Q&A: Are Wars a Necessity of Reality?
Are Wars a Necessity of Reality?
Question
Hello Rabbi. Have a good week.
In many cases, when there is an ideological dispute between two sides, such as two religions or two nations, the feeling is that if both sides were to sit around the table and really listen to one another, and try to understand the other side and meet it halfway, a lot of bloodshed and sorrow could be avoided.
My question is:
Is the violence and suffering in the world only because of incorrect human behavior? Meaning, that people could have talked and discussed things and prevented the violence.
Or are there places where even after we try to understand the other side and meet it halfway, we will still think differently—for example, Haredim and secular people, Jews and Arabs—and wars are necessary in order to resolve conflicts, because there is a clash here that even goodwill will not help.
I hope I explained myself clearly.
Answer
It’s impossible to answer in general terms. If both sides have good intentions and only different positions, then usually there will not be violence. And if at least one side does not, then listening to them will not help, and there will be no listening on their part either (and that also won’t help).
Discussion on Answer
Again, that’s too general a question. Clearly, in principle it is possible. But I believe that if the intentions on both sides are good, it should not happen.
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9D_%D7%94%D7%93%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%98%D7%99
I understand.
But in your estimation, are there situations where even if both groups do everything to understand each other, they will still believe different things, and therefore there will be no choice but to fight?
Since many arguments end with: “This is how I assess reality,” “This is how I experience this or that issue.”
And at that point there is almost nothing left to discuss.
So does living in this world mean that even when we do everything to prevent violence, sometimes we will have to resolve things through violence?