This Mitzvah speaks to me because I believe you shouldn't judge anyone because you don't know them. I agree that you should not wrong a stranger because they have given you no reason to. I believe the message given through this Mitzvah is that you should treat everyone with love and kindness. By mentioning us being strangers in Egypt, it proves that we wouldn't want to be treated as outsiders because we know how it feels, so we shouldn't treat others as outsiders. To start, people should treat others how they would want to be treated. That would lead to less judgment and remind us that it is important to treat others with respect and kindness. I greet everyone with positivity and a smile on my face because being kind to others makes them happy and happiness is important to me. I also know that doing wrong to others, especially strangers, doesn't help one make friends and makes that one disliked by others. The message I received from this Mitzvah should not only be a guideline for Jews, but for everyone. Jews should not be the only people who should be welcoming and kind to others. As a young woman, I will continue to welcome and spread happiness to strangers because I think it makes the environment around both of us, me and the stranger, more positive. also, respect nowadays goes a long way because of all the social injustices recognized today. Being kind to someone can help pull them from the darkness and obstacles they may face and back into a world of joy and light.
Camp Newman was the first thing that came to my mind when I read this Mitzvah. At camp I am put in a cabin with 8-12 other girls, most of them are strangers. At first, you are given so many reasons to want to do wrong towards one another. Either they are messy and aren't respectful of your space, or you simply judge them by their first impression. Most everyone feels that way at first and others may feel that uncomfortable with you. However, because I was nice to everyone and greeted everyone with a warm smile and hug, I made best friends that will last a lifetime. Everyone has once felt the feeling of being the new kid or the stranger, but I have never felt safer anywhere else. Camp is my second home. The people I met at camp went from strangers to family all because I treated them with respect and kindness and they showed me the same respect back. I love every single one of the people I met at camp because of the relationships we have with each other. Reading this Mitzvah makes me think what if I treated all these beautiful people as if they were nothing but a random face in the crowd. I couldn't imagine life without a single one of my best friends. We have gone through so much together including when camp burned in the wildfires, but we got through it because we have each other. They are the people that help me remember the rewards of being kind to others.
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