Last year I took my daughter to the passport center in Manhattan on Friday, Erev Shabbos of Parshas Korach. There, I couldn’t miss seeing the huge image of the Great Seal of America hanging on the wall. Right in the center of the seal is a bald eagle, proudly carrying in its beak a banner containing the Latin words, “E Pluribus Unum.” In one claw of the eagle are arrows and in the other are olive branches.

I know the Great Seal is on every dollar bill, so why did this catch my eye now? What message was Hashem telling me? When I came home, I looked up the words “E Pluribus Unum” and found that the translation is, “Out of many, one.” It represents the union of the original 13 colonies into one nation, separate from England. It also signifies the many cultures and backgrounds that make up the United States of America.

The timeliness of this message as it connects to the Torah reading of Parshas Korach struck me. Korach staged a rebellion against Moshe. Korach claimed, “Everybody is equally holy, so why are you, Moshe and Aharon, assuming the leadership of the entire nation?” Korach’s public party line was a call for all to be equal, yet this ideology split the nation into factions. This is indicated by the opening words of Parshas Korach, “Vayikach Korach,” which Onkelos translates as, “And Korach made a division.”

The Gemara quotes Rav who interprets the pasuk, “One should not be like Korach and his assembly,” as effectively a negative commandment that one may not maintain a lengthy dispute. Reish Lakish says that this is evident from Moshe Rabbeinu himself, who went to Dasan and Aviram to dissuade them from staying with Korach and his assembly.

Amazing! This implies that if Moshe had not approached Dasan and Aviram to attempt to make peace with them, then Moshe would have been in violation of the commandment to not maintain a dispute! Remember, Dasan and Aviram were long-time troublemakers regarding Moshe. They were the ones who informed Pharaoh that Moshe killed an Egyptian, which almost resulted in Moshe’s death. Indeed, Moshe had to flee from Egypt for his life! Moshe had to remain separated from his family and his people for 60 years! Dasan and Aviram defied Moshe’s instruction not to save mann in the desert for the next day. Yet, if Moshe would not have made an effort to deter them from associating with Korach, Moshe would have been considered guilty of maintaining a controversy?!

Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Finkel quotes the Alter of Slabodka who answers that it takes two parties to have a dispute. Therefore, Moshe had to make extra efforts for the benefit of Dasan and Aviram by actively pursuing peace with them.

The Mishna in Pirkei Avos says, “Any dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will have permanence. An example of this is the halachic disputes between Hillel and Shammai. Any dispute which is not for the sake of Heaven will not have permanence. An example of this lack of permanence is the dispute of Korach and his entire assembly.”

Rabbi Finkel notes an inconsistency in the Mishna. When the Mishna gives an example of a dispute for the sake of Heaven, it lists both parties: Hillel and Shammai. But when providing an example of a dispute not for the sake of Heaven, it lists only one party: Korach and his assembly. Why is Moshe’s name not mentioned there? Rabbi Finkel explains that Moshe was not in a dispute with them; it was a one-way argument by Korach and company.

Alas, in our times there is a lot of division amongst the Jews in Eretz Yisrael, around the world, and also in America. It’s a sad and complicated story. Still, we must try to be united. United doesn’t mean we need to have the same opinions, but there is no need to actively argue; it takes two to create a dispute. True, there are big issues and differing approaches on how to solve them, and who’s to say which approach is right? We leave that up to our leaders, our Gedolim. Each person should follow his rebbi.

We can sit at the same table with another Jew who has an entirely different opinion without maintaining a dispute. The lesson we learn from Parshas Korach is that most opinions and positions that exist among our people don’t actually change a single thing. We are one nation and we must join together…to serve Hashem.

Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim is the Rosh Yeshiva of Passaic Torah Institute (PTI)/Yeshiva Ner Boruch. Rabbi Bodenheim can be reached at rbbodie@gmail.com. For more info about PTI and its Torah classes, visit www.pti.shulcloud.com