בס׳ד

"Where does it say that you have a contract with G-d to have an easy life?"

the Lubavitcher Rebbe



"Failure is not the enemy of success; it is its prerequisite."

Rabbi Nosson Scherman



28 Mar 2010

It's all relative

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton took advantage of some rare dry conditions in the second session to clock Friday's fastest practice time in Melbourne.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8588391.stm

British Formula 1 ace Lewis Hamilton apologised today for spinning the wheels of his silver Mercedes sports car, describing his behaviour as 'silly'.
The 2008 world champion was booked by Melbourne police under what are commonly known as 'anti-hoon' laws after they saw him turn onto a public road and accelerate so hard that the wheels spun and smoke billowed from the tyres.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1260963/Lewis-Hamilton-booked-spinning-wheels-left-Melbournes-grand-prix-track.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0jIlBTEZQ

When I read about Lewis Hamilton being booked by the police for speeding, it struck me that, on the race track, the same action would have been lauded. The incident reminded me of the laws of lashon hora and relative comments.

The Chofetz Chaim then discusses the issue of “relative statements.” A given statement might be loshon hora when spoken about one person and high praise when spoken about another.
For example, imagine two people who are discussing the charity habits of some community members. “He’s good for $5,” one comments about a certain individual. If that individual is one of the richest men in town, then the statement would be loshon hora.
If, on the other hand, the subject is a poor person, the statement would not be loshon hora at all.
The Chofetz Chaim offers another example. If someone said of a rabbinical student, “He learns for four hours a day,” the listener would not construe this as praise. Yet if the same statement was said of a businessman with a hectic work schedule, it truly would be exceptional praise.
http://seferchofetzchaim.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/dangerous-conjectures/

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