[net.religion.jewish] Weekly Dvar Torah: Korach

EPHRAIM@TECHUNIX.BITNET (06/25/85)

From: ephraim@techunix.bitnet (Ephraim Silverberg)







                                                                           BS"D

                                Parashat Korach




Introduction
____________

     This Dvar Torah is a English translation  and  condensation  of  a  Hebrew
translation of a Dvar Torah given by the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Men-
del Schneerson Shlita) on the Shabbat of Korach in the year 5722  (1962  c.e.).
I  take  full  responsibility  for  all  and  any  errors in translation and/or
interpretation.  As in my last Dvar  Torah,  any  comments  of  my  own  appear
between [...].

The Timing of Korach's Dispute
___ ______ __ ______ _ _______

     It is stated in  Seder  Olam  that  Korach's  dispute  occured  after  the
incident  with the spies [i.e. the order that these events occur in the Torah].
It must be understood why Korach waited until then  since  the  giving  of  the
Kehuna  to  Aharon  and  his sons occured long before then (6th of Sivan of the
previous year or on the 23rd of Adar [1] as opposed to after the 9th of Av [the
time  of  the  incident  with  the  spies]) and, according to all opinions, the
Kehuna Gedola of Aharon started in practice on the 1st of Nisan.  Even if  we'd
say  that  the  main  dispute  of Korach was on the appointing of Elizaphan Ben
Uziel as the Prince of the sons of Kehat, this  occured  at  the  time  of  the
counting of the Levites (at the beginning of Iyar).  Therefore, it is necessary
to conclude that the dispute of Korach is connected with the incident with  the
spies.

The Reasoning of the Spies Versus the Reasoning of Korah
___ _________ __ ___ _____ ______ ___ _________ __ _____

     As explained [2] , the intent of the spies on not entering  Eretz  Yisroel
and  remaining  in  the  Desert  was  so that Bnei Yisrael could continue their
supernatural existence [maana from heaven, water from the well of Miriam,  pro-
tection  of the Clouds of Glory, etc.] and thereby continue to cleave to Hashem
on a high spiritual level.  Their error was that  they  did  not  realise  that
"HaMaaseh  Hu  HaIkar"  [physical  deeds are predominant (over spiritual inten-
tions)] and only by doing the physical Mitzvot in Eretz Yisrael  under  natural
conditions could the intention of creation be fulfilled.

     Korach, therefore, reasoned that, true, Moshe and Aharon  were  on  a  far
higher  spiritual level than all of Bnei Yisrael, but in relation to the physi-
cal action of performing the Mitzvot, all Bnei Yisrael were equal.

The Dispute of the 250 Princes
___ _______ __ ___ ___ _______

     By the above reasoning, the following problematic question is solved:  how
_________________________
  [1] Zevachim 115:2.  See the BeChayai on Exodus 19:22.
  [2] See Likutei Sichot on Parashat Shlach.




                                Parashat Korach





                                     - 2 -                                 BS"D


could Korach and 250 Princes ask "...all the congregation are holy,  every  one
of them, and Hashem is among them, why should you [Moshe and Aharon] lift your-
selves above the assembly of Hashem...." [3] when they themselves were "Princes
of the Assembly"?  Surely, they were not coming to negate their own position.

     Therefore, it is necessary to explain that the princes were not  disputing
the  essence  of  "princeship", but were disputing the type of superiority that
Moshe Rabbenu held since he was on a level of a "King".  [4] They claimed that,
although  there were gradations and levels in the Jewish people, since the phy-
sical deeds are more important than the  spiritual  contemplation  accompanying
the  deeds,  and  in  physical  action, all Bnei Yisrael are equal, there is no
place for a level of "king" whose relation to those  he  rules  is  one  beyond
bounds, "Ein Aroch", [5] [as  opposed  to  their  own  princeship  where  there
existed a relation of 1000 to 1, 100 to 1, etc.].

Moshe's Answer
_____ _ ______

     Moshe answered them: "In the morning, Hashem will show who  are  His,  and
who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him" [6] -- i.e. in the morn-
ing,  Hashem will make known "who are His" for the work of the Levites and "who
is holy" for the Kehuna.  Rashi offers two explanations  why  Moshe  made  them
wait until morning:

(1)  Perhaps they would do Teshuva in the meantime,

(2)  "Hashem made boundaries in this world", can you turn  morning  into  even-
     ing?!   Similarly, you cannot abolish "And He separated Aharon to sanctify
     Him in the Holy of Holies".  [7]

     Both these explanations require clarification.  First, why did Moshe  need
to  give  them the whole night to do Teshuva: Teshuva can be instantaneous [for
example, the sons of Korach] or, on the other hand, one may not do Teshuva  for
quite  a  while  [and  not only during one night].  Second, if the point was to
differentiate between night and day, it was sufficient to wait until evening to
illustrate this point.

     Furthermore, the actual burning  of  the  incense  the  following  morning
illustrated  that  the  Kehuna  Gedola  belonged rightfully to Aharon, but what
about the contention regarding the leadership of Moshe: how was that  answered?
We  must  say that in Moshe's answer to Korach is hidden the proof that justice
was not with Korah.
_________________________

  [3] Numbers 16:3.
  [4] Zevachim 102:1; Shmot Rabba 2:6; Tanchuma Beha'alotcha 9  (see  note  5);
Zohar, section 3, 83:1, et al.
  [5] Similary  with Aharon, his being the Kohen *Gadol* (see Maamar "Ko Tivar-
chu", 5654). See also Tosefta of the end of  Kritut;  Or  HaTorah  on  Parashat
VaEreh on the verse: "...they are [literally: he is] Aharon and Moshe".
  [6] Numbers 16:5.
  [7] Divrei HaYamim I 23:13.




                                Parashat Korach





                                     - 3 -                                 BS"D


The Meaning of "Good Deeds"
___ _______ __  ____ _____

     The Ba'al HaTanya notes the expression "Teshuva  and  Maasim  Tovim  [Good
Deeds]"  which is extant in the writings of the Sages and explains: the perfor-
mance of the Mitzvot are liable to be in a manner that is not "good", i.e. does
not "illumine" although they [the deeds] are still considered Mitzvot.

     A parable illustrating this point: diamonds covered with filth -- not only
do the diamonds not shine, but they are a source of "darkness" and revulsion --
their inner properties  are  hidden  and  encrusted.   Similarly,  Mitzvot  are
designed  to  add  "light"  in  this world and, if one performs the Mitzvot for
ulterior motives, this brings him to a feeling of pride which is  the  opposite
of  the  idea  of a "Mitzvah" which is derived from "Tzavtah V'Chibur" [binding
and attachment] -- i.e. by performing a Mitzvah a person is attached to Hashem,
and  through pride and arrogance he is cut off, Rachmana Le'Tzlan, from Hashem;
Hashem says about a proud person [8] : "He and I cannot dwell [together]".

Moshe's Intention in His Answer To Korach
_____ _ _________ __ ___ ______ __ ______

     This was Moshe's answer to Korach and his cohorts: true, that  the  actual
deed  is  predominant;  however,  the  performance  of the Mitzvot must be in a
manner of "morning", the Mitzvot must be  "illuminating"  so  that  they  bring
about "Hashem will make known" [9] [allegorically interpreted here  as  "Hashem
will  be made known"] -- i.e. the knowledge and revelation of G-dliness.  It is
possible to perform the Mitzvot without the proper intention, but then they  do
not  illumine  ("morning") and they do not bring about a knowledge (revelation)
of G-dliness ("Hashem will make known").  This interpretation is hinted  at  in
both of Rashi's explanations on the verse:

(1)  "perhaps they will do Teshuvah": although it is possible  to  do  Teshuvah
     instantaneously,  it  is necessary for them to do an illuminating Teshuvah
     ("morning") so that their deeds (Mitzvot) shall be "good".  When a  person
     does  Teshuvah  from fear, although his sins are forgiven, he still senses
     himself as an "entity"; the Teshuvah  must  be  from  great  love  ("Ahava
     Rabba") so that "intentional transgressions are considered as if they were
     merits".

(2)  "Hashem has made boundaries in his world": Moshe hinted at  the  advantage
     that  "illuminating" Mitzvot have over those that are not through the par-
     able of evening and morning: though both evening and morning are creations
     of Hashem and through the combination and evening and morning together was
     the "first day" created -- still evening remains dark and morning, light.

     Here is also hidden the answer to "why should you rule over...": true that
"the  entire  congregation  are  all  holy  and  Hashem  is  amongst [literally
"inside"] them" -- every Jew is holy not only by virtue of  his  soul,  but  by
virtue  of his body as well, and through this holiness he has the power (by the
performance of Mitzvot) to "draw" down to this  world  the  Essence  of  Hashem
("and  Hashem is inside them"); however, since the Mitzvot must be illuminating
_________________________
  [8] Sota 5:1.
  [9] Numbers 16:5 (continuation of Moshe's answer to Korach).




                                Parashat Korach





                                     - 4 -                                 BS"D


("good deeds"), therefore:

(1)  There is an infinite advantage of the Mitzvot of Moshe  Rabbenu  over  the
     Mitzvot of the rest of Bnei Yisrael.

(2)  It is necessary to "receive" all divine influences from Moshe Rabbenu, and
     from his parallels in every generation and generation, not only in connec-
     tion with the service of the heart and mind, but also in  connection  with
     the performance of the Mitzvot [10] -- and, in particular,  so  that  they
     should be "good" deeds.

The Lesson to be Learnt Concerning Our Divine Servine
___ ______ __ __ ______ __________ ___ ______ _______

     From the Parshiot of Shlach and Korach, we learn:  there  are  those  that
claim  that the performance of the Mitzvot are not that important, but "what is
the heart" is important and, on the other hand, there are those who claim  that
the  performance of the Mitzvot is sufficient without concentrating on the ser-
vice of the heart (prayer) and the study of Chassidut.

     We see from these two Parshiot that both forms of divine service  must  be
practiced  together  and  in harmony.  As the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi
Yosef Yizchak of Lubavitch Zatzal, stressed that the physical deed was  predom-
inant, but one must take care that the deed must be refined and pure, something
that comes through the study of the inner part of the Torah (Chassidut) and the
service of prayer.

     Through service in both these directions, this world is  made  a  dwelling
place  for  Him,  may He be blessed, in two manners: a dwelling for His Essence
and in a manner that His Essence be revealed.  Shabbat Shalom.




















_________________________

  [10] See Tanya, chapter 42 regarding the fear that brings about  the  perfor-
mance of the Mitzvot coming from Moshe Rabbenu.




                                Parashat Korach