This is a Dvar Torah about Shalom (peace).
Everything has different ways of looking at it. People are not b’shalom because they see things a certain way, while the other party sees it another way. The mida of shalom is to find a new way of seeing something that allows one to come to terms with it. Take suffering for instance. Many people are unhappy with it. But there are many positive aspects to it. When one undestands suffering in a different light, he comes to terms with it, and makes peace with it.
Who had this mida of Shalom?
R’ Akiva
He had an amazing ability to see things in a different way. When others cried over seeing foxes in the place of the beis Hamikdash, he laughed.
With this insight we can understand the gemara about the four who entered pardes, but only R’ Akiva entered in peace and exited in peace. We can easily understand that the deapest secrects of Torah are highly perplexing and seemingly contradictory. This would make a normal person go out of his box. But R’ Akiva entered in peace so he exited in peace. He entered with the mida of peace, the ability to see things in the ooposite way of how it appeared on the surface. Because he had this ability, he could come to terms with the various perplections of pardes. Because he entered with this mida of peace, he was able to exit in peace.
May we all find ways to judge each other favorably and achieve ahavas Yisrael.
Shalom al Yisrael.