It could happen here

I came across and an interesting argument yesterday (although not in the day's daf).

On Sotah 11a we find a debate between two rabbinic sages, Rav and Shmuel about the meaning of Exodus 1:8, "and there arose a Pharoah who knew not Joseph."

According to Rav this means that a new Pharoah arose, someone who had no relationship with Joseph and was not beholden to him. According to Shmuel our texts means that it was the same Pharoah. He knew Joseph but chose to forget him. This allowed him to enact decrees for his own benefit and against those of the Israelites.

This debate is classic and exists today. It went on in Germany in the period before WWII. The Ravs saw a changing society and said, "as long as Germany is Germany we'll be fine. We've made a home here." The Shmuels on the other hand knew that even the same society, even the same people, could turn on you at any moment.

Even in America we are constantly walking a tightrope between Rav and Shmuel. America has been a great place for the Jews. Will it always be? America has been Israel's greatest friend? Will we always be?

As Daniel Boyarin pointed out in his book "Intertextuality and The Reading of Midrash" perhaps the truth doesn't belong to either Rav or Shmuel but rather lives between their polarities. Maybe we should trust the society from which we live (Rav) while at the same time, keeping our guard up and knowing that it is not infallible (Shmuel).