Lesson #69: The Protest
Over the years, there were times when a school decided to remain open on certain occasions, like on legal holidays, when most other schools were closed. The students were, expectedly, displeased. In some instances, the students staged an angry protest against the school’s decision.
Imagine students of a school arrange such a protest. They assemble right outside the principal’s office after marching through the hallways with placards, everyone riled up, intent on pressuring the principal to change his mind. Their plan is that when the principal steps out of his office, he will be met by a barrage of anger and fury.
The students bang loudly on the principal’s door, and he opens the door and walks out. Everyone starts shouting, “Why are we having school tomorrow?! It’s a legal holiday!” They lace into him in an outburst of rage.
“Relax, everyone!” the principal shouts. “Calm down! If you want to talk to me – I’m ready to talk. But I can’t hear anyone while you’re all screaming!”
He turns to the kid who seems to be the leader of the protest, and says, “Chaim, I want you to explain to me why everyone is so worked up. You seem like an intelligent, sensible, levelheaded kid. You’re the kind of guy who understands that our school has high academic standards. We don’t give days off like other schools do. Please explain to me your opinion, why you disagree.”
At that moment, before Chaim gets a chance to respond, his friend – Shimon – jumps in and exclaims, “Ha! You called Chaim sensible and levelheaded?! You should have heard the kind of things he was saying about you a little while ago in class… He was ripping you and the school apart for giving us school tomorrow!”
This remark constituted a grave violation of the prohibition of Rechilut, which forbids conveying information to someone about another person that arouses his resentment towards that other person. Shimon now caused the principal to have negative feelings towards Chaim, by informing him that Chaim spoke about him with contempt in front of his peers.
Although Chaim was present at the time when Shimon said this about him, Shimon nevertheless violated the prohibition of Rechilut, because his comment aroused the principal’s negative feelings towards Chaim. In fact, the violation is even more grievous in this case, because Chaim’s presence when this comment is made lends credence to the comment. In the principal’s mind, the fact that Shimon told him this information about Chaim in Chaim’s presence makes it all but certain that this information is correct, thus assuring that he will feel resentful towards Chaim. Moreover, Chaim will undoubtedly feel very embarrassed over having this information shared with the principal in his presence. And so in addition to the prohibition of Rechilut, Shimon has also transgressed the grave prohibition against embarrassing a fellow Jew.
If a person wants to voice his opinion, even regarding a sensitive, delicate topic, this is perfectly legitimate – but it must be done the right way. He should approach the person in question privately, speak to him with respect, politely ask that he allow him to present his side of the story, and present his viewpoint clearly and sensibly. We can only imagine how more beautiful the world and society would look if people voiced their differing opinions in this manner.