Korach had all the answers. After all, he stipulated that he was acting l’shem Shomayim, for the sake of Heaven. He had no envy. He cared about the people, and they required a change in leadership. Chazal (Pirkei Avos 5:11) distinguish between: a machlokes, controversy, whose goal is to seek the truth and raise the banner of Hashem, a machlokes l’shem Shomayim; and one which is for personal benefit, she’lo l’shem Shomayim. Rambam writes that the words of he whose goal is the truth, unembellished and unvarnished, will have a kiyum, endure. Horav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zl, explains that the Rambam is presenting us with the criteria for machlokes l’shem Shomayim, in which both sides seek the truth, and, when they see the truth is with the other disputant, defer to the established truth. This was not the case with Moshe Rabbeinu, the established leader of Klal Yisrael, handpicked by Hashem, and Korach, the demagogue.
The Chafetz Chaim was wont to say that, when both disputants in a controversy claim that they are acting l’shem Shomayim, that such a controversy will endure for a considerable length of time. Our gedolei Yisrael made a point to introspect over and over constantly, to make certain that whatever position they took vis-à-vis a communal manner – or a matter affecting the larger klal – did not have the slightest tinge of personal vested interest. This occurred during the debate over the Mussar movement that created a significant rift in the yeshivah world, with gedolei olam, Torah giants of the highest order, taking sides pro and con. Indeed, Slabodka, one of the most prestigious yeshivos in Lithuania, split as a result of the mussar debate. Horav Avraham Grodzenski, zl, was dispatched to Kelm to speak and receive guidance from one of the heads of the talmud Torah of Kelm. This was a yeshivah which was founded by the Alter, zl, m’Kelm, a primary student of Horav Yisrael Salanter, zl, the founder of the Mussar movement, Horav Gershon Miadnik, zl. The Rosh Yeshivah gave a classic response: “L’shem Shomayim? That lasts the first five minutes.”
