When I was in college, I studied for a year abroad in Scotland. There I met an English student named Justin who told me, quite plainly, that he had never liked Jews. When I asked him why, he explained that his father, whom he revered, had always disliked Jews. I still remember Justin’s face as he told me that he just could not come to grips with the idea that his father could be wrong.

In this week’s parasha, we come across a strange verse inserted in the genealogical lists of which the Torah is so fond. Suddenly in recounting the fate of Korach, who rebelled against Moses, the text says, “The sons of Korach did not die.”

Korach was punished with death, but what does the text mean when it specifies that his sons did not die? There are two major lines of interpretation. One suggests that his sons carried on the tradition of arguing with Moses, rebelling against God’s authority, and generally making trouble. In every age, these commentators assert, people will arise who will embody the spirit of Korach. They will carry the hatred of their parents to a new generation.

Other commentators take the opposite approach. They note that some of the Psalms (42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87, 88) are labeled, “Of the sons of Korach.” They believe that these children overcame the legacy of their father and turned to God. Even though they grew up in a home dominated by animosity, they rose above the early inculcation of hatred.

In our battle today against antisemitism and other forms of bigotry, we face the same division. Most people inherit the prejudices of their parents. Some do little or nothing to unlearn the hate they have been taught. But others, as in the second interpretation of Korach’s sons, recognize that the world does not have to be that way, that people can grow past their prejudices, that disdain is not destiny.

The Mishna teaches us (Pirke Avoth 5:20) that arguments like Korach’s, which are not for the sake of heaven, will not endure. This is a hopeful message. It means that even the children who grow up in an atmosphere of contention and hatred can overcome it. Our task is to reach out and show people another way. I lost touch with Justin, but I’d like to think that getting to know Jews helped him recognize that the sons of Korach can sing a new song.