A new episode in the weekly lesson series by Chief Rabbi of Dnipro Shmuel Kaminezki has been released on the “Menorah” YouTube channel, dedicated to the Torah portion of Devarim. In this lesson, the Rav addresses the topic of criticism, remarks, and how a person can use them not as a reason for offense but as an opportunity for inner growth.
The portion of Devarim serves as a starting point for a discussion about why Moshe Rabbeinu, when summarizing the nation’s forty-year journey in the desert, speaks of past mistakes in a special, delicate manner. Through this narrative, the Jewish perspective on how to point out a person’s shortcomings and how to respond to remarks oneself is revealed.
In his explanation, Rav Shmuel Kaminezki emphasizes that even the most challenging words can become a source of blessing if a person is willing to hear them and draw the right conclusions. Criticism is beneficial when it is delivered with care and received with a desire to improve.
Special attention is given to why there are no coincidences in life – no chance encounters or random words. Using the well-known story of the sage and the simple shoemaker, the Rav shows that the Almighty sometimes sends important messages through the most unexpected people and the most ordinary circumstances.
This episode will be of interest to anyone seeking to learn how to calmly receive remarks, work on themselves, deepen their understanding of the weekly portion of Devarim, and see how the ancient wisdom of the Torah helps address very modern life questions.
