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Home -> 5783 -> Korach

ואכלתם אתו בכל מקום אתם וביתכם כי שכר הוא לכם. חלף עבדתכם

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5783

You may eat it everywhere, you and your household, for it is a wage for you in exchange for your service. (18:31)

The Levi is instructed to tithe from his maaser, tithe, and give this terumas maaser to the Kohen. Once the tithe has been separated and given to the Kohen, the Levi is free to use it at will, wherever he so pleases. It is no longer holy and may be eaten even in a ritually contaminated state. The Torah appears to underscore the fact that it is cheilef avodasechem; in exchange for your service. This means that the maaser that the Levi received is a form of wages for his service to the nation. Horav Chaim Toito, Shlita, relates the…

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Home -> 5783 -> Korach

לא חמור אחד מהם נשאתי ולא הרעתי את אחד מהם

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5783

I have not taken even a donkey of theirs, nor have I wronged one of them. (16:15)

This is the sordid path of controversy. It begins with a simple dispute concerning a communal or congregational issue and quickly expands and erupts into character assassination. Moshe Rabbeinu says, “I took nothing from them. Even when I transported my wife and sons from Midyan, I neither expected nor received reimbursement.” He was traveling for the nation. His expenses should have been paid. He wanted nothing, understanding that, when a community seeks to impugn its leadership, its first salvo will be concerning money. He uses their hard-earned funds for his own personal benefit, etc. Moshe declares emphatically, “I took nothing…

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Home -> 5783 -> Korach

זאת עשו קחו לכם מחתות... והיה האיש אשר יבחר ד' הוא הקדוש

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5783

Take for yourselves fire pans… then the man whom Hashem will choose – he is the holy one. (16:6,7)

Moshe Rabbeinu told Korach’s followers that the way to determine who Hashem had chosen was through the medium of Ketores, the Incense service. He chose Ketores because it is a service that Hashem desires above all others, but it carries the potential of death if it is not carried out properly. In other words, if Korach’s followers were in the right and Korach should lead, they would take the prize. However, if (as it ultimately was indicated) they were wrong, they would die. The decision would come from Hashem. One would think these men, who were Torah scholars of note,…

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Home -> 5782 -> Korach

וידעתם כי נאצו האנשים האלה את ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5782

Then you shall know that these men provoked Hashem. (16:30)

The best way to extricate oneself from machlokes is to circumvent it. When a person suffers an indignity, or when someone whom we respect and love suffers an indignity or is slandered, our knee-jerk reaction is to put the other fellow in his place. We want to teach him a lesson, so that he would never again be cavalier with another’s emotions. That, in and of itself, is the beginning of machlokes. The best way to stop a machlokes is to prevent it from starting. The following two stories are about individuals, both holy, both whom I had the z’chus…

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Home -> 5782 -> Korach

וידבר אל קרח ואל כל עדתו

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5782

He (Moshe Rabbeinu) spoke to Korach and to his entire assembly. (16:5)

Either debated, dissenting opinions or the fire of controversy can characterize disagreements based in Torah. Chazal (Pirkei Avos 5:17) label the controversy of Korach v’adaso, and his congregation, as a machlokes she’lo l’shem Shomayim, controversy not for the sake of Heaven. It is a disagreement which undermines the very underpinnings of Torah Judaism. Korach v’adaso stand in contrast with the two classic debaters of the Mishnah, Hillel and Shammai, who debated l’shem Shomayim. Interestingly, concerning Hillel and Shammai, both disputants are named, while in the controversy that surrounded Korach and Moshe, it is called the machlokes of Korach v’adaso –…

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Home -> 5782 -> Korach

רב לכם כי כל העדה כלם קדשים ובתוכם ד' ומדוע תתנשאו על קהל ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5782

It is too much for you! For the entire assembly – all of them are holy and Hashem is among them. Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem? (16:3)

Nothing is as audaciously offensive as a despot who makes use of his Torah knowledge to undermine Torah leadership and mutiny against Hashem. Korach confronted Moshe Rabbeinu with a halachic query. He and all of his henchmen came dressed in garments fashioned completely of techeiles, turquoise wool. He asked derisively, “Does a tallis made completely of techeiles require one strand of techeiles thread in the Tzitzis?” Moshe replied, “Yes.” The fact that a garment is made of techeiles does not exempt it from the techeiles requirement of Tzitzis. This is what Korach was waiting for. He pounced back, “If a…

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Home -> 5782 -> Korach

ויקח קרח

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5782

Korach separated himself. (16:1)

Korach earned the infamous nomenclature of baal machlokes, the paradigmatic quarrelsome person. This is in addition to Chazal labeling him an apikores, heretic. He earned these ignominious titles by virtue of his mutiny against Moshe and Hashem. When we sit back and analyze what took place, we wonder what Korach requested that was inappropriate. He complained to Moshe that he had been passed over for a distinguished leadership position. He said, “My father’s brother had four sons. Amram was the oldest. His two sons, Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen, both took the top positions of leadership. Who then should be…

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Home -> 5782 -> Korach

ויקח קרח

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5782

Korach separated himself. (16:1)

The literal translation of va’yikach is “and he took,” which, in this case, is translated as Korach separating himself. Rashi explains Lakach es atzmo liheyos nechelak mitoch ha’eidah; “He took himself to one side to be separate from the assembly.” Rashi’s exposition is based upon the premise that lokach is a transitive verb, which means that he must have taken something. What was that something? Thus, Rashi teaches that he took himself by separating himself from the community. Perhaps we might add to this. By his very nature, a Jew wants to observe Torah and mitzvos. Those who do not…

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Home -> 5781 -> Korach

אם כמות כל האדם ימתן אלה ופקודת כל האדם יפקד עליהם

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5781

If these die like the death of all men, and the destiny of all men is visited upon them. (16:29)

This was not the first time that someone usurped the authority of Moshe Rabbeinu. His reaction this time was atypical. He asked Hashem that this group be meted with a punishment which was both unusual and stark. It was important for all the people to know that Moshe was Hashem’s chosen leader and that he made every decision under His direction. The heresy expounded by Korach must be put to rest in a manner such that it would be recorded in the hearts and minds of Klal Yisrael that Moshe’s prophecy may not be denied. Chazal (Nedarim 39b) derive from…

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Home -> 5781 -> Korach

ויקהל עליהם קרח את כל העדה

Sruly Schnair
In Korach, 5781

Korach gathered the entire assembly. (16:19)

Without a doubt, Korach was as powerful as he was charismatic. Nonetheless, he was going up against Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen, Klal Yisrael’s leaders, who certainly were greater than he. He succeeded in gathering a group of distinguished followers, heads of the Sanhedrin, men of erudition and discernment. He did not go to a bar and preach to ne’er-do-wells. He went to the elite of Klal Yisrael and succeeded in swaying them to support him. For this, they paid dearly. How did Korach pull this off? Leitzanus, cynicism, sarcasm, scorn, whatever name we call it; the result is the…

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