Avoid מחלוקת

The Gemara says that one who causes מחלוקת and divisiveness, has violated a negative commandment. As it’s written in Parshat Korach, ולא יהיה כקרח ועדתו, that one should not act like Korach and his congregation. The Gemara adds that one is liable to even contract leprosy. This is learned from the word יד is used here and is also used when Moshe put his hand in his chest and it became leprous. So since יד is used in both cases, we apply leprosy also in the case of creating divisiveness. The forces of evil are known as the סטרא אחרא. Another name for this in the Zohar is כח דפרודא, the forces of divisiveness. It is also interesting that the Netivot Shalom says, קליפה של מחלוקת כמין נגיף רוחני, the shell of מחלוקת, is a kind of spiritual pandemic (same word used in describing Corona, נגיף הקורונה ). We must never underestimate the power of אחדות, unity. And when there are forces that disrupt this unity, they are the forces of evil.