The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts on the parsha that R' Frand spoke about in his shiur tonight. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
Rabbi Frand began the vort by quoting a Sefer called Tevas Gomer al HaTorah, written by the Pri Megadim. The sefer quoted the first Rashi in Korach which states that this Parsha is well discussed in Medrash Tanchuma. The sefer commented that if you have a vort about the four cups of wine you don't discuss it on Sukkos and if you have a Yom Kippur derasha you don't say it on Purim. But there is one thought that always is well discussed (i.e. timely) and that is a vort about the evils of Machlokes.
R' Frand then quoted from the parsha where Moshe devises a test wherein the person whose staff would bloom would be the true Kohain Gadol. The Torah states in Bamidbar 17:23 וַיֹּ֤צֵ֥א פֶ֨רַח֙ וַיָּ֣צֵ֥ץ צִ֔יץ וַיִּגְמֹ֖ל שְׁקֵדִֽים - that Aharon's staff gave forth flowers, sprouted buds and produced ripe almonds.
But what is the symbolism of the almonds? The Gemara in Berachos states that there are two kinds of almonds - bitter and sweet. The ones that start sweet, when they ripen they turn bitter. But other kinds of almonds are bitter when they are immature, but when they ripen they are sweet.
R' Frand said that this is the way that Machlokes evolves - when it starts it is sweet, but in the end it is bitter. And even when a person is not personally involved, in the end it can be bitter for the whole community. But if a person keeps his mouth shut when he could fire back and does not cause Machlokes, then even though it is bitter to keep quiet, in the end it is sweet.
R' Frand also said a vort in the name of R' Melech Biederman. He observed that this is not the first time that we see Moshe & Aharon and their matos. We see it when Moshe first comes down to Egypt and the staff of Aharon swallows all the other staffs. Why does that not happen here, instead of sprouting almonds.
R' Frand said that maybe the lesson is that when a person is involved in a Machlokes they should not crush the other guy - let him live.
R' Frand said a final vort from the Belzer Rebbi who observes that there is a minhag that the Chosson says Torah by the Aufruf or Sheva Brochos...and when he does, people interrupt him with singing. Why? This is a message to the Chosson - you don't have to have the last word - you don't always have to finish.
R' Frand quoted R' Chaim Shmulevits in discussing the wife of On ben Peles who saved him from being involved in the fight by telling him - no matter what you will still be On. You have no dog in this fight. And he bought in. But what was the great chochma? On should have known this! R' Chaim answers that during a Machlokes people lose perspective and its a great chochma if one can keep their cool and not lose perspective.
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