A noted Rabbi and judge who lives in Jerusalem was walking home with a friend. He was confronted by his neighbor. The neighbor accosted the Rabbi and charged him with owing him money.
The Rabbi asked, why do I owe you money?
The neighbor replied that the Rabbi had recently had his apartment painted and the process had caused the neighbor damage and he felt he was owed recompense.
The Rabbi asked why?
The man explained that the painter had poured the leftover paint down the pipes and that paint had stopped up his pipes and he had to hire a plumber to unstop the pipes to the tune of 600 shekel, approximately $200.
The Rabbi immediately reached into his pocket and gave his neighbor the money.
As they continued on their journey, the Rabbi told his colleague that he could prove in 3 ways that he did not actually owe the money.
First of all, the Rabbi said, paint does not clog pipes.
Secondly, the pipes in his apartment are on the other side of the building, and do not interface at all with his neighbor’s pipes.
And, finally, he had not done any painting in his apartment at all.
The colleague was dumbfounded. He wanted to understand why the Rabbi paid the sum without argument or defense.
The Rabbi responded that keeping peace with his neighbor is worth 600 shekels.
That is an inspired thought.
Especially at this time of year when we are experiencing the Three Weeks, the time when we mourn the loss of our Temple, the House of Peace, a loss that came about due to not seeing one another’s presence and worth.
If we would value peace with one another to the degree we would be willing to pay for it, we would be in a different place entirely.