RABBIS DON'T HAVE A MONOPOLY ON IT

Rabbis are famous -- infamous, perhaps -- for on-the-other-handing. No matter what the subject, they always take the judicious approach which first considers the issue from one side, then from the other side. As one of them told me: "There's nothing in the world you can slice so thin that there's only one side to it."

Great. Point taken. Now what? Armed with both "hands," how do we proceed from there? In the case of the law, we take a vote. Be it in a jury room or in the Supreme Court, someone votes to determine which "hand" carries the day. Just as it will with the Senate now considering President Obama's new court appointee, Elena Kagan.

On the other hand....

What works in the law can be perplexing in other fields. Take medical research. New reports pour out of research labs every day. The media usually headlines it something like: "Major Breakthrough!", "Dramatic Results Extend Life!," "Science Finds Secret Gene!" Then you read the small print. That's where the on-the-other-handing judiciously qualifies everything to the point where "major breakthroughs" comes down to "good possibilities."

Bottom line...

When all is said and said, it's eventually time for something to be done. A choice, a decision, an action. But not only in the case of law and medicine, also in the case of everyday views and values. Take for example the two "hands" judging Hollywood's current spate of comic-book-hero movies. Are these healthy cinematic outlets for the young audience's repressed rages, or do they ignite wannabe heroes in our already tough streets?

This either/or has been debated ever since video games got bloodier. Concerned parents read on-the-one-hand reports; but before they can put down their "O" Magazine with some conviction, another "hand" is heard from. [In earlier generations, parenting was so much easier, because parents just said No and went to bed at night content that they were right, end of discussion!]

Today -- equipped with layers of informational armor -- parents and other members of the human race march out into daily battle, forever unsure of anything. Actually, it often becomes a badge of honor to be unsure, for this is often considered the wiser "hand" in contrast to the one raised with absolute conviction. [In some cases, this lack of surety has been raised to the profundity of Agnosticism!]

Back to the rabbis. I've known several brilliant rabbis, and whenver I've asked which "hand" they take on the subject we're discussing, they usually smile and say something like: "So who says there are only two...?!"