Marital harmony is one of Judaism's highest ideals. Therefore, the mitzvah to judge favorably extends to the way we view a married couple. When a husband leaves the house, for example, we should assume that his wife says something pleasant like, "See you later, alligator!" and not...

Hike a Mile, Reptile!

Here's a great "Other Side" story that I hope you'll enjoy, and everyone will learn something from reading it.

We live in a mid-size town in Israel, and one evening while I was out, my wife discovered that a small lizard (a gecko) had gotten into the apartment. It was on the ceiling in the salon, and she desperately wanted to get it out the door.

She got a broom and started trying to chase it and yell at it. She was unaware that one of our neighbors was coming up the stairs in the hallway outside, as she chased the lizard, screaming, "Get out of here, I'm not going to sleep in this house with you here tonight, get out!"

Although my wife and I both had a good laugh about it later, imagine what my neighbor must have thought, as he sheepish- ly turned around and headed back down the stairs.

Do you have a story to share?

Were you in a situation where there was the potential to misjudge a person, but there really was a valid explanation? Has a friend or a relative ever told you how they were in such a situation?

Share you stories with us for inclusion in future columns of The Other Side of the Story.

To submit your story, send it to [email protected]. (To insure proper handling, put "Other Side" in the subject line of your message).

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