A recent post on Yeshiva World ("Love Peace and Chase Peace") discusses an unusual explanation of one of the best-known teachings in Pirkei Avot, Hillel's mishnah on the peace-seeking qualities of Aharon the High Priest. It reads, in relevant part:
Aharon was known as the “oheiv shalom ve’rodeif shalom oheiv es habriyos u’mekarvan laTorah– one who loved peace and pursued peace; loved people and brought them close to Torah” (Pirkei Avos 1:12). Aharon always sought to bring about reconciliation between bickering parties.
A novel interpretation from the Ksav Sofer shows us that at times true love and concern for another necessitates breaking people apart. Not making friendships but ending them. Not making peace but even making war.
The Ksav Sofer (first piece in Parashas Emor) writes that while Aharon, acting as an oheiv shalom, attempted to make peace between people, he also acted as a rodeif shalom, as someone who chased away peace! That is why the Mishnah in Avos does not say, “rodeif achar ha’shalom – who chased after peace,” but “rodeif shalom – who chased peace.”
The chase is on!
As the Mishnah in Sanhedrin (8:5) writes: “Dispersal of the wicked brings benefit for them and for the world, but dispersal of the righteous brings misfortune for them and for the world. Convening of the wicked brings misfortune for them and for the world, but convening of the righteous brings benefit for them and for the world”.
While I can see both the logic
and the attraction of this interpretation, we should remember that this is not
the usual meaning of this mishnah and that the weight of contrary readings for over
nearly two millennia should not be lightly discarded.
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