Makhloket

An interesting bit of information from the article, “Religion Needs Atheism”, is that Rabbis of old regarded the highest form of discourse as Makhloket, or disagreement. In this form, participants recognize their own limits and then proceed to clarify their positions as best they can. “When we sustain the tension between us, each pulling our own way, we create emptiness between us. In this emptiness…God creates…In the presence of one another, in the moment when our positions of clarity are matched with humility, the possibility of a truly new idea emerges, a solution, a way forward.” (This immediately puts me in mind of Cardinal Bernardin’s Common Ground Project.) It seems to me though that too often we’re missing that most crucial ingredient: humility. I am trying to recreate in my mind some of my recent ‘stand-offs’; I have to admit that I don’t always bring humility into the equation and hold, somewhat tenuously but with fierce pride, my own positions. But this visual description of makhloket makes tremendous sense – opening a space for God to enter in and create a new way – a way that unites rather than divides. Obviously there are situations in which there’s no room for compromise, but there are plenty of places in my life where that would have been just the right approach.
The views expressed in this blog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.