THINKING CONTEXTUALLY, NOT IDEOLOGICALLY

The point of asking how we can achieve one ideal at least expense to another is made in the following Midrash in which the Divine commands a theoretically ideal action from the perspective of a specific concern but accepts that a human was better at balancing the range of concerns that must be brought to bear in the real world:

Numbers Rabah (Vilna) 19:32	במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה יט אות לג
This is one of three things said by Moses to the Holy One, blessed be He, to which the latter replied: 'You have taught Me something!’… When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to [Moses]: ‘Make war with Sihon. Even if he does not seek to make [war] with you, you must provoke war with him’…{based on Deut. 2:24} Moses did not do so, but… sent messengers [to Heshbon, king of Sihon, with words of peace]. {based on Numbers 21:21-22}  The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him ‘By your life! I [hereby] cancel My words and adopt yours’; as it is written: ‘When you come near to a city to fight against it, proclaim peace unto it’ (Deut. 20:10).		זה אחד מג' דברים שאמר משה לפני הקב"ה וא"ל למדתני... כשאמר לו הקב"ה עשה מלחמה עם סיחון אפילו הוא אינו מבקש לעשות עמך את תתגר בו מלחמה... ומשה לא עשה כן אלא... שלח מלאכים [אל חשבון מלך סיחון דברי שלום] א"ל הקב"ה חייך שאני מבטל דברי ומקיים דבריך שנא' (שם /דברים/ כ) כי תקרב אל עיר להלחם עליה וקראת אליה לשלום

However, as I have written and illustrated elsewhere - the context must include all the people involved - both in the present and in the future.  That means, in part, that the decisor must be someone is who is not noge'a ba-davar = stands to gain for him or herself in any way (whether short term pleasure or long term interests).