Arguments for the Sake of Heaven

An argument for the sake of heaven — a machloket leshem shamayim — is a disagreement over a point of Torah law or ethics, debated with pure intentions. In Jewish thought, while disagreements can be destructive, disagreements over matters of Torah help sharpen our understanding of God's will and how to understand and live according to the Torah. The classic examples of these kinds of disagreements are those between the late Second Temple era sages Hillel and Shammai.