Music and audio © Alexander Massey 13 June 2022
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“These and these/those are the words of the Living God.” (Talmud, Eruvin 13b)
These words are said to have come from a bat kol, a voice from heaven. They were spoken to settle a dispute between two rabbis and their followers. Much can be learned from the story: no one opinion can provide a complete picture or the whole truth; conflicts are best resolved with kindness and modesty; all arguments have a place at the table if they are offered l’shem shamayim—for the ‘sake of heaven’.
So, differences—including in an interfaith encounter—can be vigorous, without being destructive! In dialogues especially, we’re not trying to reach agreement or consensus, but understanding. I think of the word SHaLoM as meaning the meeting and mystical reconciliation of opposites: shin–aiSH-fire and mem–Mayim-water find a way to meet and reconcile in live-and-let-live, through the medium of lamed–Limmud-learning & understanding.