Thursday, June 14, 2007
A rather high bar
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother,
Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
I sometimes wonder how much better the world would be if I could take this passage to heart and live at peace. Don't be angry with your brother. That would certainly lead to smoother interpersonal relations, but I think it would also make doing business a lot easier, wars less bloody, and public discourse less acrimonious. Perhaps next time I find myself angry I'll be able to remember this little bit and stop.
