Rabbi Eliyahu Hakakian, Rav of Congregation Ahavat Shalom, spoke to the middle school students at Yeshivas Toras Simcha. The Rav explained that the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva were Geonim, but they harbored a small measure of disrespect for each other. Perhaps when they argued in Torah, they did not give proper honor to a fellow talmid who disagreed with them. We must always be sensitive to Jews who may not dress like we do or may not daven in the same nusach that we daven in, etc. We can always agree to disagree respectfully. Especially during the days of sefirah, we need to internalize this lesson.
