In the Bible, Korach mounts a rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. "All of the congregation are holy," says Korach, "so why should you be elevated above God's congregation?" Korach is joined by Datan, Aviram, and 250 other people. Moses is very upset by this, and summons Korach, Dathan and Avirum to a negotiation. They refuse, and instead Korach mounts a massive rally. He spends the entire night campaigning to bring out the people.
When all is done, God creates a miracle and the earth swallows up Korach, Dathan, and Aviram.
The sages of the Mishna see this conflict as an example of an "argument that is not for the sake of heaven, which will not endure." An argument which is for the sake of heaven, such as those between the sages Hillel and Shammai, will endure forever. I would think, however, that it should be the opposite. An argument which is for the sake of heaven would be one which lends itself to peaceful resolution. An insincere argument should be the one to endure, because the parties are not arguing about the issue. If so, no resolution could be gained by discussing the complaint, because it is not the real issue.
What is an argument that is "not for the sake of heaven?" It is when one side argues from hatred of the other side, not because of a specific issue. The ostensible cause is not the root cause. An argument that is "for the sake of heaven," is when the two sides even like and trust each other, but disagree on the issue under discussion. It is this type of argument that will endure, because each side sincerely understands the issue differently, and, at the same time, respects the other party.
There are three elements in the Korach Test: 1. The person doing the arguing. 2. The topic under discussion. 3. The way in which the negotiation, or lack thereof, is carried out.
A person who is humble and kind is someone who can be trusted. The Talmudic sages Hillel and Shammai were both of exemplary character. They liked each other very much, and, despite their numerous disagreements in the Talmud, their children married into each other's families. When someone is humble, they will become wise. They never refuse a message because they don't like the messenger. Such a person will pass the Korach Test. An arrogant, egotistical or vindictive person will not. Do not deal with them.
Hillel and Shammai argued about practical Jewish law. They were seeking the best way to fulfill the mitzvot, the commandments. Korach, on the other hand, was arguing about positions of power and influence. There was no deeper principle motivating his rebellion beyond a desire to replace the current leadership with his own. Of course, that doesn't sound good to the general public, so Korach couched it in highly idealistic language: "The entire congregation is holy, and the Lord is in their midst. Why should you (Moses and Aaron) therefore be elevated above the congregation of the Lord?"
When someone's core argument involves an "us versus them" situation, beware. This person has failed the Korach Test. Even if they find the most elevated justification for their argument, if its core is divisive, it is a dangerous argument. In the business world, there is a strong rule for negotiations. The best kind of approach is, "Win-win or no deal." Korach's argument was a win-lose one. This is a sure sign of an insincere argument and an untrustworthy negotiating partner.
The third test is the way in which negotiations are held. To pass the Korach Test, one must prefer quiet and substantive negotiations. That is what Moses offered Korach, but he refused to come. Instead, he organized a demonstration against Moses and Aaron. He waged his campaign in the media, as it were. He was not interested in solving the problem, he was interested in scoring points against his adversary. When someone publicly attacks the other party, they are failing the Korach Test. They are not interested in a solution, they are interested in victory.
Let us apply this test to current events. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs lends itself to this important evaluation. Specifically, let us look at the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
The test of character: Abbas is as corrupt as the day is long. He is in the 11th year of a four-year term. The large sums of money the international community gives to his Palestinian Authority has made him and his cronies very wealthy. He publicly praises terrorists, and names streets and squares in their honor. Just a couple of days ago, a 17 year old terrorist murdered a 13 year old girl in her bed. Abbas' Palestinian authority web site published a picture of the killer, not to condemn him, but to honor him as a "martyr." This is par for the course. He oversees giving thousands of dollars to terrorists and their families. Some of the most brutal and disgusting killers have met with him and been honored by him. FAIL.
The test of topic: Abbas constantly poses an "us versus them" argument. He misses no opportunity to accuse Israel of the most disgusting crimes. A couple of weeks ago, he accused a group of rabbis (that does not exist) of demanding that the Israeli government poison the Palestinian water supply in order to perpetrate a genocide. This was simply a blood libel, and even Abbas was forced to retract a week later. But he had made this claim at a meeting of the European Parliament, and received a warm applause for it. If he would be a sincere negotiating partner, he would be interested in improving the lives of his constituents. Instead, he seeks to delegitimize Israel in every possible forum. FAIL.
The test of negotiating style: While Israel repeats its willingness to negotiate directly ad nauseum, Abbas' Palestinian Authority refuses to show up. Instead, they do exactly what Korach did. They organize demonstrations, BDS movements, lawsuits at the international Court of Justice and endless anti-Israel UN resolutions. If someone is unwilling to negotiate real issues in a direct and quiet manner, they are an insincere negotiating partner, and must be avoided. The poisonous incitement that Abbas continues to spew has caused much loss of life and misery. The educational system in his Palestinian Authority refuses to tone down the anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli messages of hate. FAIL.
When someone fails the Korach test so spectacularly, why would anyone in their right mind want to negotiate with him? Instead, we should follow the approach of Moses himself. Moses did reach out to Korach, Dathan and Aviram. When they refused to come negotiate, Moses knew that they had failed the test and were not interested in reconciliation. What did he do in that situation?
He called on God to unmask the truth of the argument. What was important was that people know that Moses's choices of leadership came straight from On High. Therefore, God obliged by opening the earth to swallow up Korach and his followers. We don't have the ability to have God perform an open miracle like this in our day and age, so what can we do?
Expose. Expose their hypocrisy, make their corruption well known. Most importantly, expose them for being the Jew haters that they are. Expose them for being the terrorist huggers that they are. Let the world know how the most vile murders are praised and financially rewarded by the Palestinian Authority. Shine the light brightly on the dangerous hatred that Palestinian Arab children are taught on a daily basis. That is the first step in fighting back.
At the same time, we must become more and more like Hillel and Shammai. Israel must be humble, must be kind, and must be devoted to God. A humble and kind people, loyal to God's morality, can not enable evil. We must treat the stranger with love, but not be confused by evil people spouting elevated nonsense. We must take responsibility for all the residents of the land, and do that which is right in God's eyes. And we must know that you can't negotiate with people who fail the Korach Test.
I believe we must wage a relentless war against hatred and racism. This is a communications war, and it is crucial. The Palestinian Arabs must be attacked by messaging that contradicts their violent perceptions. The real moderate Palestinian Arabs, those who pass the Korach Test, should be found and engaged. If we do not wage this spiritual war quickly, we may find ourselves fighting another type of war. Let us pray that this doesn't happen, and that hearts will change. It actually happened in the Korach story to a man named On Ben Pelet, whose wife talked him out of continuing to rebel with Korach, thus saving his life. May many lives be saved, may none be lost, and may peace finally come.
