Daf TB Sanhedrin 58 provides us with some well needed musar. “Reish Lakish says: One who raises his hand to strike another, even if he ultimately does not strike him, is called wicked, as it is stated: “And two men of the Hebrews were struggling with each other, and he said to the wicked one: Why should you strike your friend?” (Exodus 2:13). The phrase: Why did you strike, is not stated, but rather: “Why should you strike,” indicating that one who raised his hand to strike another, even if he ultimately did not strike him, is called wicked.

“Ze’eiri says that Rabbi Ḥanina says: One who raises his hand to strike another is called a sinner; as it is stated: “And the priest’s lad would come…and would say to him, but you shall give now, and if not, I will take by force” (I Samuel 2:15–16), and it is written with regard to this behavior: “And the sin of the youths was very great” (I Samuel 2:17).” (Sefaria.org translation)

The emotion of anger can easily get the better of us. We can lash out at somebody when was so angry that we cannot rationally think about the consequences of our actions. I always like to teach that anger is only one letter away from danger.

We also have to remember that every human being is created in God’s image. When we hit somebody else, we so to speak are denigrating God. That’s why Reish Lakish and Rabbi Ḥanina describe the person as wicked and as a sinner respectively.

Daf TB Sanhedrin 58 teaches us that it if we don’t raise our hands to hit another person, we probably won’t hit him. Instead of raising our hands in another person, we should take a deep breath and count to 10 before we respond. That way our emotions will not get the better of us.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t defend ourselves, but that’s another blog.