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.
- What do you think it means to have an argument for the sake of heaven?
- How does one cultivate a space for constructive controversy?
- What is the difference between a controversy of Hillel and Shammai vs that of Korah?
(א) וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י וְדָתָ֨ן וַאֲבִירָ֜ם בְּנֵ֧י אֱלִיאָ֛ב וְא֥וֹן בֶּן־פֶּ֖לֶת בְּנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵֽן׃ (ב) וַיָּקֻ֙מוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַאֲנָשִׁ֥ים מִבְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם נְשִׂיאֵ֥י עֵדָ֛ה קְרִאֵ֥י מוֹעֵ֖ד אַנְשֵׁי־שֵֽׁם׃
(ג) וַיִּֽקָּהֲל֞וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶם֮ רַב־לָכֶם֒ כִּ֤י כָל־הָֽעֵדָה֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים וּבְתוֹכָ֖ם יְהוָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ תִּֽתְנַשְּׂא֖וּ עַל־קְהַ֥ל יְהוָֽה׃
(1) Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben— (2) to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute.
(3) They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above the LORD’s congregation?”
(ד) וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עַל־פָּנָֽיו׃
(ה) וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־קֹ֜רַח וְאֶֽל־כׇּל־עֲדָתוֹ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ בֹּ֠קֶר וְיֹדַ֨ע יְהֹוָ֧ה אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ וְאֶת־הַקָּד֖וֹשׁ וְהִקְרִ֣יב אֵלָ֑יו וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַר־בּ֖וֹ יַקְרִ֥יב אֵלָֽיו׃ (ו) זֹ֖את עֲשׂ֑וּ קְחוּ־לָכֶ֣ם מַחְתּ֔וֹת קֹ֖רַח וְכׇל־עֲדָתֽוֹ׃ (ז) וּתְנ֣וּ בָהֵ֣ן ׀ אֵ֡שׁ וְשִׂ֩ימוּ֩ עֲלֵיהֶ֨ן ׀ קְטֹ֜רֶת לִפְנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ מָחָ֔ר וְהָיָ֗ה הָאִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה ה֣וּא הַקָּד֑וֹשׁ רַב־לָכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י לֵוִֽי׃
(ח) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־קֹ֑רַח שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֖א בְּנֵ֥י לֵוִֽי׃
(ט) הַמְעַ֣ט מִכֶּ֗ם כִּֽי־הִבְדִּיל֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵעֲדַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְהַקְרִ֥יב אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֵלָ֑יו לַעֲבֹ֗ד אֶת־עֲבֹדַת֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן יְהֹוָ֔ה וְלַעֲמֹ֛ד לִפְנֵ֥י הָעֵדָ֖ה לְשָׁרְתָֽם׃ (י) וַיַּקְרֵב֙ אֹֽתְךָ֔ וְאֶת־כׇּל־אַחֶ֥יךָ בְנֵי־לֵוִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֖ם גַּם־כְּהֻנָּֽה׃ (יא) לָכֵ֗ן אַתָּה֙ וְכׇל־עֲדָ֣תְךָ֔ הַנֹּעָדִ֖ים עַל־יְהֹוָ֑ה וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן מַה־ה֔וּא כִּ֥י (תלונו) [תַלִּ֖ינוּ] עָלָֽיו׃
(יב) וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִקְרֹ֛א לְדָתָ֥ן וְלַאֲבִירָ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י אֱלִיאָ֑ב וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ
לֹ֥א נַעֲלֶֽה׃
(יג) הַמְעַ֗ט כִּ֤י הֶֽעֱלִיתָ֙נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ זָבַ֤ת חָלָב֙ וּדְבַ֔שׁ לַהֲמִיתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּֽי־תִשְׂתָּרֵ֥ר עָלֵ֖ינוּ גַּם־הִשְׂתָּרֵֽר׃
(יד) אַ֡ף לֹ֣א אֶל־אֶ֩רֶץ֩ זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֤ב וּדְבַשׁ֙ הֲבִ֣יאֹתָ֔נוּ וַתִּ֨תֶּן־לָ֔נוּ נַחֲלַ֖ת שָׂדֶ֣ה וָכָ֑רֶם הַעֵינֵ֞י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָהֵ֛ם תְּנַקֵּ֖ר
לֹ֥א נַעֲלֶֽה׃
(4) When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.
(5) Then he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Come morning, the Lord will make known who is [God’s] and who is holy by granting direct access; the one whom [God] has chosen will be granted access. (6) Do this: You, Korah and all your band, take fire pans, (7) and tomorrow put fire in them and lay incense on them before יהוה. Then the candidate whom יהוה chooses, he shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!”
(8) Moses said further to Korah, “Hear me, sons of Levi.
(9) Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart from the community of Israel and given you direct access, to perform the duties of the Lord's Tabernacle and to minister to the community and serve them? (10) Now that [God] has advanced you and all your fellow Levites with you, do you seek the priesthood too? (11) Truly, it is against the Lord that you and all your company have banded together. For who is Aaron that you should rail against him?”
(12) Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab; but they said,
“We will not come!
(13) Is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, that you would also lord it over us?
(14) Even if you had brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and given us possession of fields and vineyards, should you gouge out the eyes of those involved?
We will not come!”
This is the “oven of Achnai.” What is Achnai? Said Rabbi Yehudah in the name of Shmuel: That they surrounded it with words [of debate] like an Achnai snake, and declared it impure. It was taught: On that day R. Eliezer answered all the answers on earth and they did not accept it from him.
אמר להם אם הלכה כמותי חרוב זה יוכיח נעקר חרוב ממקומו מאה אמה ואמרי לה ארבע מאות אמה אמרו לו אין מביאין ראיה מן החרוב חזר ואמר להם אם הלכה כמותי אמת המים יוכיחו חזרו אמת המים לאחוריהם אמרו לו אין מביאין ראיה מאמת המים
חזר ואמר להם אם הלכה כמותי כותלי
בית המדרש יוכיחו הטו כותלי בית המדרש ליפול גער בהם רבי יהושע אמר להם אם תלמידי חכמים מנצחים זה את זה בהלכה אתם מה טיבכם לא נפלו מפני כבודו של רבי יהושע ולא זקפו מפני כבודו של ר"א ועדיין מטין ועומדין
חזר ואמר להם אם הלכה כמותי מן השמים יוכיחו יצאתה בת קול ואמרה מה לכם אצל ר"א שהלכה כמותו בכ"מ
He said, “If the law is like me, the carob tree will prove it”; the carob tree was uprooted from its place one hundred Amah, some say four hundred Amah. They said: “We do not bring proof from a carob tree.”... He went and said “If the law is like me the water channel will prove it”; the water channel flowed in reverse direction. They said: “We do not bring proof from a water channel.”
He went and said “If the law is as I say the walls of the House of Study will prove it”; the walls of the House of Study inclined to fall. R. Yehoshua protested at them, saying to them “If scholars defeat each other in the law, how does it better you?” They did not fall because of the honor of R.Yehoshua and they did not straighten, because of the honor of R. Eliezer, and they still incline and stand....
[R. Eliezer] went and said, “If the law is like me, from Heaven they will prove it”; a heavenly voice came out and said, “What have you with R. Eliezer, who the law is like him in every place?”
R. Yehoshua stood on his feet and said “[The Torah] is not in heaven,” (Deuteronomy 30:12). What does "[The Torah] is not in heaven" mean? R. Yirmiyah said: “That the Torah was already given at Sinai, we do not pay attention to a heavenly voice, since You already wrote at Sinai in the Torah, “After the majority to incline,” (Exodus 23:2). R. Natan met the prophet Elijah and said to him, “What did the Holy One Blessed be He do in that hour?” He said to him: “He smiled and said, “My sons have defeated Me, My sons have defeated Me.”
- What distinctions and similarities do you see between the controversy of Korah and R. Eliezer?
- What thoughts, feelings or images do these two stories/controvesies, when read together, evoke for you?
- Who does 'heaven' side with?
- -Who holds a 'majority'?
- How does this affect your understanding or perspective of an argument for the sake of heaven?
- If the Torah is not in heaven- where does it reside?
(2) Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, your God the Lord, am holy.
To be seperate, to kadosh to be holy, saintly; sanctified, sacred in contrast to mahloket division; separation; difference, dissension, strife, faction
מַחֲלוֹקֶת f. (b. h. מַחֲלֹקֶת; חָלַק) division; separation; difference, dissension, strife, faction. Gen. R. s. 4 למה אין כתיב … נבראת המ׳ why are not the words ‘that it was good’ written about the second day of creation?… Because separation was created thereon (Gen. I, 6); אם מ׳ שהיא לתיקונו וכ׳ if to a separation which was made for the establishment and settlement of the world, ‘that it was good’ cannot be applied, how much less to a separation which tends to the confusion of the world! Ab. V, 17 מ׳ שהיא לשם שמים a dissension which is carried on for the sake of heaven (of truth, without selfish motives). Ber. 37ᵃ עד מתי … בין המ׳ how long wilt thou put thy head between contending parties, i.e. why dost thou deviate from the established rule? Ib. 38ᵇ במ׳ שנויה this has been taught under a controversy of opinion. Y. Peah I, 16ᵃ בעלי מ׳ people who create strife. Y. Snh. I, 19ᶜ top בתחלה לא היתה מ׳ וכ׳ in former days there were no conflicting opinions in Israel (they being settled by the Sanhedrin); Bab. Snh. 88ᵇ לא היו מרבין מ׳ וכ׳ they allowed no differences to spread &c.; Tosef. ib. VII, 1; Tosef. Ḥag. II, 9 מַחֲלוֹקוֹת (pl.). B. Bath. 147ᵃ אל תהיו במ׳ do not join a political faction. Hor. 11ᵇ מפני מַחֲלוֹקָתוֹ של וכ׳ (not מחלקותו) on account of the contention of Adoniyah (who claimed the right of succession). Ib. כי איכא מ׳ בעיא וכ׳ wherever there was a contest between claimants, anointing was required; a. fr.—Pl. מַחֲלוֹקוֹת. Sot. 47ᵇ רבו מ׳ וכ׳ the factions in Israel became numerous. Tosef. Snh. l. c., v. supra. Meg. 3ᵃ שלא ירבו מ׳ וכ׳ in order that dissensions may not spread &c.; a. e.
The Sages were drawing a fundamental distinction between two kinds of conflict: argument for the sake of truth and argument for the sake of victory.
The passage must be read this way, because of the glaring discrepancy between what the rebels said and what they sought.