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Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum

Hebrew Academy of Cleveland

PARSHAS KORACH

And Korach separated himself. (16:1)

Korach's mutiny was actually the first rebellion that impugned the integrity of the leadership of Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon Ha'Kohen in their stewardship of the nascent Jewish nation. Korach was not merely a misfit or member of the mixed multitude that tagged along with the Jewish people out of fear for their future in Egypt. He was a mainstream Jew, one of the carriers of the Aron HaKodesh. His envy and dissatisfaction with himself led him to lead this tragic rebellion. In an effort to convince the people and garner support for his cause, he presented himself as someone who was fighting on their behalf. He sought to usurp the present leadership and replace it with leadership of his choice, placing himself as the primary leader representing the entire nation.

His complaints seemed to garner support. After all, he presented Moshe as the king; Aharon, his brother, as the High Priest; and Aharon's sons as the Priests. Moshe was apparently taking it all for himself and his family. Furthermore, as Kohanim, Aharon's sons were privileged to receive the twenty-four gifts of Kehunah. To accuse Moshe of seeking glory was not only ludicrous, it was an outrage. Moshe was the anav mikol adam, the paragon of humility. That, however, is what machlokes, controversy, does to a person. He becomes blinded, ignoring the obvious and the rational.

Two glaring questions need to be addressed. First, why did it take so long to initiate the dispute that culminated in open rebellion? It is not as if something new had materialized. Moshe and Aharon had been serving in their positions of leadership ever since Klal Yisrael had left Egypt. What spurred Korach to act now? Second, why did he try to organize this meeting specifically after the episode of the meraglim, spies, who slandered Eretz Yisrael? Was there something about the spies' ill-fated mission and its tragic consequences that provoked Korach to proceed with his misguided goals?

The Ramban explains that a rebellion undertaken earlier would not have succeeded. The Jews were faring well in the wilderness. There was no dissent, no complaints against Moshe's leadership. He was highly admired and loved. Thus, Korach kept still, waiting for a breach in Moshe's popularity, for that moment when he could insert himself and succeed in undermining his leadership. Now that the nation had arrived in the desert of Paran, the trouble began. A segment of the people were burned in Taveirah, while others perished in Kivros Ha'Tavaah, Graves of Lust. The Princes of Yisrael, distinguished leaders who had been highly respected, died as a result of their slander of the Promised Land, causing the people to lose their opportunity to enter Eretz Yisrael. The people were bitter. Depression was rampant. Dissent was soon becoming a way of life. Moshe and Aharon's popularity ratings were at an all-time low. Now was the time for Korach to act. His patient waiting was setting the stage.

This explains why Korach waited for this moment to initiate his rebellion, but why did he rebel against Moshe and Aharon? They had accomplished so much for the people: the exodus from Egypt, followed by the splitting of the Red Sea; the Revelation at Har Sinai with the Giving of the Torah; the manna; and so many other miracles in which Moshe played an integral role. How could he go up against them after all they had done for the People?

In his Haamek Davar, the Netziv, zl, explains that it all boils down to human nature. The overwhelming desire, drive and passion for power is often underestimated. This is especially true when it involves spiritual leadership. Who would not want to be the spiritual leader of the Jewish People? Imagine what this entails and the unique opportunity for personal spiritual elevation it affords a person. To become the Kohen Gadol, to be able to reach the ultimate, the zenith in spiritual ascendancy, is an opportunity from which one cannot easily shy away. It is not as if Korach wanted to be powerful and lead the people; he sought personal spiritual elevation. He felt he deserved it. The problem was that Aharon was an obstacle in his way. This would have to be rectified.

Korach's mistake was one that plagues many of us to this very day. There is no equality in kedushah, holiness. Hashem has clearly delineated various levels of sanctity, distinguishing one from another. There are the Yisrael, the Levi, the Kohen Hedyot and the Kohen Gadol. Each role has its own significance and demands. Each one must also recognize the individual character of the other. Hashem defines boundaries, parameters which must be respected, accepted and understood. The Levi is not a Kohen, and the Kohen is not a Kohen Gadol. A desire to become a Kohen is not sufficient. There can be only one Kohen Gadol, and this position is mandated - not bought or demanded. It must be earned through worthiness. Aharon was worthy of this position, and thus, Hashem chose him to be the first Kohen Gadol. Korach was not. It is as simple as that.

Why did Korach not accept this concept? What prompted him to undertake this blasphemy, to destroy himself so infamously forever? Rashi tells us that eino hitaaso, his eye misled him. He saw something in the future which he interpreted to be a supportive and positive sign, so he went for it. Regrettably, he looked with "one" eye, erring in his perspective. He saw Shmuel HaNavi descending from him. Obviously, he was correct in his endeavor. Otherwise, how could a leader of such high caliber be his descendant? Had he looked with "both" eyes, with a clearer, more objective outlook, he might have seen a different picture, another explanation. Regrettably, he saw what he wanted to see. Two eyes represent a balanced outlook. One eye signifies a biased, myopic viewpoint.

The Kotzker Rebbe, zl, explains that Korach saw how successful he was spiritually. As a Levi standing on the Duchan, singing the songs of praise that accompanied the sacrifices, he felt a yearning to strive higher, to reach beyond, to elevate himself to a position of greater spirituality, to become the Kohen Gadol. He erred in under-estimating the catalyst for his present success as a Levi. He was spiritually proficient in his position as a Levi only because Aharon was the Kohen Gadol. Aharon functioned deep within the recesses of the Sanctuary, in areas that the Levi was not permitted entrance, and it was from there that his spiritual influence emanated. It is only when each and every person mans his prescribed position, that all of them achieve success. When the laborer seeks to become the captain, when the student wants to replace the teacher, it indicates their short-sightedness.

Korach mistakenly thought that the secret to Moshe and Aharon's success was their title. Call yourself a rosh yeshivah, and you become a rosh yeshivah. How far this is from the truth! It is not the position that makes the person; it is the individual that gives sanction to the position. Korach was not the Kohen Gadol because he was not worthy of that holy position. It would only have impugned the position. Moshe and Aharon were a perfect fit for their respective positions. Korach saw the holiness of the nation with one eye. Had he focused his other eye on himself, he would have perceived his own inferiority.

Korach separated himself. (16:1)

If we peruse history, we will note that some of the greatest movements and achievements were the endeavors of a single individual. This is true on the flip side. Negativity and evil have also been catalyzed by one person who succeeded in convincing others to follow his lead. Korach was a bright person, filled with wisdom and charisma. What caused him to go wrong, to veer away from the truth, to blaze for himself and his followers a path of infamy? Chazal teach us that his "eye" misled him. He saw among his descendants individuals that would achieve spiritual eminence. He must be right, or he would not have been destined to be the progenitor of such distinguished progeny, as Shmuel HaNavi. Surely, Shmuel was to be born in the merit of his ancestor, Korach.

Korach was seriously wrong. Along the way, between Korach and Shmuel, there was a righteous man, Elkanah, who also was an individual who would effect an incredible change. Chazal tell us that it was at a time in which the Jews had refrained from going on the mandated pilgrimage to Yerushalayim. He sought to change this apathetic situation. First, he gathered his family which included his wives and children and close relatives. He would enter a community and set up shop in the street. People began to question him, "Where are you going? Why are you doing this?" After all, it was something that people commonly did. Traveling with one's extended family was universal. His response made people think: "I am going to Shiloh to serve Hashem, to offer sacrifices, to imbibe Torah and kedushah, sanctity." When the people heard his sincere and poignant response, they began to cry. They had begun to lose touch with the Sanctuary. Complacency had set in, and slowly they had lost their desire to serve Hashem as in days of old. After such a speech, a few families would gather their members together and join Elkanah's entourage. This continued every year, with the number of people that joined him increasing. Each year, he would choose a different route to go to Yerushalayim, so that his message of hope would spread - and it did. Indeed, as a reward for his outreach to other Jews, Hashem blessed him with a prodigious child that would one day return the people to serve Hashem. Elkanah was the father of Shmuel HaNavi.

Prior to Elkanah's "arrival" on the scene, that generation of Jews had been lax in their observance of the mitzvah of going up to Mishkan Shiloh. Every man was comfortable in his home, his vineyard, his community. He saw no need to leave it all and "waste time" traveling to Shiloh for what might very well be a religious experience, but, one which he felt he could likewise experience at home. Elkanah changed all of that by infusing the people with spirit, with passion, with a drive to elevate themselves. As Horav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Shlita, notes, Elkanah was a simple individual, who did not aspire to any specific greatness. He did what he felt should be done, and he transformed a world!

At first, he saw no siman brachah, positive sign, that his endeavor was Divinely blessed. Nonetheless, he acted and was satisfied with the five families that followed him. The following year that number increased until the word spread throughout Klal Yisrael. People saw his sincere devotion to an ideal. He slept in the street because he wanted to attract attention to himself and his mission. His plan worked, albeit slowly, but he succeeded. Asingle man had an ideal; a single man had a mission.

"What do you people benefit by staying home administering to your fields? Maybe you will earn a couple more dollars. You cannot take it with you. Why not involve yourselves in an endeavor that is simple and can earn eternity for you?" This is what he told the people. This is how this sincere, dedicated man changed their attitude and saved them from an insipid, meaningless life.

Rav Elyashiv distinguishes between Korach, the individual,and Elkanah, the individual. Korach's perspective was myopic and subjective. He saw only himself and what he wanted to see. His astigmatism made him see the world negatively and cynically, catalyzing him to attempt to usurp Moshe and Aharon's leadership of the Jewish People. What kept him going was his famous grandson, Shmuel HaNavi. How could he be wrong, if he was the progenitor of such an illustrious leader? He saw what he wanted to see. It never entered his mind that somewhere down the road another person would be worthy of fathering Shmuel. Yes, they were both individuals who transformed their worlds. Korach initiated the greatest controversy in the history of Klal Yisrael. His name has gone down in infamy. Elkanah saved Klal Yisrael. With his sincerity and dedication, he single-handedly brought people back to visiting the Sanctuary. He turned their ambivalence into devotion, their complacency into religious fervor. We should never forget that the Korachs of every generation might demonstrate temporary power, but it will not be sustained. They do not make it to the finish line, because they are not l'shem Shomayim, for the sake of Heaven. The Elknahahs succeed because this necessary ingredient is intrinsic to their mission.

And as for Aharon - what is he that you protest against him? (16:11)

In the Talmud Eiruvin 65b, Chazal say that a person is recognized by: koso, the way he holds his liquor; kiso, his wallet, i.e. how he spends his money and the manner in which he reacts to financial situations; and kaaso, anger, how he reacts when he is pushed against the wall, his self-control in circumstances that are agitating, antagonistic or infuriating. Horav Baruch Shimon Schneerson, zl, Rosh Yeshivas Tchebin, explains Moshe Rabbeinu's dialogue with Korach's assembly based upon this Rabbinic dictum. Moshe told them: "How will you determine Aharon HaKohen's character? You cannot investigate him based upon koso, because as a Kohen, he is not permitted to drink, lest he perform the avodah, service, in the Sanctuary, while inebriated. Kiso is also not a criterion upon which you might judge his character, since as a Kohen Gadol the community has already seen to it that he is financially secure. That leaves the last criterion of kaaso. Fine, attempt to infuriate him, and let us see if and how he will react. V'Aharon mah hu? If you want to know what Aharon is - then talinu alav - dispute him, try to anger him, and see if you will succeed in changing his pleasant demeanor.

Anger is the last and just standard for determining a person's ability to deal with people. This is especially true in the field of education, in which a rebbe must maintain his cool under situations that may often be extremely exasperating and provoking. One who loses his cool is apt to err in judgment, a situation that is hardly compatible with developing an amicable, nurturing relationship with one's students. It goes even further. Anger management is probably the most difficult emotional problem one encounters in life. Indeed, the proper management of anger is a component of spirituality. Animals react when they are provoked; humans should not. The spiritual dimension within the human being should kick in and prevent him from responding negatively.

This does not mean that, when provoked, a person does not become angry. Feeling anger is normal and, in most cases, spontaneous. It is how one responds to his anger that determines the character of the individual. A spiritual person understands that immediate gratification resulting from a spontaneous response to a provocation is short-lived and, in the end, something for which one pays dearly. Spirituality understands and focuses upon the long term benefit, the future, the enduring - not the ephemeral and fleeting.

A thinking person asks himself, "What do I have to gain? Better yet, what do I have to lose?" Chazal tell us that, "One who becomes angry - the Shechinah departs from him." A person who recognizes the Shechinah's Presence in his life will not react to provocation. It might bother him, but he will maintain control over his emotions. Life is filled with situations that incite and provoke, but if we remember Who is Above us, we will not react.

Then, there are those unique individuals who embody spirituality to the point that they not only do not react - they do not even become angry. The incitement passes right over them as if it did not occur - so connected are they to the Shechinah. Horav Mordechai, zl, m'Neshchiz had longed for a Tallis Katan made of wool produced in Eretz Yisrael. Finally, after much difficulty and great effort and expense, he procured a piece of wool. He gave it to one of his students to fashion for him a Tallis Katan.

Upon cutting the wool, he unfortunately folded the cloth one time too many, causing two holes to appear, rather than one. The student realized that he had just ruined his rebbe's Tallis Katan, for which he had waited so long. One can imagine the student's trepidation when he approached his rebbe with the bad news. He waited patiently for a severe scolding. Rav Mordechai looked at the ruined cloth very sadly, wiped away a tear from his eye, and smiled at his student. "It is quite allright," the saintly Rebbe said. "Do not be frightened."

"But rebbe, I have ruined your Tallis Katan for which you had waited so long," the student replied. "No, my son," Rav Mordechai said, "you see, this Tallis Katan was meant to have two holes. One is for an opening for the head, and the second is there to test whether Mordechai will lose his temper." How often do we lose it in the pursuit of performing a mitzvah? Lamentably, our religious fervor can cause us to transgress our sense of mentchlichkeit, humanness. As important as a mitzvah is, permitting one's anger to take control of the situation extinguishes whatever illumination the mitzvah provides. We must put our priorities in order. Mitzvos are a priority, but not when it is at the expense of another Jew's feelings.

Va'ani Tefillah

Chasdecha va'amitecha tamid yitzruni.
Your kindness and truth always guard me.

Tamid, always, means that there is no pause or hesitation in Hashem's kindness and truth. If for but one moment they would be interrupted, man would cease to exist. Indeed, our very existence is contingent upon Hashem's constant kindness and truth. Horav Avigdor Miller, zl, comments that when a mishap occurs, one should take stock and realize that up until now, every minute, every second, hundreds of thousands of times, Hashem's kindness and truth have protected and maintained him. We focus on the here and now, forgetting the past and all of the wonderful benefits that have sustained us. What does truth have to do with sustenance? Rav Miller explains that truth here refers to Hashem's steadfastness in maintaining His kindness even to those who do not deserve it. He does not seek ways to "get out of His covenant with us." Emes is truth. Hashem maintains His commitments to us, despite the times when we are not worthy of His kindness.

Yitzruni can also be interpreted as "create me." The Kedushas Levi explains that man is constantly being recreated as h÷ is kept alive. Thus we say, Kol haneshamah tehallel Kah, "All souls praise Hashem." The Midrash adds, al kol neshimah u'neshimah tehallel Kah, "for each and every breath (neshimah) we must praise and exalt Hashem." How little do we realize and acknowledge this constant gift - until it is almost taken from us.

In honor of the Bar Mitzvah
of ourson
Chaim Yitzchak Cyperstein
Parshas Korach
Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5767

Aaron and Malki Cyperstein

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