Society and Perspective
How does "A person is recognized by his anger" align with "One does not judge a person in his anger"?
Question
Hello,
I wanted to ask, I recently learned that a person is recognized by his cup, his pocket, and his anger, and the simple explanation is that in these three situations, a person particularly steps out of his accustomed zone, leaving the mask he lives behind, and one can see who he really is. On the other hand, I learned the saying that one does not judge a person in his anger, and seemingly, the reason for this is the same reason, as a person in a state of anger loses proportion, and his behavior at such a time does not reflect who he really is. I would love to know how these two ideas reconcile, while they seem to be in contradiction.
Thank you very much, may you merit good deeds.
Answer
Hello,
Indeed, it is stated in the Talmud, Tractate Eruvin (page 65, beginning of page 2) that in three things a person is recognized: by his cup, his pocket, and his anger. However, it seems that the phrase "one does not judge a person in his anger" does not appear in the words of our sages, but there is a similar saying in Tractate Baba Batra (page 16, page 2) regarding the verse (Job 34:35) "Job spoke without knowledge, and his words were without understanding," indicating that a person is not judged in his state of suffering. And Rashi explains: that a person is not held responsible for speaking harshly due to pain and suffering, therefore, suffering and anger are different and separate matters.
Best regards,
Hillel Meirs
