Now, when there is a dispute among scholars, and even if the halachah favors one of them; nevertheless, we have a well-known principle that (Eiruvin 13b): "אלו ואלו דברי אלקים חיים"—both represent the word of G-d, i.e., they both have validity and credibility. For, in reality, both provide insight into how to better serve Hashem. Furthermore, they expounded in the Gemara (Kiddushin 30b) on the passuk (Tehillim 127, 5):
"לא יבושו כי ידברו את אויבים בשער. מאי את אויבים בשער, אמר רבי חייא בר אבא, אפילו האב ובנו, הרב ותלמידו, שעוסקין בתורה בשער אחד, נעשים אויבים זה את זה, ואינם זזים משם עד שנעשים אוהבים זה את זה, שנאמר את והב בסופה, אל תקרי בסופה אלא בסופה". “They shall not be shamed when they speak with enemies in public places (literally: at the gate).” Who are the “enemies at the gate” referred to by the passuk? Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said: Even a father and his son, a Rav and his pupil, who are engaged in Torah-study at the same gate (in the same place of study); they become each other’s adversaries; and they do not move from there until they become devoted friends of one another, as it states (Bamidbar 21, 14): “That which was given at the Sea of Reeds”—do not read this as “bisoofah” (on the Yam Suf ) but rather as “bisofah” (“in the end”).
Let us apply this concept to the dispute between Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Abahu. One contends that a consummate tzaddik is greater, while the other contends that a ba’al-teshuvah is greater. Both opinions are credible and valid. On the one hand, a total tzaddik wages a constant battle against the yetzer to remain righteous; as such, he is more laudable. On the other hand, the ba’al teshuvah has to withstand the yetzer on a daily basis so as not to repeat his past transgressions and wrongdoings; as such, he is more laudable.
Thus, we can propose that this was HKB”H’s plan. Initially, Yehudah and Yosef confronted each other combatively. Of this situation, the sages said: “They shall not be shamed when they speak with enemies in public places.” In other words, they regarded each other as foes in order to determine the halachah based on the true intent of the Torah. Each one stood his holy ground to influence Yisrael. Yosef maintained that every Jew should do everything within his power to battle the yetzer in order to be a consummate tzaddik; Yehudah maintained that even if a Jew falters and falls prey to the yetzer hara, chas v’shalom, he can always rectify his situation via teshuvah.
Yet, in the end: They do not move from there until they become devoted friends of one another, as it states: "את והב בסופה". Therefore, Yaakov Avinu devised a clever plan to reconcile the differences between Yehudah and Yosef: “He sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef to instruct ahead of him in Goshen.” In other words, he sent the ba’al teshuvah to the epitome of a tzaddik to inform all of Yisrael, who were destined to be in galus in Mitzrayim, that both viewpoints are valid and approved by G-d.
This coincides beautifully with Rashi’s comment: “He sent Yehudah ahead of him to Yosef to instruct ahead of him in Goshen”—to establish for him a house of study from which instruction would come forth (originate). Since Yaakov Avinu is the pillar of Torah, it was his aim to illustrate
