In praise of a good dispute

In principle, we try to avoid conflicts and disputes with our fellow humans wherever possible. They cause friction, ill-feeling and anger, from which neither the victor nor the vanquished is immune. Pirkei Avot allows for disputes—but only in a very narrow context. At Avot 5:20 we learn:

כָּל מַחֲלֽוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַֽיִם, סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם, וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַֽיִם, אֵין סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלֽוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַֽיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֽוֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַֽיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֽוֹקֶת קֹֽרַח וְכָל עֲדָתוֹ

Any dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will have a lasting value; one that is not for the sake of Heaven will not have a lasting value. Which is a dispute that is for the sake of Heaven? The dispute(s) between Hillel and Shammai. Which is a dispute that is not for the sake of Heaven? The dispute of Korach and all his company.

Maharam Shik comments that there are times when it is hard to avoid entering a dispute. He cites a situation in which someone pronounces a piece of treif meat to be kasher. One cannot just walk away, contenting oneself with the thought that perhaps the meat really is kasher, cherishing the notion that peace has such a high value that it would be wrong to break it. Rather, one should challenge the other person. If indeed the meat is treif, there is a useful lesson to be learned from the dispute and its outcome will have been positive.

There is however a danger, warns Maharam Shik. This lies in the temptation to pick an argument—even one based on Torah issues—in order to show off how clever or knowledgeable one is. Quoting from Zechariah 8:19, וְהָאֱמֶת וְהַשָּׁלוֹם אֱהָבוּ, “And love truth and peace”, he notes that “truth” comes before “peace”. When the value of truth is greater than that of peace, one should make an effort to pursue it.

There is another reason to favour truth over peace. A dispute will be destined to have a lasting value, לְהִתְקַיֵּם, if it is for the sake of truth. This is because truth is a quality of the Torah itself. According to Avot 1:2, Torah is one of the three pillars upon which the world stands, while peace, along with truth is listed at Avot 1:18 are two of the three things that keep the world going and give it its קיום (kiyum, its sustaining quality).

The disputes between Hillel and Shammai were exclusively addressed to questions of the Torah and its true meaning, and these are disputes which we study, and from which we learn, even today.

Though not all our own disputes may appear to relate to the Torah, we can at least make the effort to see whether there is any real point, any lasting benefit, to be achieved by engaging in arguments. Do we do so in order to enrich our understanding of the world we live in and our place within it, or are we doing it in order to flex our intellectual muscles or wield power? The choice is ours.

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