Go Ahead, Tolerate…

In the circles within which I move there is a tendency to treat tolerance as if it were a bad word.

Tolerance, they say, is just putting up with.

We should be embracing not tolerating, goes the argument.

Puts me to mind of the rabbinical story where the rich man goes to the rabbi and tells him that he, the rich man, has decided he should live more simply. Instead of rich food he will for now on live on bread, and maybe a little cheese. And instead of fine wines, content himself with water.

The rabbi roars at the rich man. “Don’t do that!”

He goes on to instruct the man to eat well, to drink fine wines, to enjoy himself fully…

Startled, but not displeased, the man leaves.

His student asks, “Why such instructions? That’s not what you tell us?”

The rabbi says, “In this culture, that cares so little for the poor, they must rely upon the charity of the rich. Imagine, if this rich man is living on bread and water, what he thinks the poor can get by on?”

Today is the International Day for Tolerance.

And, yes, yes. There are things that should not be tolerated.

Not the point here. Mostly, in this life, we need to get along.

Embrace is great. But, you know, tolerate is okay. Especially in this world that totters so terrible at the edge of a precipice…

Think if this as the baseline.

And, so, I recommend we all go out and tolerate something…