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Thought for the Day: Wait! מחלוקת is *THAT* Bad?!

Yes, I know מחלוקת is bad. We all know know that מחלוקת is bad. But is it really? It's not like murder, or avoda zara, or immorality, right? Right?

Let's check that out. First, there was the sin of the golden calf. A distressingly dark blotch in the history of Klal Yisrael. It is clear from the narrative in parshas Ki Sisa that Aaron helped in the construction of said idol . The Torah tells us (Sh'mos 32:2) that Aaron asked them to bring earrings from the women and children. Rashi brings a medrash to explain his plan:

Aaron said to himself, “The women and children are fond of their jewelry. Perhaps the matter will be delayed, and in the meantime, Moses will arrive.”

So: (1) that plan didn't work; and (2) Aaron was delaying and working as slowly and lazily as possible, but he was working to build an idol. R' Biderman brings a Chasam Sofer to explain why he participated at all:

The Chasam Sofer zt'l answers that Aharon understood that if he refused the nation and didn't help them make the egel, there would be מחלוקת. Aaron preferred the sin of avodah zarah over the even greater sin of מחלוקת.

Wait, what? And that's not all. Near the end of parashas Mattos (Bamidbar, chapter 32), the leaders of the tribes of Reuven and Gad come to Moshe Rabeinu to say that because of their abundant flocks, the would prefer to not go into Eretz Yisroel as they have found some better real estate. Moshe Rabeinu tries to dissuade them, but at pasuk 33 finally agrees. The Sforno says why: In order to avoid entering into a מחלוקת, Moshe agreed to their request.

Ok, ok... but that all happened a long time ago. We have our own pressures nowadays, right? R' Biderman told a story about R' Nissi Karelitz, ztz"l; modern day posek and nephew of the Chazon Ish. R' Karelitz was once walking in the streets of Bnei Brak with a friend when he was approached by a neighbor. The neighbor said that R' Karelitz owed him money. The painter that R' Karelitz had hired to paint his apartment had spilled some paint down the pipes and caused a blockage in his (the neighbor's) pipes. The neighbor said he had to call a plumber and it cost him 600 NIS (about $160, give or take). R' Nissim took out his wallet and paid the neighbor on the spot. As R' Karelitz continued walking with his friend, he said, "There were three reasons I didn't owe him that money. First, a little paint down the pipes is not going to cause a blockage. Second, he lives on the other side of the building from me; our pipes are nowhere near each other. Third, I haven't had my apartment painted recently." His friend was shocked and couldn't understand why the renown posek had paid the money that he didn't owe. R' Karelitz explained simply, "It was worth it to avoid מחלוקת with my neighbor."

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