Halbanat Panim

If you ever heard about someone that insulted another person and wonder how it is called in Hebrew, the expression is called “Halbanat Panim”( הַלְבָּנַת פָּנִים). The Literal meaning of this expression above is to cause the face of the person that was insulted to be white.

In Judaism to cause to someone else to be ashamed is equal according to some Rabbis to murder someone, as written:

“כל המלבין פני חבירו ברבים כאילו שופך דמים “

“All who humiliates his friend’s face publicly, considered as a murderer”(Mishnah, Nezikin, Avot 3:14)

According to the Babylonian Talmud if someone will embarrass or humiliate another person publicly, even if he’s the best student who has a lot of knowledge in the Torah- He won’t be able to go to heaven in the next world. The passage from Sanhedrin 69a continues and says that it’s better that a man would go to the furnace of fire and be dead than to cause to someone else the humiliation and the shame!.

To hurt the feelings of someone else is not something that we can accept. This is the basis of relationship and the basis of a true dialog between people around to world, no matter where you are coming from and what are your thought!

Don’t cause anyone to have a white face!