that he was hinting to the perils of machlokes and the need to stay far away from it. Shevet Levi was on the highest level of any shevet. Even Pharaoh had no power over them and could not enslave them. Furthermore, they managed to stay away from the sin of the eigel hazahav. However, they did stumble when it came to the sin of causing machlokes.
He adds that this was caused by not being careful with their words. They said a sharp word here and an insulting word there, and this ultimately led to a terrible fight. The Gemara (Chulin 89A) says that the world only exists in the merit of those who shut their mouths in times of discord. In this vein, Rav Yechezkel of Kuzmir zy”a explains the Gemara’s words “kol d’alim gevar” (whomever is stronger wins). The word “alim” (strong) can also mean mute. Thus, these words can be understood to mean that if one is quiet like a mute, he will be strongest and he will win.
Losing All of One’s Spiritual Work:
We see an amazing thing from this Parshah. The yeitzer hara may allow a person to grow and flourish in Torah and avodah for many years but, in the end, it can cause him to get involved in a terrible fight, which will negate all of his previous spiritual work.
Sefer Ye’aros Devash (Chelek 1, Drush 1) writes an explanation of the words of the piyyut (Adir Ayom V’Norah): “Redeem Your nation from goats, Your flock from the shearers.” He explains that we sometimes see a wicked person who does teshuva for his past sins. He engages in fasting, afflicts himself and does all he can to atone. However, after a while, he returns to his bad ways and forgets all about the teshuva he worked so hard to do.
He compares this to a shearer who wants his sheep’s wool. He will feed it well and take care of it until it grows a nice coat of wool. Once it is heavy with wool. he will then cut it all off, allowing it to start growing it again. So too, the yeitzer hara feeds aveiros to Jews until they are covered in them and have no Torah or mitzvos to sustain them. He will then allow them to do teshuva and to grow spiritually in order to lighten their load and allow them to survive. After that, however, he will get them to begin sinning again until they have a new load of aveiros.
Thus, we ask Hashem to save us, his flock, from the shearer, i.e., the yeitzer hara.
וַיַּקְהֵל עֲלֵיהֶם קֹרַ ח אֶת כָּל הָעֵדָה אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וגו' (טז, יט)
And Korach assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance to the Ohel Moed... (16:19)
It Is Easy to Gather People for Machlokes:
Sefer Mateh Moshe states that it usually is hard to gather a lot of people together for a good person. But when people are being gathered for a machlokes against a Rov, it is easy to get people to come together.
In a city near Premishlan, a machlokes once broke out regarding the local shochet. Some people suspected that he was not properly checking the lungs of the cows he slaughtered, and they brought their complaints to Rav Meir of Premishlan zy”a.
Rav Meir told them, “According to all Acharonim, checking the lungs is a mitzvah d’rabanan. However, there is no doubt that machlokes is an issur d’ohraysa!
“You may think that your machlokes is l’sheim shomayim. However, the Mishnah says (Avos 5:17) that the only machlokes l’sheim shomayim is the one between Hillel and Shamai. Only they were on the level of arguing solely for Hashem’s sake. Every other machlokes is akin to that of Korach’s.”
Machlokes L’Sheim Shomayim:
The Ye’aros Devash (Chelek 2, Drush 8) discusses the concept of machlokes l’sheim shomayim and says that the yeitzer hara tries to convince us that every fight is with pure intentions for the sake of Hashem, and that it is a mitzvah to battle against those we view as being in the wrong. So how can we know if a machlokes really is l’sheim shomayim?
He writes that if the two parties in the machlokes love each other and get along in every way besides for the one area they disagree about, that is a sign that it is a machlokes l’sheim shomayim. However, if they hate each other and don’t get along in general, that is a clear sign that the machlokes is not l’sheim shomayim.
Accordingly, the Mishnah gives the disagreement between Hillel and Shamai as an example of a machlokes l’sheim shomayim. Hillel and Shamai loved and respected each other in every way; thus, the Mishnah is saying that only a machlokes like this could be l’sheim shomayim. However, if a party in a machlokes is like Korach and his assemblage, who were full of hatred, it is a sign that it is not l’sheim shomayim.
The Result of Machlokes:
The Baal Hatanya zy”a (quoted in Sefer Michtavei Admor Hazakein) writes that all harsh decrees and massacres that have occurred to Klal Yisroel since the time of the second Bais Hamikdosh are a result of machlokes, even if it is l’sheim shomayim.
A Bad Middah Ruins a Person:
Sefer Kisvei Chasidim quotes the Chidushei Harim zy”a as saying that when one learns this Parshah, he has to contemplate how much a bad middah can harm a person. Korach was a person who experienced ruach hakodesh and he was one of those who carried the Aron. He certainly was a big tzadik, and he was already 130-years-old. However, since he was jealous of Elitzafun ben Uziel, he ended up destroying himself.
Since a bad middah tova is so damaging, it is obvious that a good middah is 500 times more effective and it can bring a person to truly great heights.
Stay Away From a Battle that is Not Yours:
A person certainly should make sure not to get involved in a fight that has nothing to do with him. The Chidushei Harim zy”a sees this from the pasuk (26:9) that states: “They are Dasan and Aviram, the chosen of the congregation who incited against Moshe and Aharon in the assembly of Korach, when they incited against Hashem.” He asks why the Torah disparages Dasan and Aviram, who were not from Shevet Levi and weren’t in it for themselves, but does not speak disparagingly about the 250 men from Shevet Levi who brought the ketores.
The Chidushei Harim explains that the 250 men who brought the ketores can be judged favorably because they wanted to attain greatness and allowed themselves to be seduced by the yeitzer hara for their own glory. Dasan and Aviram, however, got involved in a fight that wasn’t their own, and there is no way to justify such a person.
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח אֶת הַמַּחְתָּה וְתֶן עָלֶיהָ אֵשׁ מֵעַל הַמִּ זְבֵּחַ וְשִׂ ים קְטֹרֶ ת וְהוֹלֵךְ מְ הֵרָ ה אֶל הָעֵדָה וְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם וגו' (יז, יא)
And Moshe said to Aharon, “Take the shovel and put fire from the Mizbeach onto it and put ketores. Then take it quickly to the congregation and atone for them... (17:11)
The Segulah of Saying Parshas Haketores:
In order to conclude with a good thing, we will speak about the topic of the ketores.
The Zohar Hakadosh (Vayakhel 118B) speaks about the benefit of reciting the Parshas Haketores and states: “If people would know how valuable the ketores is to Hashem, they would take each word of it and wear them like crowns on their heads... If one says it with concentration every day, he has a portion in this world and in the world to come, and death will go away from him and he will be saved from all harsh judgments in this world... and from the judgment of Gehenim...”
It is stated in Sefer Agra D’Pirkah (36): “If one says Pitum Haketores with concentration, he weakens the strength of the evil forces... and even if a harsh decree of death is issued against him or against a family member, it will be canceled in the merit of Pitum Haketores.”
