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Why was On Ben Pelet willing to die to avoid embarrassment by his peers but not for the principle he claimed to believe in? The analysis reveals how peer pressure can override moral judgment, showing that our friends' opinions often matter more to us than truth itself. The lesson: choose friends based on values, not group dynamics.
This shiur examines the story of On Ben Pelet from Parashas Korach through a Midrashic lens, focusing on how his wife saved him from joining Korach's rebellion. The Midrash describes how On's wife argued that whether Korach or Aharon became High Priest, it wouldn't be her husband anyway, so why risk his life. She then got him drunk and let down her hair to prevent Korach's followers from entering their tent the next morning. Rabbi Zweig poses a fundamental question: if On agreed with his wife's logical argument, why did she need to get him drunk? The answer reveals a profound insight about human nature and peer pressure. On wasn't willing to die for the principle of opposing nepotism, but he would have been willing to die rather than face the humiliation from his peers for backing down.
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Parshas Korach
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