#737: A Schism in Premishlan
A Hasidic story relevant to Parashat Korah, Bamidbar/Numberss 16:6
זֹאת עֲשׂוּ קְחוּ־לָכֶם מַחְתּוֹת קֹרַח וְכׇל־עֲדָתוֹ׃
Do this: You, Korah and all your band, take fire pans…
Gimme Some Torah #737
The Torah refers to Korah and his followers as an עֵדָה (eidah), which means community. Their rebellion is often described as the archetype of a communal schism, a severe split between two or more sub-groups in a population. The following story describes how Rabbi Meir of Premishlan (bio) healed a schism in his community:
In a small town near Premishlan, a serious division once broke out over a certain kosher butcher. Several members of the community were suspicious of the butcher, who was not as meticulous as he was supposed to be in examining the lungs after slaughtering livestock, and they claimed that he was selling unkosher meat, God forbid.
In contrast, the butcher's supporters claimed that this was a false accusation and that he had done nothing wrong. Finally, the community leaders turned to the tzaddik Rabbi Meir'le of Premishlan and asked for his intervention in the controversy, which threatened to split the community into two hostile camps.
The tzaddik invited the leading speakers from both opposing sides. After they had eloquently presented their arguments before him, Rabbi Meir’le said to them in a quiet voice:
“According to all the scholars of Jewish law, examining the lungs after slaughter is merely an extra rabbinic stringency. Causing a community schism, however, is undoubtedly a biblical prohibition. And even if you believe that your division is for the sake of Heaven, our sages of blessed memory have already said in Pirkei Avot (5:17):
“Which is the controversy that is for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai. And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his congregation.”
“But,” added Rabbi Meir'el with a loud voice, “the ancients have determined that only people who are on the spiritual level of Hillel and Shammai can engage in a controversy for the sake of Heaven. If, however, you are not on the spiritual level of Hillel and Shammai, then any communal schism—even one that is supposedly for the sake of Heaven—is like the controversy of Korah and his followers. (From Parpera’ot LaTorah, ed. Menahem Becker. (Jerusalem: Omen Publishers, 1985), vol. 4, pp. 133-134.)
This story teaches us that only deeply learned and empathetic people should engage in community controversies. These days, crass and crude bullies cause needless online cruelty that all too often spills over into real world violence and suffering.
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I am the rabbi of Temple Beth El in Somerset, New Jersey, and the author of The JPS Jewish Heritage Torah Commentary.
Some things (EG the peace of the entire community) are more important than showing righteousness in a smaller matter.