Korach – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ויקח קרח

Korach took/separated himself. (16:1)

Korach had it all, but it was not enough for him. If someone else had something that he did not have, it angered him to the point of obsession. He, too, had to have it. When Elitzaphan ben Uziel was placed in charge of the family of Kehas, Korach became irrational. Why should his cousin have a role that placed him in the position of Korach’s superior? Korach was a rodef achar ha’kavod, one who pursued honor, craved recognition, was obsessed with being in the limelight. This is the most corrosive desire that one can have. Ramchal (Mesillas Yesharim, end…

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כי שכר הוא לכם חלף עבדתכם באוהל מועד

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5776

For it is a wage for you in exchange for your service in the Ohel Moed. (18:31)

The Torah describes the Maaser, tithe, which is given to the Levi as payment for the service Hashem requires them to perform. Nothing is innately holy about wages. This applies across the board to all matnos Kehunah, gifts given to the Kohanim, and matnos Leviyah, gifts given to the Leviim, which are all considered payment for their service. The Sefer Yagdil Torah quotes the Ohr Sameach who questions this halachah. The Kohanim receive a number of matanos, gifts: Terumah, Terumas Maaser, Pidyon HaBen, etc. A Kohen does not have to be actively involved in sacred service in the Sanctuary to…

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ויקח קרח

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5775

And Korach took. (16:1)

Was Korach a fool? Absolutely not. Did he lack yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven? No. indeed, Chazal teach that Korach was a chacham gadol, very wise man, a pikeach, clever and astute person. He was among those Leviim who carried the Aron HaKodesh, Holy Ark. What happened to all of this chochmah, pikchus and yiraas Shomayim? His eye deceived him. He saw a great and distinguished lineage descending from him. Shmuel HaNavi, the great prophet, was one of his descendants. Such lineage can turn anyone’s head. First of all, Korach was correct in what he saw. He was the progenitor…

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ויקח קרח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5775

And Korach ben Yitzhar ben Kehas ben Levi took. (16:1)

Rashi observes that the name of the family Patriarch, Yaakov Avinu, is not mentioned. He quotes the Midrash Tanchuma that explains that Yaakov pleaded that his name not be associated with Korach’s controversy. While this may be laudable, it is not as if his name is never associated with Korach. Indeed, in Sefer Divrei Hayamim (I: 6:23), where the service in the Bais Hamikdash is detailed, the entire yichus, pedigree, is detailed, and the Patriarch’s name is mentioned. The question is obvious: The fact that Yaakov’s name is not mentioned does not detract from reality that he was Korach’s ancestor;…

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ואון בן פלת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5775

And On ben Peles. (16:1)

On ben Peles was one of the original leaders of the Korach dispute. Yet, he was ultimately absent from the end confrontation; thus, he was spared the horrible punishment meted out to Korach and his followers. In the Talmud Sanhedrin 109a, Chazal teach that On was blessed with a wise and righteous wife, who saw where this confrontation was going and devised a plan, a logical argument, by which she was able to convince her husband to stay “home.” She said to him, “What do you (personally) have to benefit from this folly? Regardless who emerges the winner, Moshe or…

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ודתן ואבירם יצאו נצבים פתח אהליהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5775

And Dasan and Aviram came out and stood at the door of their tents. (16:27)

Rashi explains that these two reshaim, miscreants, who acted as Moshe Rabbeinu’s nemeses, going back to Egypt, were here again to do what they were good at: harassing and undermining our nation’s leader. When Moshe came by, they remained firm and resolute in their commitment to degrade and humiliate Moshe in every way. One wonders how these individuals survived so long. Eighty percent of the Jewish People who were in Egypt died during the three days of the plague of darkness. Dasan and Aviram did not. They continued their subversive activities at every juncture of Klal Yisrael’s journey. Yet, they…

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ויקח קרח

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5774

Korach separated himself. (16:1)

Vayikach Korach, “Korach separated himself”: two words that define what was to become one of the greatest tragedies of Moshe Rabbeinu’s leadership, the consequences of which we continue to live with to this very day. Dispute, controversy and machlokes have been present since Korach publicized the concept of dissent, taking it to an unprecedented nadir, which incurred previously unheard of punishment – unparalleled for its severity and finality. All of this happened because “Korach separated himself.” Obviously, there is more than one meaning to Korach’s separating himself. We will address the opinion of Rashi, because its simplicity is unusually profound,…

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ויקומו לפני משה ואנשים מבני ישראל חמשים ומאתים נשיאי עדה קראי מועד אנשי שם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5774

They stood before Moshe with two hundred and fifty men from Bnei Yisrael, leaders of the assembly, those summoned for meeting, men of renown. (16:2)

The two hundred and fifty men that rallied with Korach were not ordinary people. They were from among Klal Yisrael’s spiritual elite. This, of course, did not prevent them from making the mistake of their lives. Perhaps their distinguished position, thinking themselves infallible, might have led to the error which cost them their lives. No one should think that he is above reproach. One who does is in serious trouble. Who were these two hundred and fifty men? Rashi claims that they were all from the Tribe of Reuven. Ibn Ezra, however, contends that they were representatives of all of…

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וישמע משה ויפל על פניו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5774

And Moshe heard and fell on his face. (16:4)

Moshe Rabbeinu had heard it all. This was the final straw. As Rashi explains, She’kvar zeh b’yadam sirchon revii, “This was already the fourth foulness that the Jews had committed.” They had worshipped the Golden Calf – after which Moshe prayed for them. They were misonenim, complained for no good reason, just for the sake of complaining; again, Moshe prayed for them. They heeded the false and slanderous reports of the meraglim, spies, and wept bitterly for no reason; Moshe again prayed for them. This was the fourth time that the nation had defied Hashem. It was too much. Moshe…

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ותנו בהן אש ושימו עליהן קטרת... והיה האיש אשר יבחר ד' הוא הקדוש רב לכם בני לוי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5774

And put fire in them and place incense upon them. Then the man whom Hashem will choose – he is the holy one. It is too much for you, O offspring of Levi. (16:7)

Rashi asks a simple, but piercing, question: Korach was far from a fool. Indeed, he was well-known as a pikeach, wise, intelligent man. If so, what did he see that motivated him to commit to such a foolish act? He knew that there could be only one winner. Offering Ketores, incense, was not child’s play. It had to be done correctly by the right person, or else the person who offered it became history. Only a fool would risk so much. Korach certainly was no fool. We wonder why Rashi asks this question with regard to the Ketores. Why not…

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ויקח קרח

Korach took/separated himself. (16:1)

כי שכר הוא לכם חלף עבדתכם באוהל מועד

For it is a wage for you in exchange for your service in the Ohel Moed. (18:31)

ויקח קרח

And Korach took. (16:1)

ויקח קרח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי

And Korach ben Yitzhar ben Kehas ben Levi took. (16:1)

ואון בן פלת

And On ben Peles. (16:1)

ודתן ואבירם יצאו נצבים פתח אהליהם

And Dasan and Aviram came out and stood at the door of their tents. (16:27)

ויקח קרח

Korach separated himself. (16:1)

ויקומו לפני משה ואנשים מבני ישראל חמשים ומאתים נשיאי עדה קראי מועד אנשי שם

They stood before Moshe with two hundred and fifty men from Bnei Yisrael, leaders of the assembly, those summoned for meeting, men of renown. (16:2)

וישמע משה ויפל על פניו

And Moshe heard and fell on his face. (16:4)

ותנו בהן אש ושימו עליהן קטרת... והיה האיש אשר יבחר ד' הוא הקדוש רב לכם בני לוי

And put fire in them and place incense upon them. Then the man whom Hashem will choose – he is the holy one. It is too much for you, O offspring of Levi. (16:7)

YEARS

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