Korach
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha of the rebellion of Korach and his entourage. They approach Moshe and Aharon and say that the whole society is a holy one (Chapter 16, Pasuk 3), Ki Chol Ha’Eidah Kulam Kedoshim, so why are you usurping authority from the rest of the community, U’Madu’a Tisnasu al Kahal Hashem. Moshe tries to head them off and says let us wait until the morning (Chapter 16, Pasuk 5), Boker V’Yoda Hashem es Asher Lo. Hashem will inform us in the morning who His holy one is that he brings close to Him. As Rashi explains, Moshe was hoping that by the morning cooler heads would prevail and Korach and his people would back down.
The Medrash Rabbah (18, 7) on the pasuk explains that when Moshe Rabbeinu said Boker V’Yoda Hashem es Asher Lo he was teaching Korach a lesson. Do you think you can combine the morning with the evening? When Gd created the world, He distinguished between the morning and the evening. And all of creation is filled with distinctions; the light was separated from the darkness and the heavens were separated from the earth. Similarly, Aharon and his family were separated from the rest of the nation to be the Kohanim.
The Sfas Emes expands on the Medrash and teaches that just as the world was created with borders and distinctions, so too the world is filled with people who have different functions in the world. Rabbi Akiva explains the Gemara in Chulin 127A on the pasuk (Tehillim, Chapter 104, Pasuk 24) Mah Rabu Ma’asecha Hashem, there are creatures that live in the ocean and can’t live on dry land, and conversely there are beings that would die in the sea and must live on dry land. When one misses the notion of borders and tries to live in an area not befitting for him, he can’t function and dies. Similarly, the jealousy of Korach wanting the Kehunah brought about his downfall and subsequent death. This is the meaning of the Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 4, Mishnah 28), HaKinah…Motzi’in es Ha’Adam min Ha’Olam. Jealousy takes a person out of the world, for realizing the concept of borders and distinctions is fundamental in being able to exist and function in the world. What others have doesn’t belong to me, and this was lost on Korach and his men.
The Meshech Chachmah teaches that this is the reason why later in the parsha, Hashem tells Moshe to collect a staff from the Nesi’im of all the tribes, including Shevet Levi. And on the staff of Levi they should write the name of Aharon. And whichever person is chosen, his staff should flower. Ultimately, it was the staff of Aharon which brought forth flowers and almonds. The significance of this, he explains, is that Korach thought that the Kehunah was something which could be earned and achieved through merit. However, the flowering of the staff showed that the Kehunah was a preordained, natural selection by Gd. It was not something which could be changed through a particular talent or ability.
Yet there is one area where the borders disappear. Korach said to Moshe and Aharon, U’Madu’a Tisnasu al Kahal Hashem, why do you raise yourselves above the nation of Gd? Moshe and Aharon together represent the notion of Torah and in this regard they were raised above any borders. In Torah, there is total unity without distinctions. The pasuk says (Devarim, Chapter 33, Pasuk 4), Torah Tzivah Lanu Moshe, Morasha Kehillas Yaakov. When it comes to Torah, there is a Kehillas Yaakov, there is one community and all are equal. Each person has a portion in Torah, as it says in the Sefarim in the name of the Shelah HaKadosh, the word Yisrael is an acronym for Yesh Shishim Riboh Osiyos B’Torah. As opposed to the Kehunah, Torah is earned and achieved through merit.
Perhaps the best expression of this is the Rambam in Hilchos Talmud Torah. The Rambam teaches in Chapter 3, Halacha 1, B’Shlosha Kesarim Nichtaru Yisrael, Keser Torah, V’Keser Kehunah, V’Keser Malchus. There are three crowns in Israel, the crown of Torah, the crown of Kehunah, and the crown of kingship. The Rambam explains that the crown of Kehunah belongs exclusively to the descendants of Aharon, the lesson that Korach and his entourage needed to learn. And the crown of kingship belongs exclusively to the descendants of David HaMelech. Torah, however, is uniquely available to all; as the Rambam says, Kol Me Sheyirtzeh Yavo V’Yitol, anyone who desires shall come and take it. And the Rambam concludes this Halacha by pointing out that Keser Torah is the greatest of all.
We see that the great unifying factor in Clal Yisrael is Torah. It overrides and overcomes all borders and distinctions. In this difficult period of hope and prayer for the safe return of our kidnapped sons, we can unify ourselves further by strengthening ourselves in the greatest source of unity in Clal Yisrael; the mitzvah of Talmud Torah.
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