Rebbe Yehoshua of Belz: See What a Person Can Become

Don’t look at what someone has done - look at what they’re still capable of becoming.

Attribution printed on the image: Rebbe Yehoshua of Belz

A reflection on the teaching

Past behavior matters, especially when trust or repair is involved. The saying printed here asks us also to leave room for a person's future. Someone can be responsible for what they have done and still capable of growth. We can hold both truths without rushing to trust them or reducing them to an old mistake. In our own life, the same perspective can support teshuvah. What capacity remains unused, and what action would begin to develop it? Potential becomes more helpful when it is connected to a real choice.

Source note: The attribution above is transcribed from the image. The exact source and English wording have not been independently verified.