CONFLICT PREVENTION AND MEDIATION IN THE JEWISH TRADITION

CONFLICT PREVENTION ANDMEDIATION IN THE JEWISHTRADITIONGerald M. Steinbergarein framingthe apcultural tdisputeproachesparticularreIn the traditionalJewish framework,and principlesexamplesaretoinlatedbiblicalthe Talsources,foundconflict resolutionIn particular,mud, and other texts, as well as in commentaries.Specificthe Talmudicdisputes,emphasisthe praiseon compromisein the context of monetaryto mediatewho were ableresoluof judgestions instead of issuing legal judgments, and the admonishment toin the community are frequentlythe peacecited. Leadpreserveto act cautiouslyand accepters, includingrabbis, are enjoinedin order to preventthe peacecompromiseconflict and to preserveand welfareof theIn this essay,will beresolutionwhere applicable,basis,Israelcommunity.to mediationJewishand conflictapproachesusing existing academicanalyzedframeworks,in order to identify the key elements. On thisto conflict resolutioninthe applicationof these approachesandWhilethe Jewishworldis considered.the practice of mediation and compromise is far fromconflict preventionof negotiation,new, the systematicanalysisnew.twoInthe acatheis relativelyand resolutiondecades,pasta wideandof mediation,arbitrationdemic study and applicationJewish Political Studies Review 12:3-4 (Fall 2000)3This content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.72.230 on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:18:32 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Gerald M. Steinberg4variety of alternative dispute resolution (ADR)techniques havein the fields ofand journalarticlessignificantly.workand law, s ,In many countries,Israel, the courts and social welincludingBooksincreasedfare systems are attempting to reduce the burden of litigation andthe level of conflict in society by expanding the use of mediationin internationalSimilarly,negotiationsusetheof mediation,conflict preand ethno-nationalconflicts,ventiontexts, etc. is also t with uncertainare universal,some of the theories and techniquesAlthoughand theorists also note that particularcultural, socialpractitionersin conflict resoluand historicalelements are of majorimportanceRitualsrole in the transition processes.often play a significantandotherforms of ADR.tion from confrontationties have developedto mutualacceptance,their own CRand differentsocie(conflict resolution) rituals,a number ofIn this context, for example,and models.1techniquesas the basis for conflicthave used Islamicframeworksanalystsin these communities.2resolutionaremediationand conflictSimilarly,preventionimportantin the Jewish tradition. Theelementslong and rich history of theas reflectedin the Bible,Jewish people,Talmud,commentaries,as wellas religiousand other sources,in the halakhahpracticea Jewish approachthe basis for presentinglaw), provide(Jewishto conflict preventionand resolution. Whilethe requirementstoare absolute,fear Godand fulfill the commandmentsinterpretations vary widely,and the principleof "the golden mean"isare discouraged,stressedExtremeviewsand thoserepeatedly.who sit in judgment are urged to be moderate (m'tunim) in theirdecisionsinfractionsJewish law, there are a number of(Pirkei Avot). Underfor whichthe death penaltyis prescribed,but in reality, this penalty was rarely invoked. Similarly, the biblical prescription of "an eye for eye" is not taken literally,but rather it istranslatedinto a systemviolence.from deliberateof compensationfor injuries that resultThe "cities of refuge" that are mandatedin the Bible were created as means of preventing blood feuds andthe cycle of violenceand accidentalresulting from manslaughterdeath.3Theon the root shalem,based(shalom,striving for "peace"aiscentraland the importanceofelement,meaningcomplete)this goal is repeatedare enjoinedin daily prayers. Leadersto seekand pursue peaceshalom v'rodfehu").4The injunctionto("bakeshThis content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.72.230 on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:18:32 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Conflict Prevention and Mediationin theJewish Tradition5preserve human lives ("pikuah nefesh") is one of the highest priover almostall other commandand takes precedencethe principlesIn addition,of "mipneidarcheishalom"in order toand often extraordinaryauthorizedpractices(specialand "shalomconflictin the community)avoidbayit" are givennormstotheof Jewish law.5 Inaccordingprominent considerationto the examplereferencesofthis context,there are numerousa conflict over grazing isrelativeLot,choseseparationin orderto avoidfurtherfriction, declaring "if you take the leftdirection, Iwill take the right;and ifyou chose right, Iwill go eementpractice,of "mahkloketthe conceptin the name of heaven,argumentfor the sake of a worthy cause)le'sheminand,are alsointegral components of Jewish tradition. Pirkei Avot makes thedistinction between such disputes, as in the case of the Schools ofHillel and Shamai, who debated the proper interpretationof theas in the case of Korakhand destructiveand hisdisputes,intheMosesaccorddesert,and,followers, who drash,fought amongingas well as subsequentand halakhah,of the Talmuddevelopmentsonwasif often inthisof constructive,basedprocessessentiallyLaw,tense, zedbyagreat deal of destructive and bitter conflict, both domestic andinvolving other peoples, nations and religions. The biblical textthe rebellionsrecallsin the Sinaidesertshortly after the Exodusfrom Egypt; during the period of the Judges following the conquestof the Landof IsraelunderJoshua;andafterthe rule ofKing Solomon, when the nation split into theKingdoms of JudeaandIsrael.years ago,civil war,tred.two thousandof the SeconddestructionTempleatheandruleof RomeJewishrevoltagainstfollowinghato "sinat chinam" ?senselessis often attributedTheDuring the two thousand years of exile that followed, internalconflict and division continued. In the splits between the Rabbinites and Karaites, Maimonidians and their opponents, Hasidimand Mitnagdim, Ashkenazim and Sephardim, rabbis and lay leadother ways, Jews fought other Jews.8 In manyin countlessover religiouswerecastin terms of disputesthe issuescases,orweresomealsoconflictsor tradition, butprimarily thepracticeinterand particularindividualsresult of power struggles betweenfromfor assistanceests. Notappealinfrequently, factions woulders, andThis content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.72.230 on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:18:32 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Gerald M. Steinberg6their interin the struggle againstoutsidepowers and authoritiesnal enemies.9as a result of this tenAt the same time, and in part preciselyatraditionJewishinternal conflict,towardsdevelopeddencytoTheand negotiation.conflict ameliorationcomplexapproachsection of the Talmudinwhich the foundations of Jewish legalare expoundedand debatedprocedureand limitationssiders the advantages(TractateSanhedrin)over aof mediationconlegaldecision finding for one or the other of the parties. Since biblicalcommentatorshave debatedand legal mplicationsIn this case, AaronCalf.Priest, during the incident of the Goldentothethisdemandidol, in order topopularproduceacceptedin the form of a massrebellion.10 Whileavoid a greater calamity,are critical of this action, Jewish sources ofsome commentatorsof the merits of comproten cite this incident as an illustrationJewishtimes,ofare at stake.11mise, even when fundamentalprinciplesof communalThe nature and propertiesconflictresolution,in the context of a civil legal procedure,differand of rticularwidelyish context, but there are also some important commonthreads. Inthe caseenjoinedpreventcited above, and in other instances,of Aaronleaders areinorder toto act cautiouslyand to acceptcompromiseconflictthe peaceand welfareand to preserveof thecommunity. Similar themes can be found in the halakhic (legal)ondiscussionsin civil disputesor arbitration)the role of ).As will be discusseddisputespreventprocessin greater detail below, judges in civilare encouragedto seek a mediatedin order toagreement,a situationone of the parties emergesin whichfrom thewhilethe other is defeated. Maimonidesandvictorious,other Jewish legal experts and philosophers note that such processesperpetuateconflict,whilecompromiseand mediationformthe basis for reconciliation.12 This approach, which is linked tothe broader principlesthat reject extremismand urge moderationin all parts of life, can be seen as the essenceof the Jewish aptoconflictwithbothresolution,proachrespect to civil disputesand broader communalconflict.In this article,Jewish approachesto mediationand conflictresolution will be analyzedacademicusing existingframeworks,where applicable,in order to identify the key elements. After considering the function of mediation in civil disputes, and thewaysinwhich the Jewish tradition views the role of the leader in preventingcommunaldisputes,wewillexaminethe applicationThis content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.72.230 on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:18:32 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditionsof

in theJewish TraditionConflict Prevention andMediationin dealingthese techniquesish world.MediationofOneresolutionthe centralandwithin Civil Legalthemesthe developmentIn orderto lowerandin the JewProceduresof modernapproachesof alternativedisputetechniques is the use of mediationprocedures.in Israelconflicts7to conflictresolutionin the context of civil legalthe levelof conflictin the society(as well reducing the extent of litigation), the legal systems in anumber of countries,the use ofincluding Israel, have encouragedmediation,arbitration, and similar procedures.In Jewish tradition and practice,based on mediacompromise,tion (in which a third party facilitatesbetweenthe paragreementties) and arbitration (in which a thirdparty proposes a settlement),is seenvolvingas an important meansof adjudicatingissues (dinei mamonot).Themonetarycivillegaldisputescode wasindeveloped on the core provided in the Torah (the Bible), expandedover manyin the Oral kcarriedtheanddiaspora,legaldevelopedthat had largely autonofurther in the many Jewish communitiesmoussystems of civil law.as well asthe advantages,TractateSanhedrin(5b-6a)exploreson theinandbasedlimitations of compromiseHebrew,{p'sharaword "poshrim"for a liquid that is neither hot nor cold) "basedon the exerciseof the judges'is transdiscretion."13(This processasandmediationand/orlated ctconsideredtion,14 reflectingproceduresandis generallyto beconsideredsimilar). Whilecompromiseatoandrighteousnesslegal ruling, "embodyingjuspreferableas well as later comin this discussion,tice,"15 some participantsis seen to embodymentators,argue that a court decision"pureas a deviais n.16be veryThose who argue thatmediation and compromise is preferableto a full-scale trial also note that strict legal processes inwhich acourtmust decide in favor of one of the litigants,and against theothers,contributesto bitternessandexpansionofthe conflict.17This is the antithesis of the commandment to seek peaceas citedabove.in thethe Jewishand avoid conflict,Indeed,communityof pure justice are met, therethe demandssages noted that whenthereis the exclusiveis no peaceconsideration,(and when peaceasseenthe basis forisIn contrast, compromiseis no justice).18This content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.72.230 on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:18:32 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions