In Parashat Korach, simmering resentment erupts into full-scale mutiny when Korach and his followers challenge Aaron’s appointment as high priest. The ensuing battle ends when the earth “opens its mouth” and swallows Korach and his mob into Gehenna (hell).
But Korach’s complaint against Moses and Aaron, “…all the community are holy, every one of them … Why do you raise yourselves above God’s congregation?” (Numbers 16:3) sounds, at least superficially, reasonable. Israel is, after all, holy. This, then, raises an important question: What distinguishes a legitimate dispute from an illegitimate rebellion?
Jewish tradition offers an answer in Mishnah Avot 5:17: “Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will in the end endure, and one that is not for the sake of Heaven will not in the end endure.” On its face, this suggests that legitimate dispute is carried out with genuine religious concern.
The Zohar, however, interprets this statement differently — and in so doing offers a fresh perspective on Korach’s rebellion specifically, as well as conflict writ large:
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“And God said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters …” (Genesis 1:6). This is the mystery of separating the upper waters from the lower waters, through the mystery of the Left. Here, division was created through the mystery of the Left, for until this point, the mystery was that of the Right, whereas here it is the mystery of the Left. Therefore, contention increased …
When the Left was aroused, contention was aroused. Through that contention the fire of wrath gained strength, and from that contention, Gehenna emerged. Gehenna was aroused on the Left and became attached there.
Moses contemplated this wisdom and reflected upon the work of Creation. In the work of Creation there had been contention: the Left against the Right. Through that contention, when the Left was aroused, Gehenna emerged and attached itself there. The Middle Pillar, which is the Third Day, entered between them and separated the contention, reconciling the two sides. Then Gehenna descended below, the Left was included within the Right, and peace prevailed throughout.
So too with the dispute of Korach against Aaron: the Left against the Right. Moses looked into the work of Creation and said, “It seems to me that I must separate the dispute between the Right and the Left and strive to reconcile them.” But the Left was unwilling. Korach persisted stubbornly in his strength. Moses said, “Surely Gehenna lies within the power of this dispute … Since he does not wish to cleave above and be integrated into the Right, he will certainly descend below through the force of his own wrath” …
Korach denied the entire work of Creation. The dispute concerned the very order of Heaven, and he sought to deny the words of Torah. Surely he was bound to Gehenna, and therefore he became attached to it.
Zohar 1:17a–b.
Translation based on Pritzker edition.
Explore this passage in context on Sefaria.
Rather than diving straight into the specific grievances Korach brought to Moses and Aaron, the passage opens with a broader discussion on the nature of dispute. What is the origin of conflict? According to the Zohar, dispute came into the world on the second day of Creation — before humanity even existed. This is because dispute stems from differentiation. The moment the second day happened, duality entered the world — because now there were two days. With duality came dispute, inevitably. This is also why, the Zohar states, the rabbis taught (Genesis Rabbah 4:6) that Gehenna was created on the second day: There is a slippery slope from dispute straight into hell.
This understanding is mapped directly onto the kabbalistic tree of the sefirot: On the first day, Hesed (Love), identified with the Right, was created. On the second day, Gevurah (Judgment), the counterpart to (and opposite of) Hesed, came into being on the Left. On the third day, Tiferet (Glory) emerged, positioned perfectly between them. In kabbalistic symbolism, Tiferet is also identified with Heaven.
With all this in mind, the Zohar reads the Mishnah’s discussion about “dispute for the sake of Heaven” as speaking specifically of Tiferet, the central sefira that bridges Hesed (Right) and Gevurah (Left). To the kabbalistic way of thinking, a dispute for the sake of Heaven is one in which there is a willingness to acknowledge two opposing views (Right/Left) and actively strive for synthesis (Tiferet/Heaven). This is the only way to sustain a dispute without plummeting into Gehenna.
From here, in a characteristic move, the Zohar shifts its focus from the supernal world to the human realm. Kabbalistically, priests like Aaron are identified with Hesed (Right), while Levites like Korach are identified with Gevurah (Left). The dispute between Aaron and Korach is therefore metaphysical. Moses, traditionally identified with the intermediary Tiferet, is perfectly positioned to reconcile them. But Moses’ attempt to reason with Korach (Numbers 16:5–12) fails because of the latter’s stubbornness. Because the dispute is immovable, and because Korach is at fault, Korach and his followers are cast into Gehenna.
For the Zohar, dispute is in and of itself neither good nor bad; it is an inevitable condition of reality. Any world containing even an iota of differentiation will breed disagreement. We cannot avoid it, but we can choose how to deal with it: We can choose to look for common ground, for Tiferet, to bridge different views. Or, we can choose (God forbid!) annihilation in the depths of Gehenna. The goal is not to erase multiplicity, but rather to anchor it into a triangular form (represented by the three sefirot of Hesed, Gevurah and Tiferet) in which opposing viewpoints are tethered by commonalities. In other words, disputants need not abandon their convictions, but they must still strive toward reconciliation.
Managing plurality in human society is rarely simple. Yet the Zohar defines the pursuit of unity not just as a lofty ideal, but as an existential necessity: for the sake of Heaven, for the sake of Tiferet, and to keep the fires of Gehenna at bay.
This piece was originally published as part of A Year of Zohar: Kabbalah for Everyone, an original series produced by My Jewish Learning and Sefaria. Sign up for the entire series here.
