Don’t judge a book by its cover

Don’t judge a book by its cover

By: Daniel luis E. Almazan

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” You’ve heard that expression so many times. The gross-looking brown apple just may be a delicious one, or beyond that old and peeling storefront there may be gorgeous clothes. We can never know what lies beyond the exterior until we check it out.

In this week’s Torah portion, it discusses the ramifications of speaking lashonhara (evil talk). If one spoke badly about another, his very home would be covered in horrible spots. If the kohen declared the home to be impure, the house would be destroyed. All this fuss about the spots and destruction would bring the man to completely repent—and then, sometimes, something super-cool would happen after that. Once the house was destroyed, the man would find treasures that were buried under his very own home. Not only was he richly rewarded for his teshevuya(repentance) with this big treasure; he also learned a valuable lesson.

Some people seem to be negative people, just like a wall covered with spots. But we have to remember that there is always something positive and beautiful hidden inside each and every individual. The Torah is always hidden inside their soul—like the precious jewels. It is up to us to reveal those hidden treasures within others, and find the positive that lies within.

Don’t judge a house by its ugly spots; there may be treasures buried underneath. Don’t judge a man by his negative traits; find the positive traits that are buried deep inside.