08 Jun KORACH

Parnassah

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba, Tzav, 9) states, “Shalom is great, for all brachos come from peace…” The Mishnah (Uktzin 3:2) states, “Hakadosh Baruch Hu didn’t find a utensil to hold blessings other than peace…” The Shlah (Yoma, Derech Chaim 44) states “One machlokes pushes away one hundred parnassos.” These sources imply that shalom brings blessings and wealth, while machlokes results in poverty. One should avoid machlokes for that reason alone. Every person has a weak spot where he loses himself. For some it’s money issues, for others it’s when their honor at stake (or to attain honor) and a third category of people lose themselves when it comes to jealousy. They can be very intelligent and rational, but when these issues are involved, they act in totally irrational ways to get money, honor, or whatever it is that’s extremely important for them. It’s written, “Hashem Gevulech Shalom”, “Who places peace in your borders…” (Tehillim 147:14). The Chasam Sofer zt’l (Vayigash V’hinei Amru) explains that the passuk is urging us to make “peace” our boundary of our intelligence. Instead of making your weak spot money, honor etc. your wall when you lose your sense and work irrationally, your weak spot should be your quest for peace. For the sake of peace you should be ready to behave totally irrational.

There are indeed times when it could be claimed that maintaining peace isn’t rational. Someone hurt you or someone you love; does it make sense to be at peace with him? Nevertheless, we are encouraged to make shalom our weak spot and we should lose all our intelligence and rational thinking in order to maintain peace. The passuk concludes “Chelev Chitim Yasbiech”, “fat wheat will sustain you,” which means, in the merit of your emphasis on peace, Hashem will grant you parnassah in abundance. As stated above, peace brings parnassah and all brachos. The Gemara (Bava Metzia 59.) teaches that honoring one’s wife is also a segulah for parnassah. “Rava said to the people of Mechuza, ‘Honor your wives so you will become wealthy.’” What is the association between honoring one’s wife and earning parnassah? We can explain as follows: Man was cursed “B’zat Apecha Tochal Lechem” (Bereishis 3:19), that he must work very hard for his parnassah. The woman was cursed “V’hu Yimshol Bach”, that her husband will rule over her (Bereishis 3:19). If he will be lenient with her curse, and not rule over her, then midah keneged midah, his curse will also be minimized, and he will earn his parnassah easily, without “B’zat Apecha Tochal Lechem”.

Moshe and Moshe and Aharon

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 7.) teaches, “Fortunate is the person who trains himself to remain silent when disgraced. He is saved from a hundred troubles…” Aharon HaCohen is a prime example of someone who remained silent in a dispute. Korach’s machlokes was against Aharon, as Korach sought to usurp the cohen gadol position from Aharon. But Aharon remained silent throughout the ordeal. The Torah says, “Moshe heard and fell on his face” (16:4). The Ramban writes, it doesn’t state that ‘they fell,’ because Aharon, with his ways of mussar and holiness didn’t say anything during this entire episode. His silence implied that he agreed that Korach was greater than him, and that the sole reason he was cohen gadol was because he was following Moshe’s orders…”

This is one of the reasons the Mishnah views Aharon HaCohen as the paradigm of peace. As it states, “Be among Aharon’s student: Love peace, chase peace…” (Avos 1:12). When there was a machlokes, he remained silent.7 Moshe Rabbeinu is also a paradigm of peace, for he was the greatest navi, the king of Klal Yisrael, and yet he acted with extreme humility to stop the machlokes, for he went to Dasan v’Aviram’s tent to make peace. As it states (16:25) “Moshe stood up and went to Dassan and Aviram and the elders of Yisrael followed after him…”. The words “Moshe stood up,” seems extra, because it would be sufficient to state, “Moshe went to Dassan and Aviram…” The Or HaChaim answers that “v’yakam” implies that Moshe went up a level. As it states, honor is preceded by humility. Moshe endured a moment of humiliation (when he went to Dasan and Aviram for the sake of peace). The result was “v’yakam Moshe”, that Moshe was elevated, and reached another height of greatness.

Fridays

As we discuss the need to avoid machlokes, it’s appropriate to note that one should take extra precautions on Fridays, because the yetzer hara is very active on Friday to create disputes. The Chida writes, “Erev Shabbos afternoon is a perilous time for machlokes between a husband and wife… The sitra achara strives with all its might to initiate a dispute…” The Gemara (Gittin 52.) brings a story of a couple who would fight every Friday. This was caused by the Satan who dwelled in their home, and instigated the disputes. To help them, Reb Meir came to their house on Friday, and obviously, in his presence they wouldn’t fight. He was there for three successive Fridays, and restored the peace in their home. Reb Meir heard the Satan say, “Woe, Reb Meir drove me out of this house!” The holy sefarim teach that this Gemara is an indication of what happens in many people’s homes on Fridays. The Satan is there to start a machlokes. The Satan does this, to ruin their potential for blessings, as Shabbos is the source of all blessings. As the Chasam Sofer (Likutim Vayakhel) writes, “The six days of the week receive their blessings from Shabbos. A vessel is needed to contain those brachos, and that vessel is peace (see Uktzin 3:2). The yetzer hara therefore goes all-out to create a dispute on Shabbos, the day that brachos abound, so we won’t have a vessel to receive those blessings, thereby ruining the entire upcoming week. With these ideas I explain the passuk (Shmos 35:2-3) “sheshet yamim t’aseh mlacha ubayom hashvi’i y’heyeh lachem”, this means the blessings and the success of the six weekdays comes from the seventh day — Shabbos. Therefore, don’t ignite the fire of machlokes on Shabbos, and you will have a vessel to hold the brachos.” Reb Chaim Palagi zt’l (Kaf HaChaim 27:35) writes, “I affirm that every household that has a machlokes on Friday afternoon or on Friday night it is certain, proven, and true that something bad will happen to them during the week. Check it and you will see that it is so,” because they lack the blessings that come from Shabbos. The Ben Ish Chai adds that if someone in your home does something wrong on Friday regarding Shabbos preparations and the like, don’t be angry with them, because it isn’t their fault. The Satan caused them to make that error, to provoke a machlokes on Friday. He writes, “Know, if one fights with his wife, children, or maid, he thinks that he is right for saying those sharp words because of their error. However, if he would be wise, he would understand that if a mistake happened in the home, it wasn’t their fault — it happened because the Satan, who seeks to instill disputes at that time… Therefore, if some deed of the home wasn’t completed properly at that time, don’t blame your wife or your maids. Understand the justification we are stating here, because it is the truth. And then you will not be angry with them…and it will be good for You in this world and in the next world.”