashana is to judge other people favorably. As Our Rabbis taught in Shabbat 127b: He who judges his neighbor in the scale of merit is himself judged favorably.

An individual who is in doubt as to why a person acted in a questionable manner should always assume the best. Since we are not clear on the underlying intentions behind their actions we are obligated give that person the benefit of the doubt. Yet the Master of the Universe knows everything and can see into the hearts of all men so what does the Gemara mean when it says that G-d will judge us favorably? He sees clearly what we do and why we do it.

Rabbi Chaim Shumulevitz, the Rosh Yeshiva of Mir z"tzl, brings a verse to help explain: Ecclesiastes 7:20: "For there is not a righteous man upon earth, that does good, and does not sin." This verse does not mean that every righteous man sins. It means that there is no one who does good all the time without some lack of purity within their deeds. Therefore, there is another way to judge a person favorable even when you know that their intentions are not 100% pure. By focusing on another's good reasons and intentions, both G-d and man can judge all actions in a favorable light.

Gemara Shabbat 32a states: And these are man's advocates: repentance and good deeds. And even if nine hundred and ninety-nine argue for his guilt, while one argues in his favor, he is saved, for it is said, If there be with him an angel, an advocate, one among a thousand, to show the man's merit then he is gracious unto him, and says, deliver him from going down to the pit, etc. R. Eliezer the son of R. Jose the Galilean said: Even if nine hundred and ninety-nine parts of that angel are in his disfavor and one part is in his favor, he is saved, for it is said, 'an advocate, one part in a thousand'.

We see from R. Eliezer that the same angle who sees both the bad and the good in a person can center on the good to help save that person from judgment.

If we work on focusing on the good qualities and intentions in others Hashem will also judge us favorably this Rosh Hashanah.


Based on the text of Rabbi Chaim Shumulevitz z"tzl