Parashat Korah tells the story of the uprising led by Korah against Moshe Rabbenu. Korah assembled a group of 250 followers and challenged Moshe, charging that he had no right to appoint his brother, Aharon, as Kohen Gadol. In response, Moshe invited Korah and his followers to a “test” of sorts. He told them that the next morning, they should all come to the Mishkan with pans containing fiery coals. They – together with Aharon – would then place incense on the coals as an offering to Hashem. The one whose offering was accepted, Moshe said, would be confirmed as the chosen Kohen Gadol. The next day, the rebels showed up at the Mishkan and offered incense. Tragically, just as when Nadab and Abihu – Aharon’s two older sons – had perished when they brought an unwarranted incense offering (Vayikra 10:1-2), these 250 men were consumed by fire (16:35 ). We can gain insight into Moshe’s handling of the situation by noting a subtle difference between the two occasions when he gave instructions to Korah and his men. Initially, when they first confronted Moshe, he told them to bring pans, place fire on them, and then offer incense (“Take for yourselves pans…and place fire in them, and put incense on them” – 16:6-7). Later, however, just before they brought their offering, Moshe told them simply to place incense in pans, without mentioning fire (“Each of you should take his pan, and place incense on them” – 16:17 ). It seems that Moshe changed his mind, and decided that Korah’s followers should bring incense on its own, without burning it on fiery coals. The Maharil Diskin (Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, 1818-1898) explains that Moshe did not, at first, expect Korah and his followers to accept his challenge. Moshe told them to bring an incense offering with fire figuring that they would then desist, as they surely remembered what happened to Nadab and Abihu when they brought an unwarranted incense offering. The intention was not to have Korah’s followers killed, but to the contrary, to save their lives by convincing them to withdraw. But when he later saw that these men accepted his challenge, and prepared to “compete” with Aharon for the privileges of the kohen gadol , Moshe hoped to save their lives by instructing them to bring incense without fire, which would not result in their death, as this does not qualify as an actual incense offering. Unfortunately, the 250 men did not listen, and they placed incense on fire (16:18 ), resulting in their death. Moshe’s intention throughout this episode was not to win, or to hurt his opponents. He wanted to diffuse tensions so that everyone would live safely and peacefully. This can be seen also in Moshe’s reaction to the other participants in the rebellion. Moshe decreed that if Korah, Datan and Abiram were wrong in their accusation that he was selfish and nepotistic, then the ground should open and devour them alive – which, of course, is what happened (16:30-32). It has been explained that Moshe specifically said that the rebels should be devoured alive – rather than perish and then fall underground – so that they could be rescued if they repented at the final moment. Indeed, the Sages teach us that Korah’s sons, who had participated in the uprising, entertained thoughts of remorse and repentance as they fell into the underworld, and G-d miraculously made a ledge for them where they landed, ultimately surviving. Moshe hoped that Korah himself, as well as Datan and Abiram, would also be rescued in this manner. Tragically, however, they insisted on opposing Moshe until the very end, and so they perished. When we find ourselves in an argument, our instinct is to persist, to continue fighting, to stubbornly adhere to our position and our cause even when, as in the case of Korah and his followers, we see very clearly that we are hurting ourselves in the process. The story told in this Parasha teaches us how to properly handle Mahloket (fights and arguments) – by working toward a peaceful resolution. Our response should be not to try to win and defeat the other party, but to end the fight as quickly and smoothly as possible, and minimize the harm inflicted on everyone involved. The goal should be to diffuse tensions, to restore peace, and not to prove the other side wrong.