Provocation

(Picture by Karl Heinz Bittner)

Excerpt from the Baal Shem Tov Times - Parshat Balak:

"And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel dwelling at peace by tribes, and the spirit of G-d came upon him." (Bamidbar 24:2)

He saw that their doors were not opposite one another, and he said, "It is fitting to bless them."

Sometimes, two scholars who are debating one another cannot admit to the truth. Each one seeks to disprove his friend's words. Even though he knows that the other is right, his intention in arguing merely to harass, G-d forbid. Yet, the main intention in a debate should be to admit to the truth, and to fulfill what our Sages have said: "If two people sit together and share words of Torah, the Divine Presence dwells among them."

Now, the mouth is called a "door," for speech goes out from it. This is the meaning of: "Their doors were not opposite one another." They did not intend to oppose or provoke each other in their debates, but to admit to the truth. And so he said, "It is fitting to bless them."

Dudayim BaSadeh, Likutey Amorim, p. 29d