(יז) כָּל מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, אֵין סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת קֹרַח וְכָל עֲדָתוֹ:
(17) 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.
וַיִּקַח קֹרַח. מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן?
דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם וְעָשׂוּ לָהֶם צִיצִת (במדבר טו, לח).
קָפַץ קֹרַח וְאָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה, אַתָּה אוֹמֵר, וְנָתְנוּ עַל צִיצִת וְגוֹ' (שם). טַלִּית שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ תְּכֵלֶת, מַה הִיא שֶׁיְּהֵא פְּטוּרָה מִן הַצִּיצִית?
אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה, חַיֶּבֶת בְּצִיצִית.
אָמַר לוֹ קֹרַח, טַלִּית שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ תְּכֵלֶת אֵינָהּ פּוֹטֶרֶת עַצְמָהּ, וְאַרְבָּעָה חוּטִין פּוֹטֵר אוֹתָהּ?!
בַּיִת מָלֵא סְפָרִים, מַהוּ שֶׁתְּהֵא פְּטוּרָה מִן הַמְּזוּזָה?
אָמַר לוֹ: חַיֶּבֶת בִּמְזוּזָה.
אָמַר לוֹ: כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ מָאתַיִם שִׁבְעִים וְחָמֵשׁ פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ, כֻּלָּן אֵין פּוֹטְרוֹת אֶת הַבַּיִת, וּשְׁתֵּי פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת שֶׁבַּמְּזוּזָה פּוֹטְרוֹת אֶת הַבַּיִת?!
אָמַר לוֹ: דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ לֹא נִצְטַוֵּיתָ עֲלֵיהֶם, וּמִלִּבְּךָ אַתָּה בּוֹדְאָם.
“Now Korah […] took.” What is written above the matter?
“Speak unto the Children of Israel and tell them to make tassels (zizit) for themselves.’”
Korah quickly said to Moses, “In the case of a prayer shawl (tallit) which is all blue, what is the rule about it being exempt from [having] the tassel?”
Moses said to him, “[Such a prayer shawl] is required to have the tassels.”
Korah said to him, “Would not a prayer shawl which is all blue exempt itself, when four [blue] threads exempt it?
In the case of a house which is full of [scriptural] books, what is the rule about it being exempt it from [having] the mezuzah (which contains only two passages of scripture)?”
[Moses] said to him, “[Such a house] is required to have the mezuzah.”
[Korah] said to him, “Since the whole Torah has two hundred and seventy-five parashiot in it and they do not exempt the house [from having the mezuzah], would the two parashiot which are in the mezuzah exempt the house?”
[He also] said to him, “These are things about which you have not been commanded. Rather you are inventing them [by taking them] out of your own heart.”