RESPECT

(15) You shall not give an unfair judgement; do not favor the poor nor the rich; but judge your neighbor favorably (16) Do not walk as a talebearer among thy people (other translation: do not deal unkindly with your fellow people); nor should you stand idly by in the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD. (17) You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely rebuke (positively criticize) your neighbor, and not receive any sins because of your neighbor. (18) You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against your people, but you shall love your neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.

(10) And you shall make holy the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof (in the land); it shall be a jubilee for you; and you shall return to every man his possessions, and you shall return every man to his family.

(6) Yehoshua ben Perachia says: Make for yourself a Rabbi, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every person as meritorious.

(14) He (Hillel) would say: If I am not for me, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?

(10) Rabbi Eliezer says: The honor of your fellow should be as precious to you as your own,

It was taught before Rabbi Nahman bar Isaac: He who shames a fellow person in public, it is as though he shed blood. Rabbi Nahman replied: Indeed! In the face of the embarrassed person, we see the redness leave and paleness take its place.

One day the wise ones in the house of study were divided on the following question: At what stage in their creation are a sword, a knife, a dagger, a spear, a handsaw, and a scythe deemed to be finished utensils, and thus susceptible to uncleanness? {According to Jewish law, only a completed object can be ritually impure}

Rabbi Yohanan said, 'after the utensils have been heated in a furnace.' Resh Lakish (his brother-in-law, a former Roman gladiator and possible one-time thief) said, ' only after it has been cooled in water.'

Rabbi Yohanan retorted, " A robber is an expert in his trade."

Resh Lakish responded, "What benefit have I received from all of the Torah you have taught me? I was called 'master' as a robber, and am still called 'master'? (My title and respect has not changed---all the Torah you taught me has not raised the title by which people call me!)

Rabbi Yohanan, "I gave you the benefit of bringing you under the wings of the Presence of God." Nevertheless, Rabbi Yohanan was ashamed by the sharpness of their exchange, while Resh Lakish was so overcome by sadness that he became ill. Thereupon Resh Lakish's wife (Rabbi Yohanan's sister) wept before Rabbi Yohanan, "Forgive him for the sake of my sons... for the sake of my widowhood!" Soon after that, Resh Lakish died. For Rabbi Yohanan, no friend ever matched Resh Lakish. He cried, "Where are you son of Lakish?" The sages were never able to console him.