Q&A: Pluralism and Tolerance
Pluralism and Tolerance
Question
Hello to our great Rabbi, may he live long and well.
Do you think there is only one clear truth?
If so, then is only one stream within Judaism correct and all the others wrong, or perhaps none of them has arrived at the absolute truth, and each is right about some things and mistaken about others? More pointedly: when can I respect other streams in a pluralistic way, and when should I give them only a tolerant place, like my attitude toward other religions? And perhaps there is also a bit of truth in other religions, so maybe they too should be granted a pluralistic attitude???
And if we are speaking about matters of worldview, can there be pluralism in Jewish law, as I seem to recall the Rabbi does not think so?!
P.S. If I have found favor in your eyes, I would be happy if the Rabbi would give me a link to his column on the differences between tolerance and pluralism.
Answer
Everything is answered in my article on tolerance, and here it is before you:
I will only note that you asked, “Is there one clear truth,” but the question whether there is one truth and whether it is clear are two entirely different questions. In a considerable number of questions, in my opinion, there is one truth, but in quite a few cases it is not clear. Beyond all that, each person is required to act according to his own understanding even if he is mistaken (and even if he knows that he is mistaken, so long as that is his reasoning, as I proved from the fact that the Jewish law was not ruled in accordance with Rabbi Meir because his colleagues could not get to the bottom of his view, and likewise from the Oven of Akhnai and “It is not in heaven”). See here:
By the way, in matters of worldview there is less room for pluralism, because those concern facts. In Jewish law we are dealing with norms, and then it is easier to say that there are two truths. As for tolerance, perhaps the situation is different.