Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker
Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15) explains that there are seventy faces to the Torah, meaning that there are dozens of legitimate ways to interpret each and every verse. Just because these teachings differ or even contradict one another does not mean that they aren’t valid teachings. Just as there are multiple interpretations of scripture, Rabbi Meir offers that in the same way our voices and appearance might be different, people are going to have differences of opinion (Sanhedrin 38a). It’s natural.
It makes sense then that the Talmud (Avodah Zara 19a) teaches, “One who studies Torah from only one teacher will never see a sign of blessing.” The understanding is that if we are only willing to learn from one perspective or receive our news from one perspective and we ignore or dismiss or discredit anything else, then we are the ones who are missing out. When modern business leaders and leadership gurus repeatedly stress that conflict can be a good thing and bad decisions come when we only seriously consider one opinion, it’s not just our ancient rabbis who feel that groupthink will not lead to blessing.
As we reflect on our mistakes and seek to do better for ourselves and our families and our communities, this is one where we all can say, “Al Cheit Shechatanu – for the sin we committed.” Let’s own this one and strive to become wiser this next year, for Ben Zoma teaches, “Who is wise? One who learns from all people” (Pirkei Avot 4:1).
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