In the Torah portion Korach (chapter 17), read in the Diaspora today, it is explained that after the earth opened its mouth and swallowed Korach and his followers, “The next day the whole Israelite community railed against Moshe and Aaron, saying, “You two have brought death upon God”s people!” While they were complaining, suddenly the pillar of cloud descended, covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of God appeared. “But as the community gathered against them, Moshe and Aaron turned toward the Tent of Meeting the cloud had covered it and the Presence of God appeared.”
The entire community trembled, and Moshe was called to the sacred place, and Aaron joined him. They still did not know what the meaning of the revelation was. “God spoke to Moshe, saying: “Remove yourselves from this community, that I may annihilate them in an instant.” They fell on their faces.”
While still falling on his face in a prayer of self-sacrifice for Israel, Moshe realized that the angel of death had already received permission to strike, and while still in prayer, Moshe responded, ordering Aaron to burn incense, thereby violating God”s command, and instead of separating from the people – went towards them with the incense to stop the plague. “Then Moshe said to Aaron, “Take the fire pan, and put on it fire from the altar. Add incense and take it quickly to the community and make expiation for them. For wrath has gone forth from God the plague has begun!”
“Aaron took it, as Moshe had ordered, and ran to the midst of the congregation, where the plague had begun among the people. He lit the incense and made expiation for the people he stood between the dead and the living until the plague was checked. Those who died of the plague came to fourteen thousand and seven hundred, aside from those who died on account of Korach. Aaron then returned to Moshe at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, since the plague was checked.” What was the Wrath All About
Israel sinned by complaining about Moshe and Aaron, but still, the question remains: why was this sin considered so severe, to the point they were sentenced to death?
In their complaint, they included themselves as full partners in the dispute against Moshe Rabbeinu. Korach and his followers were a negligible minority – just a few hundred alone from Israel. Had the people revolted against them, Korach and his followers would have retreated in shame, and no dispute would have developed.
This is how Israel should have behaved, after all the good they received in that generation through Moshe Rabbeinu. However, they stood by and saw how Korach and his followers shamed Moshe and Aharon, and remained silent. There was even fear they would kill Moshe and Aaron, since during the events of the controversy there were situations in which Moshe and Aaron stood alone in front of Korach”s hundreds of followers but even then, Israel remained silent, and let the disputants threaten Moshe and Aaron and stir up the people, until Moshe Rabbeinu had to ask for God”s help, namely, that He punish Korach”s followers so everyone would know that His Torah was true.
After all this, the Israelites still dared to complain about the harsh death of those who disagreed with Moshe, and then, God repaid them for keeping silent and not protesting, and for causing a dispute that endangered the future of the people and heritage of the Torah. And although there were very respectable people among Korach”s followers, the people should have cleary chosen Moshe, and strongly protested those who rose against him. The Wife of On ben Pelet
On ben Pelet was initially a participant in the controversy, and was supposed to perish together with Korach and his followers, but his wife saved him (Sanhedrin 109b). This is how our teacher and rabbi, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda HaKohen Kook ztz”l, recounted the incident: ” His wife was a tzaddeket (a righteous woman), and he was saved in her merit. At first, he was swayed after the “gang”, and his wife begged him not to enter the dispute, yet, he could not cease. He said to her: Soon, they will come to call for me. His wife answered him: I will sit outside our tent with chutzpah, indecently, with my hair uncovered, and being “tzaddikim”, when they see this, they will run away.
Indeed, that is exactly what happened. In previous generations, and even today, the dispute-mongers are considered “tzaddikim”. Our Sages call them rasha”im (evil), but they are erroneously termed “tzaddikim,”, or “haredim” “(Sichot Ha”Ritz”ya, Bamidbar, p. 195). Signs of Evil Dispute-Mongers
The problem is, it is not always easy to know who the dissidents are who endanger Israel, since they know how to misrepresent their words, to the point where it is difficult to discern their malice. The more serious problem is that they also tend to convince themselves, to the point where they are unable to discern their own increasingly evil ways.
The sign of a dispute for the sake of heaven, like the dispute between Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel, is that the disputants focus on the substantive debate, but beyond the debate, respect one another, and see the good in each of them. On the other hand, the clear sign of an evil dispute that is not for heaven”s sake, is that the disputants do not respect one another, and as a result, do not recognize the good sides of those who disagree with them.
Another sign of baalei machloket (dispute-mongers) is that they lie. Some of them lie maliciously, thinking that for the sake of their “holy” purpose, it is appropriate to lie and slander the other party. Some of them lie accidentally – since they only see bad aspects of the other side, any evil rumor about the other side is accepted without proper investigation, and consequently, they spread lies.
Indeed, inaccuracies can be found in almost every person, but among baalei machloket, we find people who regularly lie and insult, and even when it turns out they are wrong, do not draw conclusions, but immediately move on to a new claim – which most probably is also false. The Duty to Criticize, and Stay Away from Baalei Machloket
In absence of condemning the wicked, the righteous have no chance of winning, since according to logic, every struggle between the righteous and the wicked should seemingly end in victory of the wicked. After all, a righteous person has moral inhibitions: he cannot lie and spread slander, and cannot take revenge, punish, or eliminate opponents.
However, the righteous do have one advantage: the moral advantage. They can define evil. And since values, truth and justice carry crucial importance, the determination that so-and-so adopts immoral positions will gradually cause the evil to be weakened, until it is completely abolished. It thus turns out that when the righteous act according to the rules of morality, they win.
There is no need for a lot of effort – just define the nature of the evil of the disputant and express it publicly, quietly and calmly, and the truth will take its course. However, if the righteous concede their right to morally define evil, they have no chance of winning. Respect for Humanity – For Christians as Well
Q: Recently, cases of Jews spitting on Christian tourists were published. Is it permissible to behave in such a way according to the Torah?
A: It is forbidden to humiliate people, and whoever does so is a sinner. “They said about Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai that no one ever preceded him in issuing a greeting, not even a non-Jew in the marketplace, as Rabban Yoḥanan would always greet him first” (Berakhot 17a). In the days of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, all Christians were idolaters, and even so, he was careful to precede them with a greeting. For certain, he did not humiliate them, or spit on them. It is also stated in Tractate Avot: “Shammai used to say&hellip and receive all men with a pleasant countenance” (1:15). “All men” includes all human beings, without exception.
All the more so when it comes to tourists who are guests of the State of Israel, and generally, come here out of respect for the people of Israel. Our Sages said that the guests that Abraham our forefather ran to receive, appeared to him to be lowly worshipers of idolatry who bowed down to the dust on their feet (Bava Metzia 86b), but despite this, he greatly respected them, observed the mitzvah of hosting guests, and as a result, merited receiving the good news about the birth of Isaac.
This is the opportunity to mention the words of Maran Rabbi Kook, about the attitude of love and respect that should be shown towards members of other religions (Middot Haraya: Ahava 10). In his words, he explained that it is necessary to love all creatures created by God, and especially man, and this love “should spread to all people, despite all differences of opinions, religions and beliefs, and despite all the divisions of races, and environments.”
Not only that, Rabbi Kook further explained that love of Israel should also be based on a general love for all human beings, “because only in a soul rich in love of mankind and love of humanity, can the love of the nation be exalted in its noble genius, and spiritual and practical greatness.” On the other hand, “stinginess that causes one to see in everything outside the perimeter of the special nation, even if it is outside the boundary of Israel, only ugliness and impurity, is one of the terrible darkness”s that cause a general destruction of the entire building of spiritual goodness, whose light, every gentle soul anticipates.” Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky and his Attitude towards Christian Nuns
The story is told about Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky ztz”l, one of the heads of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudath Yisrael in the United States, who respected every person, “even Christians were given full respect, and a pleasant countenance. One day a resident of Monsey was surprised when he was stopped in the street by the Mother Superior of the monastery located on the street where Rabbi Yaacov lived. She sought to understand why the monastery”s Jewish neighbors looked away, or crossed the street, whenever a nun passed by. Everyone – except for one old rabbi, who always makes sure to greet them with a smile and a friendly greeting” (Sefer Rabbi Ya”akov p. 327).
Rabbi Kaminetzky (1891-1986) was born in Lithuania, and studied at the Slavodka and Slutsk yeshivas. He was a rabbi in Lithuania, afterwards immigrated to the United States, and was a rabbi in Seattle, and later in Toronto. For many years, he headed the flagship “Torah ve Daat” yeshiva in New York. He was known as a gaon (Torah genius) in iyun (in-depth analysis) and halakha, and for his middot tovot (excellent character traits).
This article appears in the “Besheva” newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.