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Winning by a Nose


Question:

Hi Rabbi, is it a sin to be "too nosey"? If so, what’s the sin’s name? I have a bad habit of being nosey and I think that if I could give what I do the name of some sin, I could hopefully stop it. Thanks.



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

They say that we can’t change our noses but we can change our Moses. In the context of your question I would say that to show interest in a positive manner is good, but to be “nosey” is not.

There is no sin of being “too nosey”, per se. However, nosiness tends to lead to a pattern of negative interpersonal behavior. As Albert Einstein said, “Mathematics are well and good but nature keeps dragging us around by our nose.”

This negative interpersonal behavior may often involve conduct that Judaism clearly forbids, such as listening to and believing bad and harmful talk about other people (“lashon hara”) and spreading rumors that can embarrass or trouble another (“rechilut”).

Many people I know like to magnet “important” pictures on their fridge, such as photos of their children or inspiring quotations. One of my neighbors has a picture of a mouth with a line drawn through it, indicating “no entrance”. I assumed it was meant as a reminder to watch one’s diet and eat healthy. But my neighbor told me it was really a reminder of “no exit”, meaning to guard our mouths from speaking in a negative way about people. After reading your question I plan to suggest to my neighbor to also post a picture of a nose with a line on the fridge — maybe placed over the mouth!


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