Parashat Re’eh Plaut p. 1259

August 8, 2026

Source Sheet by Yair Robinson

A famous painter once wanted to solicit honest feedback on his work. So one morning, he carried one of his finest paintings and an easel into a crowded public square in town. He set up the easel and upon it the painting, with a note that read: “If you find any mistake in this painting, please mark an X on the place where you think the mistake is.”

When he returned in the evening, he found the artwork covered with black Xs all over. Almost every detail had been marked up.

He left the street heartbroken. He wondered, “After all these years of training, can I really not paint anything of value?” He felt useless and discouraged after seeing his work, which he had put so much effort and talent into, covered with marks.

He went to a friend and told him what had happened. His friend chuckled and said, “Paint the same picture again, exactly the way it was, and let’s try something different.”

The artist obeyed his friend. This time, his friend asked him to write a different message and take the artwork back to the street. They wrote: “If you see anything wrong with this artwork, here are paints and brushes, please correct it”

When the artist returned in the evening, the artwork was as clean as it had been when he left it. Not a single person had corrected anything.

People can easily criticize what they don’t have the knowledge or ability to correct. Criticism does not require creativity; that is why almost anyone can do it. Criticism is easy. Contribution is difficult.

Our Torah invites us to see the choices we may make in our lives, blessing and curse. And as we move toward the High Holy Days, we are reminded that as hard as we try, sometimes we miss the mark. And sometimes we see others who miss the mark. To critique and correct is one thing, to contribute and assist is another. May we be less willing to place black Xs on the paintings of others’ lives, and more willing to pick up the paintbrush to help each other make their lives beautiful. Amen!