"If a person suspects the innocent, he will sustain bodily harm” (Ha-choshed bi-kesheirim, lokeh be-gufo). This principle is illustrated in Parshat Shemot. Moshe lost faith in the Jewish people and said, “They will not believe me.” Soon afterwards, his hand was covered with leprosy. This would seem to be an object lesson teaching us to avoid thinking the worst of others. The flip side is to avoid leading others to think badly of us. Yet there are two stories told about Rabbi Yehoshua which seem to show that he did not care if people incorrectly thought the worst of him, nor if he incorrectly thought the worst of others.
One story is found in Derech Eretz Rabbah 5:3. Rabbi Yehoshua welcomed a guest to his home and gave him a place to sleep in his loft. Before going to sleep, Rabbi Yehoshua removed the ladder used to gain access to the loft. In the middle of the night, his guest gathered up many of Rabbi Yehoshua possessions, and attempted to sneak out of the house with them. Not realizing the ladder had been removed, he fell and was badly injured. In the morning, Rabbi Yehoshua found the man lying at the bottom of the loft. Rabbi Yehoshua concluded, “One should look at all people as prospective thieves.”
Just a minute. What became of the principle of “Ha-choshed bi-kesheirim”? There are two solutions offered for this seeming contradiction. Some say that this principle applies only to someone whom one knows. This was the case of Moshe in relation to the Jewish people, whom he was punished for suspecting. It was also the case of the elders of the Sanhedrin in relation to the Kohen Gadol. (See Mishnah Yoma 1:5.) However, it is sensible to suspect strangers. Alternatively, it is possible that one should not be suspicious of anyone unless they have already behaved in such a way so as to arouse suspicion. Apparently, Rabbi Yehoshua had seen his guest behave suspiciously earlier in the evening.
A second story is found in Shabbat 127b. Once Rabbi Yehoshua had to speak to a Roman noblewoman. He was escorted to her home by some of his students. Before entering the private meeting room where he would be alone with her, he removed his tefillin. After the meeting, he immersed himself in a mikvah. Later, he asked his students what they suspected him of. They replied that they did not suspect him of anything. Rather, they judged him favorably and were able to find innocent explanations for his behavior. Nevertheless, we are left with the question – how could Rabbi Yehoshua place himself in a compromising position which might have led his students to judge him unfavorably? Perhaps we can answer that Rabbi Yehoshua knew his students well, and knew the kind of education that they had received from him. He was, therefore, confident that they would not judge him unfavorably.