Elul Thoughts

The Jewish principle of Makhloket l'shem Shamayim—argument for the sake of Heaven—teaches that not all conflict is destructive. When motivated by truth, humility, and a desire to serve something beyond the self, disagreement can be sacred. This idea offers a striking lens through which to consider the High Holy Days and the existential tension: Do the means justify the end?

Throughout our High Holy Day season, the liturgy leads us toward a spiritual “end” of a cycle—atonement, renewal, reconnection. But we don’t arrive through shortcuts. We go through Vidui (confession), Avinu Malkeinu (pleas for mercy), and Unetaneh Tokef (a trembling confrontation with mortality). The music that carries these prayers—solemn, raw, yearning—is not just background. It is the means, the emotional architecture that opens the heart.

Take Unetaneh Tokef, for example. The words confront us with who shall live and who shall die, but the melody—slow, mournful, and rising with urgency—models emotional honesty. It demands that we walk through our fear and self-examination with sincerity. Or consider Kol Nidrei, chanted three times in increasing intensity. Its musical progression reflects our own internal process: we don’t simply seek forgiveness—we become worthy of it through the journey.

Makhloket l'shem Shamayim reminds us that how we engage matters. Similarly, the High Holiday music teaches that redemption isn't found in rushing to the end, but in sanctifying each step of the journey. In Jewish life, holy ends must be reached through holy means.