If you do a topic search on my blog (try: Torah) you’ll see a lot of the same themes over and over again. Some of my favorite mitzvos are the ones that govern our interactions with others, both in action and in thought.

The following are a sampling of times I’ve explicitly written about these mitzvos on this blog, and I know that I’ve repeatedly mentioned them in other articles I’ve written around the web:

•  Giving Others the Benefit of the Doubt,
• It’s All Good,
• Speaking Well Of Others,
• Stop The Baseless Hatred,
• Thinking Before Speaking,
• Good Vibes,

Even though I’m a huge fan of these mitzvos, and cannot understate how observing them has improved my life, I’ve noticed an unsettling side-effect of being so relentlessly positive: There’s a fine line between being dan l’chaf zchus (giving the benefit of the doubt) and keeping yourself in a negative relationship. Between being mevater (giving in) and being taken advantage of.

That’s what I’m discussing over on Hevria today, and I’d be curious to have your take. Am I being overly jaded, or am I being sensible? Is it possible to both observe these beautiful mitzvos and yet keep our eyes wide open to toxic behavior?

Let me know what you think, look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash