PARASHA KORAJ - DAVID HANANIA PINTO SHILITA

 Bamidbar

Korach


Strife is the Mother of All Sins

This week’s parsha begins with the grave dispute of Korach and his followers against Moses and Aaron. In his great wisdom, Korach had seen that a dynasty would emerge from him, one that would culminate with the prophet Samuel. What Korach didn’t know, however, was that he himself would be the impure baggage that Samuel carried behind him. What was Korach’s fate? He was swallowed by the earth along with 250 men. Not only that, but the Sages have said that even babies were swallowed by the earth and died, so grave is the sin of strife, which has many faces. When involved in a dispute, some people claim to be fighting for Da’at Torah (“the Torah view”), as each party tries to prove that they are right. This is the sense of the verse, “You shall not ascend My altar vema’alot [with steps]” (Exodus 20:23), meaning that one must be careful not to bring offerings that are suspected of ma’alot (i.e., virtues that a person thinks he possesses) or personal bias. Thus people will sometimes quarrel among themselves, and to strengthen their position they will say that they are, as it were, fighting for the Torah view, as each side claims that all they care about is the Torah. In reality, however, personal interest is the only cause of their dispute, and they are using the Torah to strengthen their position.
It is not difficult to understand when a dispute over the Torah view is real, or when it stems from personal interest. In fact someone whose intentions are good will act calmly and win people over through his righteousness. He will not offend or harm anyone, for that would be contrary to the Torah view, as it is written: “The words of wise men are heard in quiet” (Ecclesiastes 9:17). However when a dispute is waged at the expense of others, and when the parties involved have a financial or other interest at stake, this indicates that their dispute is not for the sake of Heaven. On several occasions I have become personally involved in disputes in order to calm people down, situations in which each side was using the Torah to make money in his own little way. This certainly does not correspond to “the Torah view,” and Hashem does not forgive Lashon Harah. Thus the Sages have said, “Any dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will have an enduring result, and that which is not for the sake of Heaven will not have an enduring result. Which is a dispute for the sake of Heaven? The dispute between Hillel and Shammai. Which is not for the sake of Heaven? The dispute of Korach and all his followers” (Perkei Avoth 5:17). Our Sages have given us this sign so we can determine whether a dispute is for the sake of Heaven or not. In fact if the parties involved in a dispute remain good friends, then it is like “the dispute between Hillel and Shammai,” who loved and respected one another, an indication that their dispute is for the sake of Heaven.
However if the parties involved are not friendly with one another, and the dispute stirs up hatred between them, then it is like “the dispute of Korach and all his followers.”

Such a dispute was filled with hatred and hostility, as Moses said: “A little more and they will stone me” (Exodus 17:4). This dispute was definitely not for the sake of Heaven, for the Satan was motivating them. This is what we must look for in any dispute to see if it is for the sake of Heaven or not. In the dispute of Korach and his followers against Moses and Aaron, Korach was not fighting for the sake of Heaven, for he knew that the priesthood was not his because Hashem had not appointed him to it.
A person who avoids honor, conquers his faults and the evil inclination (which is made of fire), and overcomes every obstacle in the service of Hashem – doing everything with humility through the selfless study of Torah, especially by yielding before the tzaddik of the generation – will not try to oppose the tzaddik, but instead will obey him. These things are not easy, nor are they achieved without great effort. Hence a person who has managed to achieve all this is worthy of having miracles performed for him. As for Korach, who did not act in this way, he experienced a miracle in reverse, for he did not die in a normal way.
When we consider these things, we will understand just how important unity is and how much we must strive to achieve it. It is on account of unity that the Shechinah dwells among us, enabling us to avoid all kinds of disasters, as well as hastening our deliverance. True, this is not easy, for the evil inclination (which is the kelipah of strife and disagreement) cannot tolerate seeing Jews studying Torah together in unity and harmony while the Holy One, blessed be He, joins with them and makes His Shechinah dwell among them. Hence by introducing strife into the situation, the evil inclination is doing all that it can to upset this. As such the Shechinah will depart, for it only remains under conditions of unity. This is why we must be extremely vigilant with regards to the evil inclination, which is the Satan, and to run from a dispute as if from a burning building. Simply put, we must put an effort into achieving unity.
We learn the great value of unity from what Rabbi Akiva said on the verse, “You shall love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), namely that it is a great principle of the Torah (Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:4). The Torah does not state, “You shall love chaverecha [your friend],” but “You shall love re’acha [your fellow].” The word re’acha can be interpreted by its root rah (“evil”), meaning that even if your friend acts wickedly with you, you must still love him. However the evil inclination will not allow this, and it sows seeds of strife, as was the case with the dispute involving Korach and his followers against Moses.
Yet as we know, everyone can improve his conduct and way of life, and even Korach could have ventured back onto the right path. In fact the Arizal is cited as saying that in the future, Korach will return and become a High Priest, for the name Korach is formed from the last letters in the words tzaddik katamar yifrach (“the righteous will flourish like a palm tree”).  In fact all of Korach’s sins will be forgiven in the future, for someone who constantly renews himself and flourishes in the service of Hashem automatically rectifies the 288 rapach (fragments) of holiness, doing so until the arrival of Mashiach. Amen, may it be so.

The Inner or Outer Aspect of Torah?

This week’s parsha states, “The sons of Korach did not die” (Numbers 26:11), and the Sages state that they considered repenting during Korach’s rebellion, and a place was reserved for them in Gehinnom (Sanhedrin 110a). The Sages also state that the sons of Korach were among those who carried the Ark. They were with their father at the time of his rebellion, and since they were likes roses, they were picked from among thorns (Midrash Shocher Tov 45:1).
Even On the son of Pelet was spared from being swallowed alive by the earth. The Sages say that his wife was the one who saved him, for she made him fall asleep in their tent. She then untied her hair so that Korach’s messengers, when they came to get her husband, went right back when they saw her. They were thus unable to make On the son of Pelet join them in Korach’s rebellion against Moses. We need to understand this. The sons of Korach repented and did not follow their father when he sinned, which is why they merited what they did, for in the end they yielded to Moses. Yet with regards to On the son of Pelet, we do not find that he repented! Not only that, but as we know, when he arose and tried to quickly return to Korach, his wife prevented him from leaving, telling him that Korach and his followers were no longer alive. Thus we see that he did not repent. He remained opposed to Moses, so why did he deserve to live?
We also know the question posed by the Sages: “What did Korach, who was wise, see in this foolishness?” What motivated Korach to make such a bad deal for himself by rebelling against Moses? Is it possible for a disciple to suddenly decide that he will be the teacher, and that his teacher will be the disciple?
We will try to explain this as best possible. Even a great man who studies Torah can make a mistake when he does not delve into the inner aspect of the Torah and cleave to it. In fact a person can grow in Torah, but if he fails to penetrate its inner meaning, danger lies in store for him, and he is liable to fall at any time. A person must realize that the Torah elevates him, but only when he yields to it and becomes infused with it, as King David said: “Your Torah is in my innards” (Psalms 40:9). If a person’s intentions in studying Torah are completely superficial – if he is trying to make himself important on its account – then he is turning the Torah into a shovel with which to dig. This is indicated by the fact that the Torah is not found within him, for his desire is solely to become great and boast. In that case the words of the Sages will be fulfilled: “From him who seeks greatness, greatness flees” (Eruvin 13b). This was Korach’s error. He was among those who carried the Ark (Tanhuma, Korach 2), but from the outside. Although carrying the Ark required a person to be at a great level, it nevertheless does not protect him from sin if he fails to carry the inner aspect of the Torah in his heart. This is why Korach reached that point. In fact it is not enough just to carry the Ark. One must carry the inner aspect of the Ark. In that case a person is assured that the Torah will protect and save him from all sin. However Korach, who only saw the superficial aspect of the Torah, without seeing its inner meaning, erred. If he had also seen the inner aspect of Moses, he would not have opposed him. Since he only saw what was on the outside, he became jealous, and that is what drove him from this world, as the Tanna says: “Envy, lust, and honor-seeking drive a man from the world” (Pirkei Avoth 4:21). In fact the Sages explain the verse, “Korach took” (Numbers 16:1) to mean: He made a bad deal for himself (Sanhedrin 109b). A good deal would have been the Torah, which is called “good” (Proverbs
4:2). A tzaddik is also called “good” (Yoma 38b). However Korach did not take the inner aspect of the Torah along with its outer aspect, and he did not yield before the tzaddik. That was the bad deal that he made for himself. He took only the external, and he ended up where he did and everyone was punished along with him.
At first Korach’s sons thought that their father was right, which is why they joined him in opposing Moses. They believed that the main thing was to carry the Ark, but then they realized that superficiality was not enough, that they had to carry the inside of the Ark as well. Hence they changed their minds. They followed Moses and were saved; they did not die. How did they come to the realization that the inner aspect is essential? It is because they had difficulty understanding how it was possible for a man to want to be a leader, while at the same time scorning the two leaders of the generation and Hashem’s chosen ones. It was then that they realized that the main thing is not the outer aspect, that the superficial is not enough, for in that case a person may fall. One must carry the inside of the Torah, and an instant before the earth opened its mouth, they denied their father and followed their rav, Moses. We know what the Sages said about a rav, namely that a person’s rav has precedence over his father, for a rav leads him to life in the World to Come.
From here we learn that a person must verify, in everything he does, that he is acting properly and doing so with inner devotion, as the sons of Korach did, who knew that inner devotion was the key. According to this, we can understand what the Sages meant when they said that Korach asked Moses whether or not a tallit made entirely of techelet had to possess tzitzit. We need to understand what Korach meant by this question. According to what we have said, the explanation is that Korach only saw the outer aspect of things, not the inner aspect. He saw the techelet of the tzitzit from an outside perspective, without contemplating its inner meaning, and therefore he asked such a question. In reality, he should have known that the entire nature of the tzitzit resides in its inner aspect, namely to recall the Creator of the world, as it is written: “You shall look upon them and remember all the commandments of the L-RD” (Numbers
15:39). The techelet resembles the sea, the sea resembles the sky, the sky resembles a sapphire, and a sapphire resembles the Throne of Glory. In other words, the importance of the tzitzit resides in its inner aspect. Since Korach failed to see this, he asked his question and reached such a low point that he was swallowed by the earth. This is because he failed to grow in the ways of Heaven.
How can a person attain the inner aspect of the Torah? It is by studying it. Even the greatest of the generation, if he fails to study Torah, can degenerate to such a point that he will fall to the lowest levels, which is what happened to Korach. Hence he engaged in a dispute that was not for the sake of Heaven (Pirkei Avoth 5:17). He was preoccupied with his own honor, not that of his teacher and the Shechinah. Such was not the case with his sons, who yielded before Moses (like descending spiritually in order to ascend to a higher level) and attained knowledge of the Creator and did not die.

The End of a Delusion

It is written, “Korach the son of Itzhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi” (Bamidbar 16:1). Kabbalists have stated that Korach will be very important in the future, serving as Kohen Gadol in the Third Temple (see the Arizal’s Likutei Torah on Parsha Ki Tisa and Sha’ar HaPessukim on Ezekiel 20). They base themselves on the verse, Tzaddik katamar yifrach (“A righteous man will flourish like a palm tree” – Tehillim 92:13), the last letters of which form the word korach. This teaches us that this tzaddik will again flourish like a palm tree. Since the Sages have also said that Korach was a clever man (Bamidbar Rabba 18:8), we need to understand why he pursued the folly of contesting Moshe and the priesthood. We cannot say that he was a rasha, since he will flourish in the future.
Furthermore, all the Children of Israel saw that Miriam was punished because she had spoken Lashon Harah about Moshe. The Holy One, blessed be He, testified: “Not so is My servant Moshe. In My entire house he is the trusted one. Mouth to mouth do I speak to him, in a clear vision and not in riddles, and the image of Hashem does he behold. Why did you not fear to speak against My servant Moshe?” (Bamidbar 12:7-8). That said, why was Korach not afraid of contesting Moshe and the priesthood?
He Did Not Control His Eyes
We may explain this according to what the Sages have said about Korach: “His mind’s eye misled him. He foresaw that a long and distinguished progeny would emanate from him, particularly Samuel, whose importance would equal that of Moshe and Aaron…and that from among his descendants 24 Levitical divisions would be formed, all of whom would prophesy under the influence of the Holy Spirit…. He argued: ‘Is it reasonable, since such greatness is destined to emanate from me, that I should remain silent?’ ” (Bamidbar Rabba 18:8). In other words, Korach logically inferred that if his descendants would be as important as Moshe and Aaron, how much more is he! Hence Korach believed that he should serve as Kohen Gadol, not Aaron.
We may therefore ask what prompted Korach to be swallowed by the earth, him and all his followers. The answer is that he did not control his eyes when he saw the kind of descendants that he would have, and he brought evil upon himself. Our Sages have given us a great principle: “The disciples of the wicked Bilam possess an evil eye, an arrogant spirit, and a greedy soul” (Pirkei Avoth 5:19). They descend to Gehinnom, as it is written: “And You, O G-d, You will lower them into the well of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit shall not live out half their days. But as for me, I will trust in You” (Tehillim 55:24). The Sages of the Talmud have testified, “Ninety-nine [die] through an evil eye, and one through natural causes” (Bava Metzia 107b). This teaches us that a person sometimes descends to Gehinnom on account of his eyes, and when he looks at others with an evil eye, he brings evil upon himself and them as well.
The verse, “And You, O G-d, You will lower them into the well of destruction” was also fulfilled in Korach, for he was swallowed by the earth. Although he knew that his descendants would be as great and important as Moshe and Aaron, he did not remain silent, but instead contested the priesthood and sought glory for himself. In truth, the words of Korach’s followers also led them astray when they told Moshe: “Even if you were to gouge out the eyes of these men, we shall not go up” (Bamidbar 16:14). This is difficult to understand, for could they not have told him something else to affirm their unwillingness to go, even if those men were to be blinded? The answer is that they opposed Moshe only because they followed their eyes. Hence their words led them astray and they said, “Even if you were to gouge out the eyes of these men.”
He Did Not Look to the Tzitzit
According to what we have said, we may explain why the passage on Korach is juxtaposed to the passage on the tzitzit: “You shall look upon them and remember all the commandments of Hashem and fulfill them” (Bamidbar 15:39). Korach did not look to the tzitzit, but instead envisioned the dynasty that would descend from him. Korach even ridiculed the mitzvah of tzitzit, as our Sages cite him arguing: “A tallit that is entirely composed of blue cannot exempt itself from the obligation, but four blue threads can exempt it?!” (Bamidbar Rabba 18:3).
Since Korach renounced the mitzvah of tzitzit, it was as if he had renounced the entire Torah, for the Sages have said: “The mitzvah of tzitzit is equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah” (Nedarim 25a). Since Korach and his band of followers cried out from Gehinnom, “Moshe and his Torah are truth” (Bava Batra 74a), we see that they had renounced Moshe’s Torah. They did not properly fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzit, for they did not look to them, but instead used their eyes for evil. Hence they ended up descending into Gehinnom.
This is a great principle: Whoever merits the Holy Spirit and sees what others cannot see, such a person must ask himself if what he sees can help the Jewish community. If his vision comprises something good for the community, he has the right to use it. Otherwise he does not, since a person is only shown things for a valid reason, things that are good for the Jewish community. This is what happened with Korach: He saw that a great dynasty would emerge from him, and he used this vision for his own personal needs by contesting the priesthood. As for Moshe, he acted only for the good of the Jewish people throughout his life. As the Sages have said (Mechilta, Yitro), Moshe did not deal with his own affairs after speaking with G-d, but went directly from the mountain to the people.
Korach did not conduct himself like Moshe. When Moshe merited the revelation of the Shechinah, he did not occupy himself with his own affairs. Yet when the greatness of his descendants was revealed to Korach, he used this vision for his own ends and contested the priesthood. This teaches us that Korach did not contest the priesthood because of wickedness or jealousy, but because of the evil eye. Since he possessed an evil eye, he thought that he was greater than Moshe and Aaron, for he believed that his descendants would be greater than them. Yet in the end, Korach lost on all counts.

Moshe’s Humility

I wonder: How could Korach have drawn so many Jews to fight with him against Moshe, to speak Lashon Harah about him, and to slander him by saying that he had invented the mitzvot? Could it be that all of Israel forget what had happened to Miriam, who was struck with leprosy for having spoken ill of her brother Moshe by saying that he had married a Cushite? At that point, the Holy One, blessed be He, told Aaron and Miriam: “Not so is My servant Moshe. In My entire house he is the trusted one. Mouth to mouth do I speak to him, in a clear vision and not in riddles. At the image of Hashem does he gaze. Why did you not fear to speak against My servant Moshe?” (Bamidbar 12:7-
8). Furthermore, Ruach Hakodesh said: “Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth” (v.3)! I would like to explain this by first citing a statement of the Sages: “The reverence for your Rav [should be] as the fear of Heaven” (Pirkei Avoth 4:12), which teaches us that it is forbidden for a person to have a light-hearted attitude towards his Rav. He must not joke with him like with anyone else, but should stand before him with reverence and respect. Just as a person must respect G-d, he must also respect his Rav. Since we often find ourselves in our Rav’s home, the Sages have taught that even under such circumstances, we must reflect upon the fact that our Rav leads us to eternal life, and we must be careful not to do anything that would diminish his honor.
They have warned us with the following teaching: “Whoever quarrels with his Rav, it is as if he has quarreled with the Shechinah…. Whoever expresses resentment against his Rav, it is as if he has expressed it against the Shechinah…. He who imputes [evil] to his Rav, it is as if he has imputed [it] to the Shechinah” (Sanhedrin 110a).
Furthermore, a Rav will sometimes draw closer to his students in order for them to learn from him. In fact a Rav who is stern with his students is not a like a Rav who demonstrates kindness towards them, for students will learn from one but not the other. This is why the Sages warned us concerning the respect that a Rav deserves, and that if he draws closer to his students, it is not for them to grow accustomed to him and become proud. In their eyes, he should seem as if he were far from them. He is only drawing closer to them for their good, in order for them to learn from him, not so that his proximity becomes detrimental to them and they end up becoming insolent.
We may object by pointing out that the Sages said that when Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was on his deathbed, he called for his firstborn Rabbi Gamliel and said to him: “My son, conduct your rule with men of high standing, and cast bile among the students” (Ketubot 103b). The Rambam explains this to mean that a student must not be ashamed if his friends can understand something after studying it once or twice, whereas he needs more times to understand it, for if he is ashamed of that, he will enter the Beit HaMidrash and leave without learning anything (Hilchot Talmud Torah 2:4). Hence the early Sages said, “A timid person cannot learn, neither can the short-tempered teach” (Pirkei Avoth 2:5). To what does this apply? It applies to situations in which students do not understand something because it is too intricate, or because they are not intelligent enough. If a Rav realizes that they do not understand a subject because they are being lazy, he should be upset with them and shame them. It is in this spirit that the Sages have said that a Rav must be stern with his students. It is therefore not fitting for a Rav to act casually before his students, nor to laugh before them or eat and drink with them, so that they may revere him and quickly learn from him.
He Was Not Stern
The Torah testifies that Moshe was the humblest man on the earth. This teaches us that he was never stern with the Children of Israel, even though they deserved it. This is why all the people learned the Torah from Moshe at first, for he did not appoint judges over them, as we read: “It was on the next day that Moshe sat to judge the people, and the people stood by Moshe from morning till evening. Moshe’s father-in- law saw everything he was doing to the people, and he said, ‘...You will surely become worn out, you as well as this people who are with you’ ” (Shemot 18:13-18). The Aggadah says in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua: “They will exhaust you and make you give up. Rabbi Elazar of Modin said, ‘They will make you waste away and wither you like a fig whose leaves wither’ ” (Mechilta, Amalek 2).
In fact Moshe tended not to be stern with the Children of Israel, with the result being that they treated him without respect. That is how Korach managed to attract so many Jews to him against Moshe, to the point that they treated him in a shameful way. Furthermore, it is written (Sermons of the Ketav Sofer, Tevet 8) that Moshe was only punished at the waters of Meriva, and G-d did not allow him to enter Eretz Israel, because he had said: “Listen na, O rebels” (Bamidbar 20:10). Now the term na always indicates a supplication (Berachot 9a). Since Moshe did not speak to them harshly or sternly when he should have, he was punished for it.
Aaron’s humility was also great, as the Sages have said: “I bestowed greatness… upon Moshe and Aaron, yet they said: ‘We are nothing’ [Shemot 16:8]” (Chullin 89a). The Sages also teach us how Aaron made peace among the people: He would go to the two opposing parties and speak good of one to the other, until peace reigned among them (Avoth d’Rabbi Nathan 12). This is why Korach and his followers erred in regards to Moshe and Aaron; it is why they became used to them and failed to treat them with the same respect as Hashem. They did not fulfill the teaching, “The reverence for your Rav [should be] as the fear of Heaven,” for his humility was too great.
We therefore find that Rashi states, “Korach took [Bamidbar 16:1]: He took himself to one side to dissociate himself from the congregation in order to contest the priesthood.” We need to understand what the expression “to one side” means. Were there two sides, such that he took one? Rather, Korach compared himself to Moshe and Aaron, as if Moshe and Aaron were on one side and he was on another – equal to them – and that Moshe and Aaron were not greater than him and he was not greater than them. Since that was what Korach thought, he denied the Torah and Hashem, as our Sages have said: “Korach was an unbeliever who said, ‘The Torah does not come from Heaven’ ” (Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 10:1). Why did he say this? It was because whoever denies his Rav will eventually deny G-d, and whoever ridicules his Rav will eventually ridicule Hashem.

The Grave Power of Scorn

It is written, “Korach, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, separated himself with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliav, and On son of Peleth, the sons of Reuven. They stood before Moshe with 250 men from the Children of Israel, leaders of the assembly, those summoned for meeting, men of renown” (Bamidbar 16:1-2). The Midrash says, “When the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moshe: ‘Take the Levites from among the Children of Israel and purify them’ [Bamidbar 8:6], Moshe immediately did so to Korach, but he was no longer recognizable. He was asked, ‘Who did this to you?’ He replied, ‘Moshe did this to me, and not only that, but he took hold of my hands and feet, and I was waved. He then said to me, “Behold, you are clean!” ’ Immediately, Moshe’s enemies began to incite Israel against him” (Tanchuma, Korach 3).
This is absolutely astounding. How could Korach and his followers have possibly thought of challenging Moshe Rabbeinu over Israel’s leadership and priesthood, to the point of saying: “Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem” (Bamidbar 16:3)? All the Children of Israel had seen Moshe ascending to Heaven and receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai, and from among all Israel, only Aaron and his sons the kohanim went up the mountain. The verse states, “Then you shall ascend, and Aaron with you” (Shemot 19:24) – Moshe was a division by himself and the others were a division by themselves (Mechilta D’Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, Shemot 19:24). If Korach had been worthy, why did he not immediately say at that point: “How are these men different from all the other sons of Levi, to go up the mountain?” Yet that did not enter his mind, for everyone knew that G-d had told Moshe: “Behold, I come to you in the thickness of the cloud, so that the people will hear as I speak to you, and they will also believe in you forever” (Shemot 19:9). G-d did not speak to Korach in any way, and if he had wanted to say something and oppose Moshe at that point, the Children of Israel would not have listened to him. So why did they listen to him afterwards?
Furthermore, all the Children of Israel had seen, when Miriam spoke against her brother Moshe by criticizing him for having separated himself from his wife, that G-d punished her and defended Moshe at that point, having explained the difference between Moshe and the other prophets: “If there shall be a prophet among you, in a vision shall I, Hashem, make Myself known to him. In a dream shall I speak with him. Not so is my servant Moshe. In My entire house he is the trusted one. Mouth to mouth do I speak to him, in a clear vision and not in riddles. At the image of Hashem does he gaze” (Bamidbar 12:6-8). Hashem revealed that Moshe was the only one who spoke with Him mouth to mouth, and even if they had other prophets, they would not reach the same level as Moshe. Therefore how could Korach have led the people so astray that he could ask how Moshe felt superior to everyone? Did he not realize that they did not elevate themselves on their own, but that it was G-d Who had elevated them?
We Must Always Flee From Scorn
From here we learn just how grave scorn is. We must always avoid it, for it is as disastrous as death. The Sages have said, “Scorn is very grave, for it begins with suffering and ends with destruction” (Yerushalmi, Berachot 2:8). They also compare the Torah to oil: “Just as when you hold a full cup of oil in your hand and a drop of water falls in, a corresponding drop of oil comes out, likewise when a word of Torah enters the heart, a word of scorn comes out. And if a word of scorn goes in, a word of Torah comes out” (Shir HaShirim Rabba 1:21).
Korach only began to challenge Moshe’s leadership by scorning him, deriding the fact that Moshe had shaved and waved him. On the verse, “nor sits in the seat of scorners” (Tehillim 1:1), the Aggadah says that it was Korach who scorned Moshe and Aaron, for he began to mock them, saying: “There was a widow in our neighborhood….” Korach also said to them, “Moshe Rabbeinu! A tallit that is entirely of techelet, does it require tzitzit?” He said yes. “A house that is completely filled with Torah scrolls, does it require a mezuzah?” He said yes. Still again: “A wound that is [half an inch] in diameter, is it pure?” He said that it is impure. “And if it entirely covers a man?” He said, “Then it is pure.” At that point Korach said, “The Torah does not come from Heaven, Moshe is not a prophet, and Aaron is not a Kohen Gadol” (Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 10:2).
With the Thoughts of the Heart
As a result, we see that Korach began by scorning and mocking the mitzvot given by Hashem. He should have handled his differences of opinion as talmidei chachamim do: When they argue a point of Halachah, each one explains his viewpoint, seeks to understand the other’s reasoning, and goes to the heart of the matter by studying it from all angles. Korach did not do this, but scorned the mitzvot and Moshe’s words. In no way did he try to understand the Halachah, which is why he eventually spoke sacrilegiously, to the point of saying: “The Torah does not come from Heaven, Moshe is not a prophet, and Aaron is not a Kohen Gadol.”
Since Korach had started to scorn them, words of Torah left his heart and he abandoned the essence of his argument. At first he wanted to verify the halachot, but since he started arguing in a spirit of scorn, he forgot his core arguments and started to challenge Moshe’s authority without trying to understand the Halachah. The Sages teach, “The first step in transgression is evil thought, the second is scorn” (Derech Eretz Zutah). Since Korach began to challenge Moshe’s authority and leadership, we immediately see that his intentions were not pure, for when the Sages of Israel discuss Halachah, nobody seeks to humiliate the other, for all they want is to understand the Halachah.

Korach’s Scornful Remarks to Moshe

According to what the Sages state in several places (Bamidbar Rabba 18; Tanchuma 2), Korach raised several objections against Moshe in regards to various laws. I would like to explain some of these objections, and why Korach was mistaken.
Korach wanted to serve as Kohen Gadol, but he knew that simple speeches would not convince Moshe to appoint him as such. That is why he also wanted to prove to Moshe that he was a talmid chacham, hoping to convince him in this way. Hence Korach objected to Moshe by stating: “You have said that it is written in the Torah.
‘They shall put a thread of techelet upon the tzitzit of every corner’ [Bamidbar
15:38].”
He also asked him, “Does a house that is entirely filled with Torah scrolls require a mezuzah, or is it exempt?” Moshe replied that it required one. Korach began to laugh and said, “All the Torah scrolls in a house do not exempt it, but two passages in the mezuzah do?” We also find that Korach sought to raise objections about the red heifer (Midrash Pliyah).
We need to understand something: Korach was intelligent (Bamidbar Rabba 18:2), so what was the meaning behind all these objections? What was Korach’s objective in saying such things?
We know that the entire objective of the tzitzit, and the techelet which they contain, is to remember Hashem, as the Sages have said: “Techelet resembles the color of the sea, and the sea resembles the color of the sky, and the sky resembles the color of a sapphire, and a sapphire resembles the color of the Throne of Glory” (Chullin 89a; Yerushalmi, Berachot 1:2). Thus Korach believed that if a single thread dyed techelet enabled a man to remember G-d and the Throne of Glory, how much more would an entire tallit dyed techelet bring Him to mind, enabling a person to be even more scrupulous in all the mitzvot!
Likewise a house filled with Torah scrolls would lead a man to cleaving to Hashem, so what was the need for a mezuzah? As for the red heifer, we know that Korach was aware of the reasons behind it, and so he claimed that he was more important than Aaron, who was not aware of all its reasons.
Yet Korach was gravely mistaken in this regard, for there is no need for an entire tallit dyed techelet in order to recall G-d's existence, since all of Creation itself leads to the knowledge of the Creator, as King David said: “When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers” (Tehillim 8:4). Hence there was no need for an entire tallit dyed techelet. A single thread is all that’s needed to recall the existence of the Creator, and more than this would infringe upon the prohibition against adding to the mitzvot (Sanhedrin 29a).
The same applies to a house completely filled with Torah scrolls: Only a mezuzah guards the house and the Torah scrolls within it, as well as any mezuzot that may be on a table inside.

Furthermore, Korach erred in regards to the red heifer, for had he been aware of the reasons behind it, he would have also been aware that its ashes alluded to humility. Yet humility was found with Moshe, as it is written: “Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth” (Bamidbar 12:3).
As a result, Korach should have acted with humility in practice, not just calling for it externally, for actions are more important than explanations (Pirkei Avoth 1:17; Zohar III:218a). That said, why did Korach persist in his pride?
Above all, Korach committed a huge error by suspecting Moshe of adultery. He had doubts because Moshe left his wife Tziporah, having separated from her (Shabbat
87a). Korach thought, “How could he do this? Aaron, who is the Kohen Gadol, did not separate from his wife. It’s certainly because of another woman!”
However Korach was mistaken. He did not know that Moshe had separated from his wife because the Shechinah could speak to him at any moment, not at a definite time (Shabbat ibid.), as Hashem had told him: “And you, stand here with Me” (Devarim 5:28).
This is why Miriam as well, who had spoken Lashon Harah about Moshe concerning the very same subject, was punished and afflicted with leprosy (Bamidbar 12:10). Although Korach saw what happened to her, he did not learn anything because he did not understand what it was about. Although he saw what happened to the spies – who also failed to learn anything from what had happened to Miriam, and who were punished
– Korach did not regret anything, for he committed the very same mistake and did nothing to properly reflect on things. All this happened because Korach believed that his Torah would allow him to succeed.
That, however, was not the case. Since Korach sought conflict, he ruined everything and damaged the very foundations of Creation, for he did not draw any lessons from the past or reflect upon Moshe’s greatness. Hence he arrived at where he was. Evil took hold of him, he separated himself from the entire community and provoked a terrible plague.
All these things are alluded to in the numerical value of Korach’s name. The tzitzit dyed entirely techelet are found in his name, for the name Korach ben Yitzhar has the same numerical value as the expression chutei tzitzit (“threads of fringes”).
The mezuzah is also alluded to in his name, for Korach has the same numerical value as the Name Sh-dai, which is found in the mezuzot that guard the homes of Israel.
The red heifer as well is alluded to in his name, for the expression parah adumah (“red heifer”) has the same numerical value, in adding the words themselves to the value of its letters, to the expression zeh hu Korach (“this is Korach”) when adding the four letters of the name Korach.
The suspicion that Korach had of Moshe is also alluded to in his name, for it is written: Vayikach Korach (“Korach took”). This can be read as vai lakach (“woe, he took”), and vai (“woe”) has the same numerical value as the letters chet beit vav, the initials of the verse chayil bala vayekiyenu (“he devoured wealth, but will disgorge it” – Job
20:15). This alludes to the middah of yesod, circumcision.
If Korach suspected Moshe of having had forbidden relations, he took vai for himself, without rectifying it, for he spoke Lashon Harah and sought conflict. Since he created division in the world, he was swallowed by the earth in a supernatural way and perished from the world.

But Korach was Wise!

It is written, “Korach the son of Itzhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, took…” (Bamidbar 16:1).
We need to understand the underlying reason for Korach’s rebellion against Moshe and the Shechinah. After all, Korach wasn’t a simple man, having been among the tribe of Levi, which was chosen to carry the Ark of the Covenant. Now the Sages have said that the Ark carried those who carried it, and since Korach had an opportunity to carry the Ark, it signified that he was a great individual. That being the case, how did he come to have such a vile attitude?
Whom did he dare attack? Moshe, the “faithful servant” – the one who had completely devoted his entire life to the Jewish people! With a motion of his hand, Moshe had brought the terrible plagues upon Egypt. Indeed, he split the sea, raised his hands to defeat Amalek, and brought water out of a rock by striking it with his staff. Korach knew all this, and he also knew that he was nothing compared to Moshe. Therefore how could have rushed into a war against Moshe and Aaron, the results of which were known beforehand?
Kabbalists cite the Arizal in stating that the last letters of the words tzaddik katamar yifrach (“a righteous man will flourish like a date palm” – Tehillim 92:13), form the name Korach. This tells us that in the future, Korach will arise and serve in the Temple as the Kohen Gadol. Now if he merits such a position, this proves that he was a very lofty individual at the outset. Yet how could he not have feared the dreadful results of such antagonism, and how did he manage to rally 250 men, leaders of the assembly, just by speaking Lashon Harah and slandering Moshe Rabbeinu, Hashem’s servant, and Aaron the kohen? The verse states, “Moshe heard and fell upon his face” (Bamidbar 16:4), which the Gemara explains as meaning that they suspected him of adultery (Sanhedrin 110a). It is therefore appalling to see just how crude these people were, and it only reinforces the question of what pushed Korach to act in this way.
On the verse, “You have taken too much upon yourselves, O sons of Levi” (Bamidbar
16:7), Rashi writes: “What did Korach, who was wise, see [to commit] this folly? His vision deceived him. He saw [prophetically] a chain of great people descending from him: Samuel, who is equal to Moshe and Aaron. [Korach] said, ‘For his sake I will be spared.’ [He also saw] 24 watches [of Levites] emanating from his grandsons, all prophesying through Ruach Hakodesh…. He said, ‘Is it possible that all this greatness

is destined to emanate from me, and I should remain silent?’ He therefore plotted in
order to attain this privilege.”
We need to think deeply about the lesson that Rashi is giving us by saying, “His vision deceived him.” Someone who has become corrupt due to the pride that dwells within him, as well as the self-centered love implanted in his heart, may twist the things he sees, transforming truth into falsehood and yet believing it to be the truth. How great is the power of such corruption, the strength of these detestable flaws, such that it can push a person to fight against the greatest of men, Hashem’s chosen ones, and to even feel that such a fight is a mitzvah being waged for the sake of Heaven! And why? Because “his vision deceived him” – Korach saw the prophet Samuel emerging from him, and Samuel was equal to Moshe and Aaron combined.
If we think about this honestly and logically, it seems that, quite to the contrary, if a person values Samuel’s honor, then the more he increases and glorifies the honor of Moshe and Aaron, the more that Samuel’s honor and greatness will also increase. This is because Korach saw by Ruach Hakodesh that Samuel was equal to Moshe and Aaron combined. Alternatively, the more that a person harms their greatness by diminishing them, the more he diminishes the honor of Samuel. However “his vision deceived him,” meaning that the pride and vanity that existed in Korach is what prevented him from seeing the truth about the honor of Samuel, who would emerge from him. Instead, Korach focused on his own honor, thinking that “if Samuel must emerge from me, then I should be gloried and honored.”
Why Are You Exalting Yourselves?
Bad character traits have the power to push the heart from positive to negative, and therein lay Korach’s weakness. Jealousy and the pursuit of honor pushed him to seek glory for himself, and to fight against Moshe and Aaron.
The same applied to this entire dispute. Indeed, we see that “his vision deceived
him,” meaning that he did not have a clear view of things.
Korach told Moshe, “The entire assembly – all of them – are holy…why are you exalting yourselves?” (Bamidbar 16:3). Korach wanted everyone to be a leader, for everyone was worthy of leadership. Hence he asked, “Why have you, Aaron and Moshe, set yourselves up as leaders?”
This seems like a completely foolish question. Everyone fully realizes that in order for discipline and order to reign among the Jewish people, there must necessarily be some authority in charge. Otherwise, everyone would do whatever comes to mind. As the Sages tell us, when Eliyahu HaNavi and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi went into a synagogue frequented by the wealthy, and they were not treated with respect, Eliyahu gave them the blessing: “May it be G-d’s will that you all be leaders,” which is the worst curse that can be given to a community. That is precisely what Korach wanted to do among the Children of Israel. This happened solely because his vision deceived him, for jealously and a love for honor blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
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Moreover, we see the firmness and courage of Moshe, concerning whom the Torah states: “Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any man on the face of the earth” (Bamidbar 12:3). Although he was suspected of adultery, and although 250 men, leaders of the assembly, rose up against him, he still tried to calm the situation and usher in peace, as it is written: “Moshe sent forth to summon Dathan and Abiram” (ibid. 16:12). Here Rashi cites the Gemara (Sanhedrin 110), which learns from this passage that we must not maintain disputes, for it was Moshe who summoned them in order to placate them with conciliatory words. What’s more is that Aaron, Hashem holy one, was with Moshe in trying to make peace reign, and of Aaron it is said that “he loved peace and pursued peace.” Such was the immense difference between Moshe and Aaron on the one hand, and Korach and his followers on the other. Of Korach we read, “Korach…took” – he took himself to one side. Here the Targum states vaitpaleg Korach (“Korach separated himself ”): He separated himself from the tribes of Israel and provoked a rift within Israel.
See the great punishment that Korach brought upon himself and his entire band of followers! The Holy One, blessed be He, created a mouth within the earth during the six days of Creation: “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, along with all the people who were with Korach and all their goods” (Bamidbar 16:32). Our Sages state that even an object that originally belonged to Korach, and which happened to be in some other person’s pocket, was swallowed by the earth, even if that person was not a follower of Korach. The earth would open its mouth next to that person, who did not understand what it wanted of him, since he was not among Korach’s followers. Tremendous fear then seized him, until he remembered that he had something in his pocket which he had received from Korach (for in order to assemble the community against Moshe and Aaron, Korach had distributed all kinds of objects in order to elect leaders). That person would immediately remove the object from his pocket, and the earth would swallow it up. Indeed, nothing remained of Korach or his possessions! Our Sages said, “See the power of disputes! The Celestial Court punishes only from the age of 20 years, but in this dispute even babies were swallowed by the earth, as it is written: ‘Their women, their children, and their babies.’ They were all swallowed up, such that absolutely nothing of theirs remained.”
We are familiar with the Sages’ statement that even today, Korach cries out and says: “Moshe is truth and his Torah is truth.” I thought I would explain that from his throat – which once raised a voice that sowed discord and raised doubts about Moshe, Aaron, and the community of Hashem – that very same voice is now repenting from the depths of Gehinnom, as the Sages have said: “Those who were swallowed up with Korach cry out from the depths of the earth: ‘Moshe is truth and his Torah is truth, but we are liars.’ ” Measure for measure, Moshe is truth and his Torah is truth. However with the exception of this voice, everything that emerged from his mouth was destroyed, thus teaching us the gravity of dissension.

A Lesson from Korach’s Wealth

It is written, “Korach, the son of Itzhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, separated
himself” (Bamidbar 16:1).
It is not a coincidence that Parsha Korach is found between the passage of the tzitzit and Parsha Chukat in the Torah. In regards to the tzitzit we read, “You shall look upon them and remember all the commandments of Hashem and fulfill them” (Bamidbar 15:39), and Parsha Chukat states: “This is the Torah: When a man dies in a tent” (ibid. 19:14). Our Sages explain that the Torah cannot be acquired unless a person sacrifices himself for it. What follows are two fundamental and essential conditions for meriting the crown of Torah.
First, “You shall look upon” – we must recognize G-d, be aware of His greatness, know Him, and remember all His commandments.
But this is not enough. In fact we look at our tzitzit each day, but without sensing that it affects and influences us. Therefore how are we to understand the rest of the verse: “You shall look upon them and remember all the commandments of Hashem and fulfill them”? Hence Parsha Chukat adds an additional condition for receiving the Torah: “When a man dies in a tent.” That is, we are obligated to sacrifice ourselves for the Torah, to yield before it, and to annul our desires for its glory. We must recognize our insignificance compared to it, and we must demonstrate tremendous humility.
The mitzvah of tzitzit certainly allows us to remember the greatness of G-d and recognize His superiority. However we must also learn not to grow proud, and to rid ourselves of negative character traits. In fact if we are mindful of G-d’s greatness, yet filled with pride – considering ourselves to be honorable – then we will not try to fulfill His commandments. Hence recognizing the supremacy of the Shechinah must go hand-in-hand with submitting ourselves before the Torah and those who study it.
This was Korach’s mistake: He was among those who carried the Holy Ark, and therefore he was aware of G-d’s greatness. Yet on the other hand, he did not know how to humble himself and recognize man’s frail state. He did not want to fulfill the verse, “When a man dies in a tent,” for it was difficult for him to kill his own desires before the Torah and Moshe, the leader of all Israel. Korach was filled with pride and said, “Why should Moshe lead us, rather than I?” Since he lacked humility and failed to submit himself to the Torah and the Sages, he ended up rebelling against the Torah and even denying G-d. This happened because anyone who rebels against the tzaddikim and despises them is considered to be rebelling against G-d Himself.
Rashi says the following: “But what did Korach, who was intelligent, see [that pushed him to commit] this folly? His vision deceived him” (Rashi on Bamidbar 16:7). We have been given two eyes: One to recognize the greatness of G-d, and the other to recognize our own insignificance and lowliness. Korach properly used one eye, for he even recognized G-d’s glory. However he did not properly use his other eye, since he failed to recognize his own insignificance. He was not wise enough to yield to the
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holy Torah and the Sages of Israel. It was therefore pride that led to his fall. This is the meaning of the expression, “His vision deceived him.” He became arrogant, mainly because of his many possessions. The verse, “Yerushun became fat and kicked” (Devarim
32:15) was fulfilled in Korach, for he was blinded by wealth, which he attributed to his own efforts.
Regrettably, there are many people today who act just like Korach. When we are going through a rough patch or a misfortune strikes us, we usually turn to Hashem and beseech Him for help. Only then does faith awaken in us. Yet when all is going well – when G-d provides us with food in abundance – that is when we forget G-d and turn our backs on Him, for we attribute our successes to our own efforts. This is precisely what the Torah warns us against: “Lest you eat and be satisfied, and you build good houses and settle, and your cattle and sheep and goats increase, and you increase silver and gold for yourselves…and your heart will grow proud and you will forget Hashem your G-d” (Devarim 8:12-14). This is why the Torah commands us, “You shall remember Hashem your G-d – that it was He Who gave you the strength to make wealth” (v.18).
During one of the worst aviation disasters in history, an airplane carrying about
280 passengers, including three Israeli Jews, crashed into the middle of the ocean. The state of Israel therefore made every effort to find traces of the airplane and recover the bodies of the victims. But it was useless. The sister of one of these Jews contacted me, and in the depths of her despair she tearfully asked me: “What do you think? Is my brother still alive?” I said to her, “What are you hoping to hear me say? Rational people all understand that there’s no hope of finding survivors at this point, since the plane crashed into the middle of the ocean.” However she replied with faith, “But Rabbi, as a Jew I’ve always had hope and faith that my brother is still alive!”
Her response stunned me, and I realized that this is what the faith of every Jew should resemble: We must believe in G-d; we must believe that nothing can prevent Him from saving us. Our Sages have affirmed this by saying, “Even if a sharp sword rests upon a man’s neck, he should not desist from prayer” (Berachot 10a). However we have to ask ourselves: Do we only demonstrate such faith when confronted by worries and misfortunes that make us look to G-d and depend on Him? Yet when things are good, do we recognize that everything comes from Him, that we have an abundance of things, and that we are in good health? Otherwise (G-d forbid), in times of success we may distance ourselves from faith in G-d and declare, “My strength and the might of my hand has made me all this wealth” (Devarim 8:17). Whoever we may be, we are obligated to heed this warning and reflect on it.