Avoid Unnecessary Disputes, for the Sake of Heaven

Baseless hatred is a serious sin. Ensuring that we, personally, are at peace with our fellows does not suffice. We must also actively promote peace among others.

The story of Korach and his rebellion against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16) is considered to be a classic example of a dispute that was clearly not “for the sake of heaven.”

As our sages say, “What is a machloket [dispute] not for the sake of Heaven? The machloket of Korach and his company.”

In fact, the verse, “And you shall not be like Korach and his group” is understood by our sages to be a biblical injunction against getting involved in an unnecessary dispute. I am going to share with you a collection of teachings from our sages about the importance of maintaining peace, and the destructive potential of anger and strife.

For instance, the final paragraph of the six orders of the Mishnah (legal commentary on the Torah) states: “Great is peace, for God found no other vessel for His blessings other than “peace”. Meaning, God’s blessing can only rest on individuals, communities and even countries when there is peace among people. In the case of a woman who is a sotah (a woman suspected of adultery), the procedure for proving her guilt or innocence (and hopefully reuniting her in peace with her husband) involved erasing the name of God into a special potion that the sotah was made to drink. Based on this, our sages say: “The power of peace is so great . . . that God’s holy name, written in holiness, is erased in water in order to bring peace between the sotah and her husband.” It is even permissible to distort the truth in order to preserve peace. God Himself did this, as did the brothers of Joseph. (See your bible for more information)

Ensuring that we, personally, are at peace with our fellows does not suffice. Rather, we must actively promote and bring peace between others. Our sages teach us that Aaron the high priest would employ various methods to bring peace to couples and friends who were not getting along. The great Hillel was known to say: “Be of the disciples of Aaron—a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah.”  According to our sages, the mitzvah (commandment) of brokering peace is one whose divine reward is enjoyed both in this world and in the next (as opposed to most mitzvot, whose rewards can only be expected in the World to Come).

Disputes can get dangerous. A small leak in a dam can lead to a huge flood. It’s quite easy to close the small leak, but to fix it later, after the flood has let loose, is almost impossible. This is also true about arguments. One should always endeavor to stop an argument before it spirals out of control.

Ahithophel, King David’s wisest advisor, joined the side of Absalom, son of David, in his rebellion against his father. When Ahithophel realized that King David would be victorious, he went home to give his children his last will and testament, and then he committed suicide. One of the pieces of advice he gave them was: Do not get involved in disputes—this after he realized that his involvement in a dispute cost him his life. The second Holy Temple was destroyed because of the sin of baseless hatred. The exile that has followed is the longest exile, because this sin is a very difficult for an individual to recognize within himself and rectify.

By Rabbi Ari Enkin, rabbinical director, United with Israel