Yet when Korach rejected Moshe's plea for peace, Moshe sent a message to Dasan and Aviram in the hope of convincing them to abandon their dispute before it was too late. Our Sages compare strife to fire. A fire that rages out of control can cause untold destruction. And so it is with strife. When a dispute is not settled quickly and with the two sides showing respect for one another, the situation is likely to get out of hand.
Outsiders join the argument and lashon hara spills over into the streets.
Ultimately, the dispute can engulf an entire community and permanently shatter the peace and harmony that once reigned. Mr. Altman was a fine gentleman with a sterling reputation, and for the most part he had surrounded himself with workers who had helped him to build his business. One day Eli, a salesperson who had been with the store for two years, became involved in an argument with a customer. It was not the first time that the hot-tempered young man had argued with a customer, but this was by far the worst. The two had come close to blows when a quick-thinking worker, who decided to escort the customer out of the store, saved the day.