[III] Tehora-He/They Are Pure: Tehora He is a fierce commitment to the inviolable purity and goodness within every being, even if their actions or associations are harmful or even heinous---people must be held accountable for their actions, but actions do not impact that core of goodness and purity.
The name "Miriam" has five different meanings that map to Miriam's five-fold path. The translation of Miriam's name that's associated with the element of Tehora-He/They are Pure is Merom, Elevated. Miriam's wisdom instructs us that it is far better to elevate our enemies to their inherent goodness than to vanquish them.
(5) The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it. (6) When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.” (7) Then [Miriam] his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a Hebrew nurse to suckle the child for you?” (8) And Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes.” So [Miriam] went and called the child’s mother. [Yocheved]. (9) And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will pay your wages.” So [Yocheved] took the child and nursed it. (10) When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who made him her son. She named him Moses, here associated with mashah “draw out.” explaining, “I drew him out of the water.”
...כִּי מִתְּעַר אוֹמֵר: ״אֱלֹהַי, נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהוֹרָה. אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ בִּי, אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי, וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי, וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לִיטְּלָהּ מִמֶּנִּי וּלְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי לְעָתִיד לָבֹא. כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה בְּקִרְבִּי מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי, רִבּוֹן כׇּל הָעוֹלָמִים, אֲדוֹן כׇּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳, הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמוֹת לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים״.
... When one awakens, they recite: My Goddess, the soul You have placed within me is pure. You formed it within me, You breathed it into me, and You guard it while it is within me. One day You will take it from me and restore it within me in the time to come. As long as the soul is within me, I thank You. O Goddess my Divine and Divine of my ancestors, Mistress of all worlds, Lord of all souls. Blessed are You, O Goddexx, who restores souls to lifeless bodies.
(כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃ ...(לא) וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי׃ {פ}
(27) And the Divine created the earthling in the divine image, creating it in the image of the Divine—creating them male and female.... (31) And God saw all that had been made, and found it very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Dick Schwartz
No Bad Parts, p 22-23, 62
"[Mindfully curious, calm, confident, and often even compassionate....That's the part I call Self. And after thousands of hours doing this work, I can say with certainty that the Self is in everybody. Furthermore, the Self cannot be damaged...
[T]here is ample evidence that our negative expectations of others have a strong negative impact on their behavior or performance...[T]he view of humanity that has dominated the Western world trends towards the pessimistic...Once we shift paradigms to the knowledge that, at their essence, everyone is decent and kind, we can reorganize our economic systems, schools, and prisons.
Rutger Bregman
Humankind A Hopeful History / Utopia for Realists And How We Can Get There
If we believe most people can't be trusted, that's how we'll treat each other, to everyone's detriment. Few ideas have as much power to shape the world as our view of other people. Because ultimately, you get what you expect to get.
Rabbi Jericho Vincent
The Jewish word for repentance is Teshuvah, return, because no matter how badly we've acted, we are always able to return to the goodness within our own hearts that is our true home.
(10) A little bit and there will be no wicked person; you will look at where they were—they will be gone.
(א) דַּע, כִּי צָרִיךְ לָדוּן אֶת כָּל אָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת, וַאֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁהוּא רָשָׁע גָּמוּר, צָרִיךְ לְחַפֵּשׂ וְלִמְצֹא בּוֹ אֵיזֶה מְעַט טוֹב, שֶׁבְּאוֹתוֹ הַמְּעַט אֵינוֹ רָשָׁע, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה שֶׁמּוֹצֵא בּוֹ מְעַט טוֹב, וְדָן אוֹתוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מַעֲלֶה אוֹתוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת לְכַף זְכוּת, וְיוּכַל לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ בִּתְשׁוּבָה.
(ב) וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (תהילים ל״ז:י׳): וְעוֹד מְעַט וְאֵין רָשָׁע וְהִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ עַל מְקוֹמוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ; הַיְנוּ שֶׁהַפָּסוּק מַזְהִיר לָדוּן אֶת הַכֹּל לְכַף זְכוּת, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה שֶׁהוּא רָשָׁע גָּמוּר, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לְחַפֵּשׂ וּלְבַקֵּשׁ לִמְצֹא בּוֹ מְעַט טוֹב, שֶׁשָּׁם אֵינוֹ רָשָׁע. וְזֶהוּ:
(ג) וְעוֹד מְעַט וְאֵין רָשָׁע – שֶׁצָּרִיךְ אַתָּה לְבַקֵּשׁ בּוֹ עוֹד מְעַט טוֹב, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ עֲדַיִן, שֶׁשָּׁם אֵינוֹ רָשָׁע, כִּי אַף־עַל־פִּי שֶׁהוּא רָשָׁע, אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מְעַט טוֹב עֲדַיִן, כִּי אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה אֵיזֶה מִצְוָה אוֹ דָּבָר טוֹב מִיָּמָיו, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא בּוֹ עוֹד מְעַט טוֹב, שֶׁשָּׁם אֵינוֹ רָשָׁע, וְאַתָּה דָּן אוֹתוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אַתָּה מַעֲלֶה אוֹתוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת מִכַּף חוֹבָה לְכַף זְכוּת, עַד שֶׁיָּשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה.
(ד) וְזֶהוּ: וְעוֹד מְעַט וְאֵין רָשָׁע – עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמּוֹצֵא בְּהָרָשָׁע עוֹד מְעַט טוֹב, שֶׁשָּׁם אֵינוֹ רָשָׁע, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה:
(ה) וְהִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ עַל מְקוֹמוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ – הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁתִּתְבּוֹנֵן וְתִסְתַּכֵּל עַל מְקוֹמוֹ וּמַדְרֵגָתוֹ, וְאֵינֶנּוּ שָׁם עַל מְקוֹמוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמּוֹצְאִין בּוֹ עוֹד מְעַט טוֹב, אֵיזֶה נְקֻדָּה טוֹבָה, וְדָנִין אוֹתוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מוֹצִיאִין אוֹתוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת מִכַּף חוֹבָה לְכַף זְכוּת.
(ו) וְזֶהוּ: וְהִתְבּוֹנַנְתָּ עַל מְקוֹמוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ כַּנַּ"ל, וְהָבֵן:
(א) וְכֵן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לִמְצֹא גַּם בְּעַצְמוֹ.
(1) Know, a person must judge everyone favorably (Avot 1:6). Even someone who is completely wicked, it is necessary to search and find in them some modicum of good; that in that little bit they are not wicked. And by finding in them a modicum of good and judging them favorably, one genuinely elevates them to the scale of merit and can bring them to repent.
(2) This is the aspect of “In yet a little bit the wicked person is not; you will reflect upon their place and they will not be there” (Psalms 37:10). That is, Scripture warns to judge everyone favorably. Even if you see that they are completely wicked, you must search and seek the little bit of good in them, wherein they are not wicked. This is:
(3) In yet a little bit the wicked person is not—You must seek the “yet a little bit” of good that they still have within them, because in that place they are not wicked. For although they are wicked, how is it possible that they do not still possess even a little bit of good? Is it possible that throughout their life they never once did some mitzvah or good deed? And by your finding in them yet a little bit of good wherein they are not wicked, and your judging them favorably, you genuinely elevate them from the scale of guilt to the scale of merit, until, as a result of this, they return to their inner goodness in repentance.
(4) Thus, this is “In yet a little bit the wicked man is not.” By finding in the wicked person “yet a little bit” of good, as a result:
(5) you will reflect upon their place and they will not be there—That is, when you contemplate and consider their place and level, they will no longer there in his original place. For by finding in them yet a little bit of good, some good point, and judging them favorably, we genuinely move them from the scale of guilt to the scale of merit.
(6) This is the explanation of “you will reflect upon their place and they will not be there,” as explained above. Understand this.
(1) 2. Likewise, a person must find [some good point] within themself.
... אָמַר לוֹ שַׁעֲרֵי תְּפִלָּה פְּעָמִים פְּתוּחִים פְּעָמִים נְעוּלִים, אֲבָל שַׁעֲרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה לְעוֹלָם פְּתוּחִים, אָמַר לוֹ מִנַּיִן, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים סה, ו): נוֹרָאוֹת בְּצֶדֶק תַּעֲנֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ מִבְטָח כָּל קַצְוֵי אֶרֶץ וְיָם רְחוֹקִים, מַה הַמִּקְוֶה הַזֶּה פְּעָמִים פָּתוּחַ פְּעָמִים נָעוּל, אַף שַׁעֲרֵי תְּפִלָּה פְּעָמִים פְּתוּחִים פְּעָמִים נְעוּלִים, אֲבָל הַיָּם הַזֶּה לְעוֹלָם פָּתוּחַ, כָּךְ יָדוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְעוֹלָם פְּתוּחָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים.
(12)...[ R Shmuel bar Nachman] said to [R Hanina bar Pappa]: ‘The gates of prayer are sometimes open and sometimes locked, but the gates of repentance are always open.’ [Rabbi Ḥanina] said to him: ‘From where is this derived?’ [He answered:] ‘As it is written: “You answer us justly with awesome deeds, God of our salvation, shelter of all ends of the earth and the farthest sea” (Psalms 65:6) – just as a ritual bath is sometimes open and sometimes locked, so, the gates of prayer are sometimes open and sometimes locked. But just as the sea is always open, so, the hand of the Holy One blessed be He is always open to accept penitents.’
Anne Frank
“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.”
(4) Hear, O Israel! the Divine is our God, the Divine is One.
(ג) דָּבָר אַחֵר, שִׁטִּים, ש' שָׁלוֹם, ט' טוֹבָה, י' יְשׁוּעָה, מ' מְחִילָה. חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת אָרְכּוֹ וְחָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת רָחְבּוֹ. הֵם קִבְּלוּ אֶת הַלּוּחוֹת שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהֶן עֲשֶׂרֶת דִּבְּרוֹת, חֲמִשָּׁה עַל הַלּוּחַ הַזֶּה וַחֲמִשָּׁה עַל הַלּוּחַ הַזֶּה. וְשָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת קֹמָתוֹ, כְּנֶגֶד שְׁלֹשָׁה גּוֹאֲלִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וָאֶשְׁלַח לְפָנֶיךָ אֶת מֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם (מיכה ו, ד).
(3) Another explanation of the word shittim. The shin stands for shalom (“peace”), the tet for tov (“good”), the yod for yeshuah (“salvation”), and the mem for mehilah (“pardon”). They held the tablets on which the ten words (commandments) are written; five were inscribed on one tablet, and five on the other. Five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof (Exod. 38:1). They contained the tablets, for it is written concerning the Ten Commandments, five were on one tablet and five on the other. And the height thereof shall be three cubits (ibid. 27:1). This corresponds to the three redeemers, as is said: I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Mic. 6:4).