We began today by exploring the word Shalom. As our teacher Diane reminds us, “shalom” really does not mean, Hello, Good-bye and Peace. The word Shalom comes from the root SLM which means wholeness. Therefore, in Hebrew the phrase, "How are you?" is Mah Shlomech/a which literally means, "How is your Wholeness today?" YES! Cool, right? So we spoke about peace and wholeness and studied a text by teaching by Rav Kook, (Chief Rabbi of Palestine d. 1935.)
A selection of the work we studied included, “True peace...comes precisely through the proliferation of divergent views. When all of the various angles and sides of an issue are exposed, and we are able to clarify how each one has its place--that is true peace.” (Rabbi Chanan Morrison, adapted from Ein Ayah vol. II, pp. 397-398). I thought about the Beth Am-Kingswood interfaith book group and our ongoing discussion of The Faith Club and how powerful it is to sit together with people of different faiths and agree that although we each have our own truths we are strengthened when we hear the truth of another. Kook teaches that “When Torah scholars broaden knowledge and provide new insights, they contribute to the increase of peace. We need to recognize that ‘all of Your children are the students of God.’ All views, even those that seem contradictory, in fact help reveal knowledge and truth. For this reason, Rabbi Haninah emphasized that scholars are like builders. A building is erected from all sides, using a variety of materials and skills. So too, the whole truth is constructed from diverse views, opinions, and methods of analysis.” (Ibid)
I suspect that if we allow Rav Kook’s teaching to reach the inner most recesses of our being, we will not only live more fully, we will also be able to build a better world, bringing forth shalom to us, Israel and all the world. May this be our blessing. Amen.
If you are interested in Rav Kook, this may interest you.
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