#Dafyomi (30a-b) Thought for the day.

מהיות טוב אל תקרא רע

If one can be called good, do not be called bad.


I already mentioned when we were on page 11, the lesson taught to me by my teacher and Rabbi, Rabbi Joel Levy with regard to the way the talmud deals with mahloket. When he teaches that sugya it is partnered with the story of Rav Hisda and Rav Sheshet from this daf.
In this story, Rav Sheshet chooses to comply with the frummest common denominator. (In the previous story, Rabbi Ishmael stuck up for the idea that all positions should be preserved to avoid the inevitable slide towards stricter and stricter interpretations.)
So - what is going on in this story? Why does Rav Sheshet not stand up for the idea that his way is acceptable (as Rabbi Yishmael had)? My friends over the years have suggested a number of explanations: The difference in the situations is that one is when two rabbis are travelling in the countryside and the other was at a party - at the party, the educational value was important - "Lest the students see and fix the halacha for generations" - but when it's just the two of them in the desert, there is no public, and so Rav Sheshet can just be a good friend and pray the traveller's prayer with his friend. Some have suggested that the difference here is that Rav Sheshet and Rav Hisda were a Hevruta (a study partnership) and so each already knew the other's position well and there was no room for misunderstanding.
When I used to read this story, I always read Rav Hisda as a little insensitive - unilaterally stopping and letting his blind friend carry on, making him decide whether to bow to his more strict interpretation or simply go their separate ways. But my friend and Rabbi, Rabbi Oded Mazor (who isn't on facebook, so I can only tag Rabbi Noa Mazor) explained another view of Rav Hisda - that he is the hero of pluralism in this story - for he knows that if he were to ask Rav Sheshet to stop, then Rav Sheshet would feel obliged, so he did not - he respected the fact that Rav Sheshet held differently to him, and allowed his friend to carry on, while praying the travelers' prayer. Having been shown such respect, Rav Sheshet then freely chose to stand still and pray in unison with his friend.
Together the stories of Rav Sheshet and Rav Hisda and Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Elazar ask the question: What do we do when we don't agree on how to do something together. In the most Talmudic answer possible - the Talmud gives two competing answers as to what to do:

מהיות טוב אל תקרא רע 

- Find the common ground (even if that is the frummest common denominator).
Or

"שמא יראו התלמידים ויקבעו הלכה לדורות

- Preserve the varied diverse and different traditions.

At different times we will need each approach. And we must find a way to do both.
May we all merit to live in communities of genuine love and sisterhood which allow each of us to preserve our own traditions and live by our own principles.