Parashat Korach: Beginning to Understand Machloket

ויקח קרח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי ודתן ואבירם בני אליאב ואון בן פלת בני ראובן (טז:א)

In this week’s parasha we read about Korach and his machloket with Moshe. Let’s try to understand this machloket based on the words of the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (5:17) where it says

כל מחלוקת שהיא לשם שמים סופה להתקיים, ושאינה לשם שמים אין סופה להתקיים. איזוהי מחלוקת לשם שמים זו מחלוקת של הלל ושמאי, ושאינה לשם שמים זו מחלוקת קרח וכל עדתו.

“Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven, will in the end endure; But one that is not for the sake of Heaven, will not endure. Which is the controversy that is for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai. And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his congregation.”

Chazal are teaching us how to act when we encounter machloket; if it is for the sake of Heaven, we should fight with strength for the truth, but if it is not for the sake of Heaven, we should run away from the conflict. 

Let’s ask two basic questions that can help us shed light on Machloket:

1. In hindsight it is clear to us that the debate of Korach was not for the sake of Heaven, but for the sake of his own kavod to be the Cohen Gadol. But had we been there in the moment, would it have been so obvious? Korach was a gadol in the generation, so would it have been clear that his intentions were not pure?
2. Wasn’t the machloket between Korach and Moshe? Why does the Mishnah say that it was between Korach and his congregation?

The Sefer Otzrot HaTorah suggests a few perspectives that give us an important insight into machloket, controversy. I think these ideas will be very practical suggestions for how we approach machloket.

1. Malbim suggests that a machloket for the sake of Heaven is where both parties are unified in their search for the truth, whereas a machloket that is not for the sake of Heaven is where at least some of the parties are out for their own honor and respect. So it was Korach and his congregation who were out for their own honor. Korach thought he was next in line to be Kohen Gadol, Datan V’aviram were upset that the kehuna went to the tribe of levi and the kingship went to Yehudah. So when you see a debate with internal fighting even within the one group, you can bet it is not for the sake of Heaven.
2. Rav Yonatan Eibeshitz says that our yetzer hara often tricks us into thinking that our opinions in a debate are for the sake of Heaven. But the test is whether aside from the issue under debate, do the two parties love and respect each other; this is for the sake of Heaven, or do the two parties constantly not get along; that is not for the sake of Heaven. The best example of a machloket for the sake of Heaven is Hillel and Shamai who loved and respected each other. On the other hand, Korach and his congregants who nearly sought to stone Moshe, they clearly did not have love and respect for him.
3. The ימין יוסף gives us another way to determine the true intent of a debate. Our yetzer hara tries to keep us away from  machloket for the sake of Heaven, whereas one not for the sake of Heaven he attempts to get us heated and riled up to debate, perhaps even if the issue is not significant to us.
4. The sefer הגיונו המוסר gives us yet another way to determine one’s true intent. If both sides are ready to hear the other side and to work through to determine the truth, that is for the sake of Heaven. Korach and his congregation just riled each other up and did not take their opinions with an open mind to Moshe; this was clearly not for the sake of Heaven.

The lesson seems to be clear. Let us not be known as the person who debates for the sake of the debate, nor shall we be the person who has to always be right, and certainly not be the one who debates for public honor. However, when there is kavod Hatorah or kavod Hashem at stake, we should fight with pride to bring out the truth.