Ten's Course - Lesson 19

Topic: Decision-Making in the Ten

Selected Excerpts from the Sources

1. RASHI Commentary on Masechet Hulin, 5:1

"In the Goren, since in the Goren, they would sit in affinity and friendship, and as one bundle, like the Sanhedrin, without suspecting one another, since they would see each other and hear each other, and argue with one another until a proper instruction came forth."

2. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Assorted Counsels, “Peace,” 10

"The essence of peace is to connect two opposites. Hence, do not be alarmed if you see a person whose opinion is completely opposite from yours and you think that you will never be able to make peace with him. Or, when you see two people who are completely opposite to each other, do not say it is impossible to make peace between them. On the contrary, the essence of peace is to try to make peace between two opposites".

3. RABASH, Letter No. 42

"If we are saying that each one cares for himself, it is impossible to be as one man, since they are not similar to one another. However, if they all annul their selves and worry only about the benefit of the Creator, they have no individual views, since the individuals have all been canceled and have entered the single authority".

4. RABASH, Article No. 36 (1991), "What Is, 'Peace, Peace, to the Far and to the Near,' in the Work?"

"The dispute is necessary. That is, if the creatures do not understand the matter of the dispute, they can never achieve the purpose of creation, which is to do good to His creations, since it is impossible to correct anything if we do not know what is missing. Hence, once we know the dispute between the desires, we can make peace between them".

5. Zohar for All, Tikkunei Zohar:

“This is a dispute for the sake of the Creator — one that will ultimately endure and bring peace and unity between both sides. Not a dispute of separation, such as the dispute of Korach and his congregation against Aaron.”

6. Zohar for All, Aharei Mot [After the Death], "Behold, How Good and How Pleasant", Item 65

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to also sit together.” These are the friends as they sit together, and are not separated from each other. At first, they seem like people at war, wishing to kill one another. Then they return to being in brotherly love.

The Creator says about them, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to also sit together” The word, “also,” comes to include the Shechina with them. Moreover, the Creator listens to their words and He has contentment and delights with them, as it is written, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him.”