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dividual and for those surrounding him. When a person succeeds in
releasing himself from negative feelings from his past he begins seeing
the other person in a more positive light, which leads to more positive
behavior. Such reactions reinforce the worth of this positive behavior
for the individual and this becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.

Dr. H. Strauss, Educational Psycholo-
gy Service, Bnei Brak Municipality

ɳ Response

The medical concept of activating the imagination in order to elimi-
nate feelings of hatred and anger towards another person already ap-
pears in our Sages teachings, as cited in the sefer Reishis Chochmah
(Shaar Haanavah,5) concerning Rabbi Yitzchok from Acco as follows:
“One Friday night I was thinking, how can a person avoid anger?
While I was thinking I began to doze and I felt as though someone
was telling me, ‘If one doesn’t want to be an angry person he should
empower his intellect, meaning that he should contemplate the heart
of the matter and pay no attention to what he sees or hears of what
is said or done to anger him, paying them no attention whatsoever.
He should just see: if the cause of his anger is like an idiot or a fool,
he should think to himself, ‘He is an imbecile! He is foolish! He is
speaking without intelligence! His words are like the birds’ chirping,
like a dog’s barking or a donkey’s braying.’ If the cause of his anger is
a wise person he should think and acknowledge that that person is
speaking with his good and his benefit in mind and he should accept
his words and be glad with them.’”

The Chazon Ish writes: “…In the same way that it is inappropriate
to become angry or to revenge oneself upon a person who has behaved
badly towards him owing to mental illness, neither is it appropriate to
revenge oneself or hate a person who has behaved badly towards him
on account of intellectual infirmity and imbalance. For there is no
difference whatsoever between a rascal and an imbecile...”

It once happened that one of the Sages invited his friend to a meal

Disrespectful thoughts towards Parents 2 179