Basic Midot

Now that we are approaching the end of the Book of Bereishit, also known as ספר המידות, the Book of Midot, some conclusions should be made.

It continues to surprise me how people who come from good families, and study these Parshiot, do not possess the basic character traits taught by our Patriarchs and Matriarchs.

We learned so much about being sensitive to others, including those who harmed us. Yet, people don’t seem to understand how careful they must be with their speech. We need to be certain not to harm another person’s self esteem. This is especially true in marriage where couples should be so careful not to insult one another, avoid criticism, and definitely not insult one another.

The subject of jealousy was brought up numerous times, and it was emphasized just how damaging this negative character trait is. Included here, is the importance of learning to be happy with one’s lot, and not looking at what others have.

We have to learn how to be genuinely happy at another person’s success. Yosef needed to be certain that his brothers finally learned this lesson.

It is my sincere hope that we will all make an effort to incorporate these valuable and basic lessons into our own personalities. We will benefit so much, if we do.