The sin of machloketh obtains even if one argues with another who is equal to him in status. How much more so, G-d forbid, if he argues with a Torah scholar, even if he is not his Rabbi. How much more so if he is his Rabbi, is his sin great and his wickedness redoubled. For it is well known that the way of men of machloketh is to shame by words those who oppose them. And the greatness of the punishment of one who shames a Torah scholar is well known from what is stated in Sanhedrin, Chapter Chelek, and is ruled in Yoreh Deah 234:6, that one who shames a Torah scholar is in the category of (Numbers 15:31): "For the word of the L-rd he has despised. That soul shall be utterly cut off; its sin is in it." And even in our day, if he be but fit to rule [on halachah] and toils in Torah, he is called a Torah scholar. And if one shames him, even in general matters, and even not in his presence, it is a grave sin and he is liable to nidui [excommunication] because of this (as we find in Yoreh Deah 246:7 and in the Shach section 68.) And there is also no cure for his illness, as we find in Shabbath 119b: "R. Yehudah said in the name of Rav: 'If one shames a Torah scholar, there is no cure for his illness.'" And the destruction of Jerusalem also is attributed to this sin, as we find there: "Jerusalem was destroyed only because Torah scholars were shamed there, as it is written (II Chronicles 26:16): 'And they shamed the angels of G-d [i.e., the Torah scholars], and scorned His words and mocked His prophets until the wrath of the L-rd rose against His people, without cure.'" They have also said (Berachoth 19a): "R. Yehudah b. Levi said: 'All who slander a Torah scholar after his death descend to Gehinnom.'"
And (Sanhedrin 101a): "R. Chisda said: 'If one argues against his Rabbi, it is as if he would argue against the Shechinah, viz. (Numbers 26:9) ["who strove against Moses and Aaron with the congregation of Korach] when they strove against the L-rd."' And R. Chamma b. Chanina said: "If one quarrels with his Rabbi it is as if he would quarrel with the Shechinah, viz. (Numbers 20:13): "They are the waters of Merivah (contention), whereby the children of Israel strove with the L-rd" [in striving with Moses].'" And, along the same lines: "R. Chaina b. Pappa said: 'If one rails against his Rabbi, it is as if he would rail against the Shechinah, etc.' … R. Avihu said: 'If one arraigns his Rabbi, it is as if he would arraign the Shechinah, etc.'" And the four levels that the Gemara mentions below are meant to apprise us that even thinking alone [against one's Rabbi] is also a great issur.
And how foolish are those people in whose eyes it is a light matter to argue with the Rabbi and the beth-din of the city and to shame them, not fearing the great punishment awaiting them for this in the world to come, as we have explained. And also in this world they will not escape sore judgment because of this. Come and see what we find in Midrash Rabbah, Parshath Pinchas on the verse [Vayikra 19:32]: "And you shall honor the face of the elder," (which refers to a Torah scholar), as we find in Kiddushin 32b: "What is the intent of 'And you shall honor'? That you not stand in his place, nor sit in his place, nor contradict his words, etc. For one who does not conduct himself thus with his Rabbi is called 'wicked' before the L-rd, and his learning is forgotten, and his years are shortened, and in the end he becomes impoverished. As it is written (Koheleth 8:13): 'And it shall not be well with the wicked one, and he shall not prolong days, like a shadow, because he does not fear G-d.'" Now this Midrash applies even if he does not fear him as he should. How much more so if he draws upon him machloketh from the men of his city, in which instance he will certainly be doubly punished.
And the man of machloketh is, indeed, to be wondered at. If another would hurt his son a little, even unintentionally, he would vent his wrath upon him. How much more so if he hurt him intentionally and caused him to be bedridden. Even if he recovered, he [the father] would publicize him as a cruel man and he would not be quiet until he had repaid him in kind, and in his heart he would bear him eternal hatred because of this. Yet when he himself brings all this suffering upon his sons because of his [shaming of Torah scholars] (even, possibly, to the point of their dying, G-d forbid, as we wrote above in Chapter XV in the name of the Midrash, that even infants at the breast may be punished because of this sin of their fathers [See also Tanna d'bei Eliyahu 21]) — he himself does not pity them at all! To the contrary, it is in keeping with his trait [of contentiousness] to hint to the men of his household to abet him in his machloketh. As we find with Dathan and Aviram, that they went out and stood in front of their tents — they, their wives, their sons, and their little ones, as Scripture says (Jeremiah 7:18): "The sons gather the wood and the fathers light the fire." This is only because the yetzer hara blinds his eyes and transforms all the holes and pits before him into a straight path.
Come again, my brother and I will show you the greatness of the power of the yetzer inherent in the trait of nitzachon ["triumph"]. For when one enters the abyss of machloketh, then, even if he sees with his own eyes that he is walking on a way of pitch darkness, leading to Gehinnom, still, he would rather go the way of Sheol than give up the machloketh. This is an inheritance to them [the men of machloketh] from their forefathers, Dathan and Aviram, the fathers of all the men of machloketh. And they themselves said so explicitly, as we find in Midrash Rabbah, Parshath Korach: "We would rather stick to our words than escape the din of Gehinnom." Therefore, my brother, have compassion on your soul and those of your sons and daughters, and keep yourself from machloketh.
And even if one has already entered the machloketh and it is difficult for him to separate from his other friends, still, he should attempt with all of his strength to rescue himself from them. As was done by On ben Peleth who, in the beginning, was of one mind with the men of the machloketh, as written in the Torah, and who, in the end, freed himself from them, as stated in Perek Chelek, Sanhedrin. And, therefore, he was not punished along with them. And he would not pay heed to the words of his yetzer and its claims that it would not befit him to stop in the middle and not consummate the triumph. For it is better that one be shamed in this world before a few individuals and not be shamed in the world to come before all of the heavenly assembly. And Chazal said (Eduyoth 5a): "Better that one be called a fool all of his days than be wicked for one moment before the L-rd."
בּוֹ יְבֹאַר גֹּדֶל עֹנֶשׁ הַחוֹלֵק עִם רַבּוֹ.
In this chapter there will be explained the greatness of the punishment of one who argues with his Rabbi.
וְהִנֵּה עֲוֹן הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת הוּא אֲפִלּוּ אִם חוֹלֵק עִם אָדָם הַשָּׁוֶה לוֹ בְּמַעֲלָה, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אִם הוּא חוֹלֵק עִם תַּלְמִיד חָכָם אֲפִלּוּ אֵינֶנּוּ רַבּוֹ, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִם הוּא רַבּוֹ, בְּוַדַּאי גָּדוֹל עֲוֹנוֹ וְנִכְפְּלָה רָעָתוֹ. כִּי יָדוּעַ שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ בַּעֲלֵי הַמַּחֲלֹקֶּת לְבַזּוֹת בִּדְבָרִים לְצַד שֶׁכְּנֶגְדָם, וְיָדוּעַ גֹּדֶל עָנְשׁוֹ שֶׁל הַמְבַזֶּה תַּלְמִיד חָכָם מִמַּה שֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּחֵלֶק, וְנִפְסַקּ כֵּן בְּיוֹרֶה דֵּעָה בְּסִימָן רמ"ג סָעִיף ו', שֶׁהַמְבַזֶּה תַּלְמִיד חָכָם הוּא בִּכְלַל (במדבר ט"ו ל"א): "כִּי דְּבַר ה' בָּזָה וְכוּ' הִכָּרֵת תִּכָּרֵת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִיא עֲוֹנָה בָהּ". ואפילו בזמננו, אם הוא רק ראוי להורות ויגע בתורה נקרא תלמיד חכם, והמבזה אותו, אפילו בדברים בעלמא, ואפילו שלא בפניו, עוון פלילי הוא, וחייב נידוי על זה כדאיתא ביורה דעה (בסימן רמ"ג ס"ז ובסימן של"ד בש"ך סעיף קטן ס"ח), וְגַם אֵין לוֹ רְפוּאָה לְמַכָּתוֹ עֲבוּר זֶה, כִּדְאִיתָא (בשבת קי"ט:) אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: כָּל הַמְבַזֶּה תַּלְמִיד חָכָם אֵין לוֹ רְפוּאָה וְכוּ'. וְגַם חֻרְבַּן יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הָיָה עֲבוּר זֶה הַחֵטְא כִּדְאִיתָא שָׁם: לֹא חָרְבָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁבִּזּוּ בָּהּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים ב' ל"ו ט"ז): "וַיִּהְיוּ מַלְעִבִים בְּמַלְאֲכֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וּבוֹזִים דְּבָרָיו וּמְתַעְתְּעִים בִּנְבִאָיו עַד עֲלוֹת חֲמַת ה' בְּעַמּוֹ עַד לְאֵין מַרְפֵּא". עוֹד אָמְרִינַן בִּבְרָכוֹת (י"ט.) אָמַר ר' יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כָּל הַמְסַפֵּר אַחַר מִטָּתָן שֶׁל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים נוֹפֵל בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְגוֹ'.
The sin of machloketh obtains even if one argues with another who is equal to him in status. How much more so, G-d forbid, if he argues with a Torah scholar, even if he is not his Rabbi. How much more so if he is his Rabbi, is his sin great and his wickedness redoubled. For it is well known that the way of men of machloketh is to shame by words those who oppose them. And the greatness of the punishment of one who shames a Torah scholar is well known from what is stated in Sanhedrin, Chapter Chelek, and is ruled in Yoreh Deah 234:6, that one who shames a Torah scholar is in the category of (Numbers 15:31): "For the word of the L-rd he has despised. That soul shall be utterly cut off; its sin is in it." And even in our day, if he be but fit to rule [on halachah] and toils in Torah, he is called a Torah scholar. And if one shames him, even in general matters, and even not in his presence, it is a grave sin and he is liable to nidui [excommunication] because of this (as we find in Yoreh Deah 246:7 and in the Shach section 68.) And there is also no cure for his illness, as we find in Shabbath 119b: "R. Yehudah said in the name of Rav: 'If one shames a Torah scholar, there is no cure for his illness.'" And the destruction of Jerusalem also is attributed to this sin, as we find there: "Jerusalem was destroyed only because Torah scholars were shamed there, as it is written (II Chronicles 26:16): 'And they shamed the angels of G-d [i.e., the Torah scholars], and scorned His words and mocked His prophets until the wrath of the L-rd rose against His people, without cure.'" They have also said (Berachoth 19a): "R. Yehudah b. Levi said: 'All who slander a Torah scholar after his death descend to Gehinnom.'"
עוֹד אָמְרִינַן (סנהדרין ק"י.): אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: כָּל הָעוֹשֶׂה מְרִיבָה עַל רַבּוֹ, (פֵּרוּשׁ: שֶׁגּוֹרֵם בְּהַמְשָׁכַת דְּבָרָיו, שֶׁגַּם אֲחֵרִים יַחְלְקוּ עַל רַבּוֹ) כְּחוֹלֵק עַל הַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כ"ו ט'): "בְּהַצֹּתָם עַל ה"'. אָמַר רַב חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא: כָּל הָעוֹשֶׂה מְרִיבָה עִם רַבּוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ עוֹשֶׂה עִם הַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כ' י"ג): "הֵמָּה מֵי מְרִיבָה אֲשֶׁר רָבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת ה"'. עוֹד אִיתָא שָׁם בְּהַאי עִנְיָנָא, אָמַר ר' חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: כָּל הַמִּתְרַעֵם עַל רַבּוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ מִתְרַעֵם עַל הַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְגוֹ'. אָמַר רַב אַבָּהוּ: כָּל הַמְהַרְהֵר אַחַר רַבּוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ מְהַרְהֵר אַחַר הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְגוֹ'. וְד' מַדְרֵגוֹת דְּקָחָשִׁיב הַגְּמָרָא לְמַטָּה לְהוֹרוֹת לָנוּ, דַּאֲפִלּוּ הַהִרְהוּר לְבַד הוּא גַּם כֵּן אִסּוּר גָּדוֹל.
And (Sanhedrin 101a): "R. Chisda said: 'If one argues against his Rabbi, it is as if he would argue against the Shechinah, viz. (Numbers 26:9) ["who strove against Moses and Aaron with the congregation of Korach] when they strove against the L-rd."' And R. Chamma b. Chanina said: "If one quarrels with his Rabbi it is as if he would quarrel with the Shechinah, viz. (Numbers 20:13): "They are the waters of Merivah (contention), whereby the children of Israel strove with the L-rd" [in striving with Moses].'" And, along the same lines: "R. Chaina b. Pappa said: 'If one rails against his Rabbi, it is as if he would rail against the Shechinah, etc.' … R. Avihu said: 'If one arraigns his Rabbi, it is as if he would arraign the Shechinah, etc.'" And the four levels that the Gemara mentions below are meant to apprise us that even thinking alone [against one's Rabbi] is also a great issur.
וּמַה נּוֹאֲלוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים, שֶׁנָּקַל בְּעֵינֵיהֶם לַחֲלֹק עַל הָרַב וְהַבֵּית דִּין שֶׁבָּעִיר וּלְבַזּוֹתָם, וְאֵינָם חֲרֵדִים מֵהָעֹנֶשׁ הַגָּדוֹל הַמְעֻתָּד לָבוֹא עֲבוּר זֶה לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ, וְגַם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לֹא יִנָּצְלוּ מִן הַשְּׁפָטִים הָרָעִים עֲבוּר זֶה. בֹּא וּרְאֵה, מַה דְּאִיתָא בְּמִדְרָשׁ רַבָּה פָּרָשַׁת פִּנְחָס עַל הַפָּסוּק (ויקרא י"ט ל"ב): "וְהָדַרְתָּ פְּנֵי זָקֵן" שֶׁהוּא קָאֵי עַל חָכָם כִּדְאִיתָא בְּקִדּוּשִׁין (דף ל"ב:) וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: וְאֵיזֶה הִדּוּר שֶׁאָמְרָה תּוֹרָה "וְהָדַרְתָּ"? שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲמֹד בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וְלֹא יֵשֵׁב בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וְלֹא יְהֵא סוֹתֵר דְּבָרָיו וְכוּ', שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג בְּרַבּוֹ כָּל הַמִּדּוֹת אֵלּוּ, נִקְרָא רָשָׁע לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, וְתַלְמוּדוֹ מִשְׁתַּכֵּחַ, וּשְׁנוֹתָיו מִתְקַצְּרוֹת, וּלְבַסּוֹף הוּא בָּא לִידֵי עֲנִיּוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (קהלת ח' י"ג): "וְטוֹב לֹא יִהְיֶה לָרָשָׁע וְלֹא יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים כַּצֵּל אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ יָרֵא מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים", עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹן הַמִּדְרָשׁ. וְהִנֵּה הַמִּדְרָשׁ אַיְרֵי אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ מְהַדְּרוֹ כָּרָאוּי, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִם הוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ עָלָיו מַחֲלֹקֶת מֵאַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ בְּוַדַּאי יֵעָנֵשׁ בְּכִפְלַיִם.
And how foolish are those people in whose eyes it is a light matter to argue with the Rabbi and the beth-din of the city and to shame them, not fearing the great punishment awaiting them for this in the world to come, as we have explained. And also in this world they will not escape sore judgment because of this. Come and see what we find in Midrash Rabbah, Parshath Pinchas on the verse [Vayikra 19:32]: "And you shall honor the face of the elder," (which refers to a Torah scholar), as we find in Kiddushin 32b: "What is the intent of 'And you shall honor'? That you not stand in his place, nor sit in his place, nor contradict his words, etc. For one who does not conduct himself thus with his Rabbi is called 'wicked' before the L-rd, and his learning is forgotten, and his years are shortened, and in the end he becomes impoverished. As it is written (Koheleth 8:13): 'And it shall not be well with the wicked one, and he shall not prolong days, like a shadow, because he does not fear G-d.'" Now this Midrash applies even if he does not fear him as he should. How much more so if he draws upon him machloketh from the men of his city, in which instance he will certainly be doubly punished.
וּלְפֶלֶא גָּדוֹל עַל בַּעַל הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת, הֲלֹא אִם אַחֵר יִפְגַע מְעַט בִּבְנוֹ אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּמִתְכַּוֵּן, מִפִּיו לַפִּידִים יַהֲלֹכוּ עָלָיו, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִם יַזִּיק לוֹ בְּכַוָּנָה וְנָפַל עַל יְדֵי זֶה לְמִשְׁכָּב, אַף שֶׁנִּתְרַפֵּא, יְפַרְסְמוֹ לְאִישׁ אַכְזָרִי בְּעֵינֵי הַכֹּל עֲבוּר זֶה, וְלֹא יִשְׁקֹט וְלֹא יָנוּחַ עַד שֶׁיִּגְמֹל לוֹ כְּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ וּבְלִבּוֹ יִנְקֹט עָלָיו עֲבוּר זֶה שִׂנְאָה נֶצַח. וּכְשֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ מֵבִיא כָּל הַצָּרוֹת עַל בָּנָיו עֲבוּר זֶה, וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיָּמוּתוּ גַּם כֵּן, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְמַעְלָה בְּפֶרֶק ט"ו בְּשֵׁם הַמִּדְרָשׁ, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ יוֹנְקֵּי שָׁדַיִם נֶעֱנָשִׁין עֲבוּר זֶה הַחֵטְא (וכהאי גונא איתא בתנא דבי אליהו פרק כ"א), לֹא יָחוּס עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל, וְאַדְּרַבָּה דֶּרֶךְ מִדָּתוֹ, שֶׁרוֹמֵז לְאַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁיַּחֲזִיקוּ עִמּוֹ בְּמַחְלֻקְתּוֹ, כְּעֵין שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם, שֶׁיָּצְאוּ נִצָּבִים פֶּתַח אָהֳלֵיהֶם הֵם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וְטַפָּם. וַהֲרֵי זֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַכָּתוּב (ירמיה ז' י"ח): "הַבָּנִים מְלַקְּטִים עֵצִים וְהָאָבוֹת מְבַעֲרִים אֶת הָאֵשׁ", אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם שֶׁהַיֵּצֶר הָרָע מְסַמֵּא אֶת עֵינָיו וְשָׂם לְפָנָיו כָּל הַבּוֹרוֹת וְהַפְּחָתִים לְעֵמֶק שָׁוֶה.
And the man of machloketh is, indeed, to be wondered at. If another would hurt his son a little, even unintentionally, he would vent his wrath upon him. How much more so if he hurt him intentionally and caused him to be bedridden. Even if he recovered, he [the father] would publicize him as a cruel man and he would not be quiet until he had repaid him in kind, and in his heart he would bear him eternal hatred because of this. Yet when he himself brings all this suffering upon his sons because of his [shaming of Torah scholars] (even, possibly, to the point of their dying, G-d forbid, as we wrote above in Chapter XV in the name of the Midrash, that even infants at the breast may be punished because of this sin of their fathers [See also Tanna d'bei Eliyahu 21]) — he himself does not pity them at all! To the contrary, it is in keeping with his trait [of contentiousness] to hint to the men of his household to abet him in his machloketh. As we find with Dathan and Aviram, that they went out and stood in front of their tents — they, their wives, their sons, and their little ones, as Scripture says (Jeremiah 7:18): "The sons gather the wood and the fathers light the fire." This is only because the yetzer hara blinds his eyes and transforms all the holes and pits before him into a straight path.
עוֹד בֹּא אָחִי וְאַרְאֶךָ גֹּדֶל כֹּחַ הַיֵּצֶר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּמִדַּת הַנִּצָּחוֹן, שֶׁכְּשֶׁנִּכְנָס בְּעֹמֶק הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת, אָז אַף אִם יִרְאֶה בְּעֵינָיו שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ חֹשֶךְ וַאֲפֵלָה וְיֵרֵד לַגֵּיהִנֹּם עַל יְדֵי זֶה, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן הוּא מִתְרַצֶּה יוֹתֵר לֵילֵךְ בְּעֹמֶק שְׁאוֹל לֹא יַחְשׂךְ מִן הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת. וִירֻשָּׁה הִיא לָהֶם מִין יֵצֶר הָרָע הַזֶּה מֵאֲבִיהֶן דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם, הֵם הֵם אֲבִיהֶן שֶׁל כָּל בַּעֲלֵי הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת, וְהֵם אָמְרוּ כֵּן בְּפֵרוּשׁ כִּדְאִיתָא בְּמִדְרָשׁ רַבָּה פָּרָשַׁת קֹרַח, שֶׁאָמְרוּ: הֲרֵי אָנוּ מַעֲמִידִין דְּבָרֵינוּ, וְאֵין אָנוּ עוֹלִין מִדִּינָהּ שֶׁל גֵּיהִנֹּם [פֵּרוּשׁ: אַף שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ עוֹלִין אַף עַל פִּי כֵן אָנוּ מַעֲמִידִין דְּבָרֵינוּ]. עַל כֵּן חוּס, אָחִי, וַחֲמֹל עַל נַפְשְׁךָ וְנֶפֶשׁ בָּנֶיךָ וּבְנוֹתֶיךָ וּמְנַע עַצְמְךָ מֵהַמַּחֲלֹקֶת.
Come again, my brother and I will show you the greatness of the power of the yetzer inherent in the trait of nitzachon ["triumph"]. For when one enters the abyss of machloketh, then, even if he sees with his own eyes that he is walking on a way of pitch darkness, leading to Gehinnom, still, he would rather go the way of Sheol than give up the machloketh. This is an inheritance to them [the men of machloketh] from their forefathers, Dathan and Aviram, the fathers of all the men of machloketh. And they themselves said so explicitly, as we find in Midrash Rabbah, Parshath Korach: "We would rather stick to our words than escape the din of Gehinnom." Therefore, my brother, have compassion on your soul and those of your sons and daughters, and keep yourself from machloketh.
וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם כְּבָר נִכְנַס בְּעִנְיַן הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת וְקָשֶׁה לוֹ לְהִפָּרֵד מִשְׁאָר חֲבֵרָיו בָּזֶה, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן יִרְאֶה בְּכָל כֹּחוֹתָיו לְסַלֵּקּ עַצְמוֹ מֵהֶם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה אוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת, שֶׁהָיָה מִתְּחִלָּה בְּעֵצָה אַחַת עִם הַבַּעֲלֵי מַחֲלֹקֶת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה, וּלְבַסּוֹף נִשְׁתַּמֵּט מֵהֶם כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּפֶרֶק חֵלֶק, וּלְכָךְ לֹא נֶעֱנַשׁ בְּבֹא עֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם. וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע לְדִבְרֵי הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע וְטַעֲנוֹתָיו, שֶׁמְּסִיתוֹ כִּי לֹא לְכָבוֹד יִהְיֶה לוֹ אִם יַפְסִיקּ בָּאֶמְצַע וְלֹא יִגְמֹר הַנִּצּוּחַ, כִּי מוּטָב לָאָדָם שֶׁיִּכָּסֵף בְּעָלְמָא הָדֵין לִפְנֵי אֵיזֶה אֲנָשִׁים יְחִידִים, וְלֹא יִכָּסֵף בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי לִפְנֵי כָּל הַפָּמַלְיָא שֶׁל מַעְלָה. וְאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (עדיות ה, ו) מוּטָב לָאָדָם שֶׁיִּקָּרֵא שׁוֹטֶה כָּל יָמָיו, וְאַל יִהְיֶה רָשָׁע שָׁעָה אַחַת לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם.
And even if one has already entered the machloketh and it is difficult for him to separate from his other friends, still, he should attempt with all of his strength to rescue himself from them. As was done by On ben Peleth who, in the beginning, was of one mind with the men of the machloketh, as written in the Torah, and who, in the end, freed himself from them, as stated in Perek Chelek, Sanhedrin. And, therefore, he was not punished along with them. And he would not pay heed to the words of his yetzer and its claims that it would not befit him to stop in the middle and not consummate the triumph. For it is better that one be shamed in this world before a few individuals and not be shamed in the world to come before all of the heavenly assembly. And Chazal said (Eduyoth 5a): "Better that one be called a fool all of his days than be wicked for one moment before the L-rd."