§ With regard to the verse: “And Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram” (Numbers 16:25), Reish Lakish says: From here we derive that one may not perpetuate a dispute, as Rav says: Anyone who perpetuates a dispute violates a prohibition, as it is stated: “And he will not be like Korah and his assembly, as the Lord spoke by the hand of Moses to him” (Numbers 17:5).
(Even the aggrieved party must seek to end the dispute. Dathan and Abiram accused Moses and by right should have initiated the reconciliation. Nevertheless, Moses was not insistent on this; he went to them.)
Midrash Tanchuma Behalotcha 9:1
אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, מֶלֶךְ עֲשִׂיתִיךָ. מַה מֶּלֶךְ שֶׁיּוֹצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה תּוֹקְעִין לְפָנָיו, אַף אַתָּה כְּשֶׁאַתָּה יוֹצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה, יִהְיוּ תּוֹקְעִין לְפָנֶיךָ. מִנַּיִן, מִמַּה שֶּׁקָּרְאוּ בָּעִנְיָן עֲשֵׂה לְךָ שְׁתֵּי חֲצוֹצְרוֹת כֶּסֶף.
The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:5), ‘Then he became king in Jeshurun.’ Just as when the king goes forth, they sound trumpets before him, so also for you, (in Numb. 10:2:), ‘Make for yourself two silver trumpets.’ [This is] so that will they sound the trumpets before you when you take out and bring in Israel, as stated (Numb.10:3), ‘And they shall blow them and the whole community shall assemble before you.’” Hence (Numb. 10:2:), “Make for yourself two silver trumpets.”
אמר רב אשי אפילו למ"ד נשיא שמחל על כבודו כבודו מחול מלך שמחל על כבודו אין כבודו מחול שנאמר (דברים יז, טו) שום תשים עליך מלך שתהא אימתו עליך
Ashi said: Even according to the one who says that if a Nasi forgoes the honor due him, his honor is forgone, if a king forgoes the honor due him, his honor is not forgone. As it is stated: “You shall set a king over you” (Deuteronomy 17:15), which indicates that his fear should be upon you. The people are commanded to fear a king, and therefore it is not permitted for him to forgo the honor due to him.
Sefer Hamakneh
Rabbi Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz (born in Chortkiv about 1731; died in Frankfort-on-the-Main July 1, 1805) was a rabbi and Talmudist.
