In a town near Premishlan, a dispute broke out. Some people claimed that the shochet was not careful enough when checking the lungs and wanted to hire another shochet. Others insisted that the accusations were false and that the shochet was doing an excellent job.
They decided to ask Reb Meir of Premishlan. After hearing both sides, he said, “Yidden, look. Checking the lungs is a din mid’Rabbanan. Making a machlokes, a fight between Yidden, is an issur d’Oraisa. There is no heter to fight over a din d’Rabbanan.”
“But Rebbe,” they replied, “this is a machlokes l’shem Shamayim. We want a better shechitah!”
Reb Meir answered, “The Mishnah says that a machlokes l’shem Shamayim is like the machlokes between Hillel and Shammai. Only someone on their level can have a true machlokes l’shem Shamayim. Anyone else should assume that his machlokes is like Korach’s.”
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 86.
