Parashat Korach- Avoiding "Mahaloket"
Parashat Korah tells the tragic story of Korah's revolt against the authority of Moshe and Aharon. This story serves as one of the textbook cases of the causes and dangers of "Mahaloket," dissension and strife, of how even great people can have their lives ruined and destroyed by involving themselves in controversy and contention.
Korah had everything that a person could have wanted. He was a member of the distinguished tribe of Levi, and belonged to the family of Kehat, which was privileged to carry the Aron (ark) and other sacred articles of the Mishkan. Yet, he was dissatisfied. The Sages explain that Korah felt slighted when his younger cousin, Elisaphan, was selected instead of him as the tribal leader of Levi. This petty issue drove Korah to initiate a revolt against Moshe, which ultimately led to his being buried underground, together with his cohorts and all his belongings.
More often than not, Mahaloket begins with something small and insignificant and then snowballs into a major controversy. "He didn't invite me"; "She said this about me." Grievances that are hardly deserving of attention have a way of touching a person's ego such that he cannot let go. "I'll show him"; "I can't let him get away with that"; "I'm right, and I am going to make sure that he realizes it." Before we know it, a full-blown fight erupts with the potential of tearing apart families and communities.
Another classic example of this development of Mahaloket is the story of Yerov'am, first monarch of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Yerov'am was among the leading Rabbis of his time, and God Himself selected Yerov'am to become king. But Yerov'am realized that when the Jewish people would assemble for "Hakhel," the septennial gathering in Jerusalem, he would be subordinate to the king of Yehuda. The "Hakhel" ceremony was led by the king of Yehuda, and Yerov'am would not be given any honorary place or recognition. This threat to his honor led Yerov'am to do the unthinkable: he erected two golden calves in his kingdom, and appointed guards to ensure that people from his kingdom would visit these new temples, rather than make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Yerov'am is thus known as one of the greatest sinners in Tanach, and he lost his share in the world to come.
Such is the destructive power of Mahaloket: the pettiest and most insignificant concerns and grievances can lead even men of great stature to ruin.
How can we avoid this pitfall? What measures can we take to avoid Mahaloket?
The Hafetz Haim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, Lithuania, 1839-1933) offered a number of suggestions to help avoid the dangers of Mahaloket. Firstly, many arguments result from miscommunication between the parties. When a person hires a painter to paint his house, he should never say, "Come paint the house and we'll work out the payment later." This kind of ambiguous arrangement is a perfect recipe for fighting. Each has his own expectation of what areas of the house are to be painted, which kind of paint should be used, and how much the job should cost. All arrangements and deals must be made very specific so as to avoid any potential misunderstandings.
Secondly, the Hafetz Haim advised, a person must be willing to pay a price to avoid Mahaloket. Ironically, people are prepared to pay considerable sums of money for all kinds of Misvot, but not to avoid strife and contention. Even though it is technically possible for a person to borrow a Lulav and Etrog on Sukkot to fulfill the Misva, people nevertheless go and purchase expensive Lulavim and Etrogim in order to fulfill the Misva at the highest standard. Yet, when it comes to fighting and controversy, which are far more destructive than borrowing a Lulav and Etrog, people seldom pay or forego on money for the sake of avoiding conflict. If the sum of money under question is relatively small, is it not worth foregoing on one's claim in the interest of maintaining peaceful relations with one's friends and neighbors? Is this not a most worthwhile cause towards which to spend one's money?
The message of Parashat Korah is that initiating and pursuing conflict is simply not worth one's while. We are well-advised to make the necessary sacrifices to avoid Mahaloket, which has the potential of costing far greater sacrifices, and even – as in the cases of Korah and Yerov'am – complete ruin.
