Bribery And Spiritual Blindness
"And bribery you shall not take, for a bribe will blind those who can see, and distort
the words of the righteous." Ex 23:8
Rabbi Abraham of Sochotchov commented that there is a major difference between a person who is blind and a
person who is prejudiced because of some bias. When a person is blind, he realizes it and will ask someone who can see
to help him. But if a person has a bias, the bias blinds him to such an extent that he does not even realize that he
is blind. He feels that what he perceives is reality and will refuse to listen to others.
Any bias will cause us to view things in a way that will fit our particular bias. This is especially
true when someone tries to point out our mistakes and faults. We all want to feel that we are correct. Awareness
of our own blindness is the first step in overcoming it. When someone tells you something that goes against your bias,
weigh the matter very carefully. Remember that bias blinds. Just because you do not immediately recognize it
does not mean that you do not have it.