[Avodah] Eilu v'eilu

[Kenneth Miller via Avodah]

I wrote:

: But then, as I was reviewing this post, my mind turned to the Tanur
: Shel Achnai. R' Eliezer had a minority view, and R' Yehoshua was in
: the majority. I've got to believe that both views were firmly grounded;
: this machlokes was surely just as L'Shem Shamayim as any between Hillel
: and Shammai. I'd *like* to say that Klapei Shmaya, both views were Truth.

R' Micha Berger responded:

> We discussed bas qol, and why we follow the bas qol that says
> "vehalakhah kebeis Hillel" despite the anur shel achnai story. I
> listed the opinions in the Encyc Talmudit here
> <http://www.aishdas.org/asp/legislative-authority-of-bas-qol>
>
> It's not 100% accepted that the bas qol was really endorsing R'
> Eliezer's opinion in this particular machloqes, rather than
> defending his shitah in general -- "halakhah kemoso bekhol maqom",
> or that it was a test. ...

I apologize for not being clear enough. I was not refering to the Bas Kol part of the story. Rather, I was referring to the end of the story, when Eliyahu Hanavi was asked for Hashem's take on the incident, and he quoted Hashem as laughing, "Nitzchuni banai!"

Regardless of how the Bas Kol might be interpreted, is there any way to understand "Nitzchuni banai!" other than Hashem personally siding with one of the litigants, and losing?

Akiva Miller
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