Darkhei Shalom: The Path to Building Community – Rabbi Rahel Berkovits

How important is it to compromise the letter of the law for the sake of peace among people? Whom do the Rabbis consider to be part of an average Jew’s concentric community? How are people with disabilities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, or those who are not Jewish viewed? Which areas in life do the Rabbis feel cause the most fighting and unrest in communities? (Don’t be surprised when the Synagogue tops the list!) How does one not compromise their personal identity when interacting with people who are different from themsleves? To answer these questions and more we will analyze the literary and meta-thematic structures of the Mishnayot in Tractate Gittim which deal with the laws of Darkhei Shalom- pathways to peace.