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Argumentation and Peace R. Elazar said in the name of R. Hanina: " Talmidei Hakhamim increase peace in the world as it says and all your children shall be taught of Hashem and great (rav) shall be the peace of your children.." (Berakhot 64a) Many commentators ask the identical question about this gemara at the end of Berakhot. Every talmudic page records a constant stream of debate and argument. Indeed, rabbinic scholars debating halakhic and hashkafic points continue unabated in our own day. If the talmidei hahkahmim are always arguing, then in what sense do they promote peace? R. Avraham Yitzhak Kook explains that the question works with a false assumption about the nature of peace. Peace is not acquired when all opinions but one are obliterated. Rather, peace emerges when there is a realization of the valid aspects of a myriad of positions. The variety of positions enables us to see that each one has its time and place. The verse mentions "rav shalom" as peace stems more from multiplicity than from monolithic sameness. This idea should not be identified with the relativistic claim that all positions are equally valid. Such a claim is patently false and not a realistic or helpful approach to promoting peace. Instead, Rav Kook argues that the complexity of many issues means that each side has something of value to contribute. I could be essentially right in my argument and still depend on debate to realize that one of my opponent's critiques hits the mark. When under ideological attack, I should not end all constructive discourse by telling my opponent that we are both completely right or by blithely assuming that everything he says is ridiculous. I must argue with the opponent but that argument will lead me to realize the truth of some of his contentions. Rav Kook's idea serves as some powerful advice for today. I personally identify with what might be termed Centrist Orthodoxy, a group that hears strong criticism from both the right and the left. Could it be that my liberal and haredi brethren's criticisms of this community bear no validity? The haredim's claim that Centrist Orthodox Jews lack intense commitment and the secularist critique of the ethical behavior of Orthodox Jews may both be overdone but neither is completely false. Realizing that one's opponent has something positive to contribute is the first step toward an authentic Jewish unity. Communal peace will not come from all Jews adopting the same position or from asserting that all positions are equal. Without relinquishing our essential ideals, we can appreciate the value of other voices.
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