Письмо 56
The Danger of Hasty Judgment
The author warns against generalizing the faults of others and urges the recipient to stop believing slanderous reports.
You write about N. N. What kind of soul does she have, that she casts a dark shadow over everyone and everything with her talk? There are sinners in every walk of life, and God's mercy covers them, waiting for their conversion. You can't generalize from particulars, i.1 that is, drawing conclusions about a person's character from one case, or conclusions about an entire group from one person. It's high time you stopped believing her, covering everything over with a joke.
The Rule of Charity
By citing the wisdom of the desert elders, the author establishes a rule to reject hearsay and maintain a pure heart.
Always follow this rule when you hear condemning talk: don't believe it. One elder, when someone came to him and began speaking ill of another person, asked him: Where do you know that from? The man replied, "A good person told me." "Well, no—not a good one," the elder answered him. "If he were good, he wouldn't speak ill of someone else." We should be the same way. May the Lord spare us from seeing the deeds themselves; but don't trust hearsay, and the soul will stay pure.2 But what about the sin of judging others?3
The Sin of Condemnation
The author distinguishes between simple observation and the grave sin of condemnation, concluding with a call to self-watchfulness.
For once a judgment about others' actions is joined with contempt for them, and not with brotherly sorrow over them and care to preserve their honor, that is condemnation — a great sin!4 So watch yourselves.
Read the original Russian
Вы пишете о N. N. Ну что же это у ней за душа, что она речами своими наводит примрачную тень на всех и на все. На всех степенях бывают грешники, и милость Божия покрывает их, ожидая обращения. Частностей обобщать нельзя, т. е. , от одного случая заключать к характеру человека и от одного человека к целому классу людей. Пора бы перестать верить ей, шуткою покрывая все.
Да и всегда, при речах осуждающих, держите правило: не верить. Один старец, когда к нему пришел кто-то и начал говорить худо о другом, спросил его: откуда знаешь о том? Тот сказал: один добрый человек рассказывал. Ну, нет, не добрый, отвечал ему старец. Если бы был добрый, не стал бы худо говорить о другом. Так и нам надо. От видения дел да избавит Господь, а слуху не верить, и будет душа чиста. А с грехом-то осуждения как быть?
Ведь, коль скоро суждение о поступках других соединяется с презорством к ним, а не со скорбию о них братскою и с сохранением чести лица их, это будет осуждение – грех великий! Внимайте же себе!
Notes
- 1 ↩Source splits the abbreviation т.е. (that is) across s5–s7; English keeps the split surface as i. / e. to preserve one object per ref.
- 2 ↩«От видения дел» contrasts seeing wrongdoing with one's own eyes against mere hearsay («слуху»); rendered as 'seeing the deeds themselves' to keep that sight/hearing opposition.
- 3 ↩«Осуждение» is the spiritual sin of condemning/judging others; rendered 'judging others' to stay plain while keeping the moral force. The next section treats it as a great sin when joined with contempt.
- 4 ↩презорство is rendered as contempt (scorn); older Church Slavonic for презрение.
Letters on the Christian Life companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit