[Avodah] Vayechi - Judge every person favorably

[Zev Sero]

>      This idea has ramifications for our relations with secular Jews, as
>      well as Reform and Conservative groups. Along with the justified and
>      necessary opposition to their views, is it not proper that we refrain
>      from rejecting outright the possibility that they are truly motivated
>      "for the sake of Heaven"? Must we always insist on accusing all of
>      them of acting out of personal interests, and viewing only ourselves
>      as acting "for the sake of Heaven"? This approach is neither true
>      nor healthy. "Judge every person favorably" (Avot 1:6).

The Tzedokim, Baytusim, and Minim in Chazal's day, and the Kara'im in the
days of R Saadia and the Rambam, were all acting "for the sake of Heaven".
So were the Kohanei Haba`al in Eliyahu's day, for a different value of
"Heaven"; i.e. they honestly thought the Ba`al was a true god who needed
to be worshipped.  That didn't change how we were supposed to relate to
them.

-- 
Zev Sero        "Natural resources are not finite in any meaningful
zev at sero.name    economic sense, mind-boggling though this assertion
                  may be. The stocks of them are not fixed but rather
		 are expanding through human ingenuity."
		                            - Julian Simon