The Problem with Korach
But first, let us return to Korach and his machlokes. When Moshe Rabbeinu sought to bring peace between himself and Korach and his followers, he tried everything... and nothing worked. The reason it didn’t work is because Korach didn’t have bittul to Moshe Rabbeinu, the middas hada’as of Klal Yisrael. Anyone who was mevatel to Moshe Rabbeinu merited da’as as well.
But at the moment Korach proclaimed, “I don’t want to hear what Moshe Rabbeinu has to say... I am right”—there was nothing left to accomplish with him, and Moshe would never succeed in imparting da’as to him. Thus, the children of Korach, we are told, did not die, because they did teshuvah. But Korach himself did not allow Moshe to impart da’as to him under any circumstances; thus there was no way that he would budge.
Rectifying Da’as: Changing Our Erroneous Misconceptions
With every machlokes, there is often the possibility of working on the person’s da’as, but it takes much patience. Don’t go back and forth, trying to figure out who is right... invest your energies into ascertaining why each side is adamant. When you see a person who thinks that he is on the side of טוב, but his side is really רע—we must figure out why he thinks that this is good. The reason is that his דעת is broken, and so, we must address that. Let go of all other approaches and address his da’as. Learn with him b’chavrusa for a few months, until his da’as begins to shift. You will see that one day he will come himself and say, “I have changed my outlook.”
The Impact of Da’as
We see the impact of da’as in many instances. One of them is in regard to children who mature. The Torah already tells us that a child who enters the age of bar mitzvah enters the stage of da’as. As soon as he becomes a דעת בר, he becomes obligated in mitzvos and is able to make transactions according to halachah. He is now able to bear responsibility and look at matters with the proper outlook.
But sometimes we see a boy of 14 or 16 who fights and argues and instigates... and there is no one to talk to. You can talk all you want, and you can promise him rewards... nothing will work. But if you will learn a sefer with him... this will help! Ignore his arguments with the mashgiach or with his parents... learn Mesilas Yesharim or Chovos HaLevavos... another ma’amar Chazal... and slowly, as his da’as is straightened, you will see that his decision-making will shift in a positive direction. One day, he will come to you and say, “I decided to change....” Some would call that maturing. But what really happened is that his da’as has been straightened, and he has begun to see more clearly—even regarding things that you never touched upon in your learning!
The Gemara (Eruvin 41b) tells us that there are things that broaden and relax a person’s mind, and there are things that cause a person to go out of his mind... one of the latter is the ravages of poverty. Sometimes, we see a person who is irritable and bitter, and who has gotten into disagreements with half of the people in shul. His is pained and he’s always complaining.
Comes a smart Yid, and he recognizes the problem that has caused this individual to lose his da’as. He gives him something to eat and drink, and begins complimenting him and showering him with positive affirmations. This Yid brought peace and calmed the situation. What happened? The first Yid lost his da’as, and thus good and bad were mixed up for him. By giving him back his da’as, the second Yid enabled the individual to weigh properly between good and bad, bringing peace into the world.
Erroneous Presumptions
The same thing applies to a person who has an erroneous presumption or premise. He thinks that if things will be “this way,” he will be successful in life. When he was young and naïve, he decided that to succeed in business, one must be hardnosed and hardheaded—never budging from one’s position, never compromising. That’s the only way to make money. Business is not the place to be soft. This person has had that attitude for twenty years, and he has managed to get into disagreements with half the world. But he doesn’t even see the problem. Why? Because he found that this attitude made him successful—and he has the bank account to prove it!
It’s very difficult to change such a person. And one day, he will find himself without anyone... and he won’t even understand why. “But the rav told me that I am right to stand my ground...!” he will say. “It has nothing to do with my attitudes and preconceived premises....” And for each instance, he has another explanation for why it happened. But in the end, he has nothing and no one.
Using Da’as to Free a Person from Erroneous Attitudes
Suppose a person wishes to bring peace. He begins to address each disagreement, one by one. “Let’s see the contract in this case. Let’s see which rav you asked in that case....” None of this will help, because the businessman is suffering from a lack of da’as, and tov and rah are confused for him. When you will enter into a discussion with him, he will begin to tell you his side, and there will definitely be elements of good within the many things that he will say, and it will be very convincing. He is not a fool. He will tell you a hashkafah, a story of tzaddikim, etc. “I asked da’as Torah....” And it is easy to be swayed by him. This is all חכמה—he shared many facts.
Now, we need בינה, to doubt what חכמה said (as we have learned above in the Me’or Einayim). And now the דעת must weigh what is really true, and which is the correct side. If a person does teshuvah, and he purifies his mind somewhat... then he can access da’as and see the proper way forward.
This is the great avodah of seeing—to look beneath the surface, to understand the premises and the foundations that undergird one’s decisions.
