Chassidut on the Torah

Chassidut Archives

This week's Torah sheet is in honor of the engagement of Chaya Rivkah Hagler to Josh Schwartz by the kallah's parents, Yakov and Ruchy Hagler. MAZAL TOV! Overview Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:32) opens with the rebellion of Korach, Datan, and Aviram and their 250 followers against the leadership of Moshe and priesthood of Aharon (and ultimately against G-d's will). Moshe challenges them to made an offering of incense. Aharon, too, would burn incense, and whosever offering was accepted would clearly be G-d's choice for priesthood. The earth swallows Korach, Datan, and Aviram, their families and possessions and a fire descends from heaven consuming the other men who burned incense, all except Aharon. Their fire pans are then beaten into a cover for the altar. The following day the Jews complain about the deaths of so many men, whereupon G-d sends a plague resulted in 14,700 more deaths. Moshe tells Aharon to stop the plague by offering incense and then running into the middle of the assembled masses. Then, to again demonstrate Aharon's position as priest, each tribal leader was told to write his name on a staff. These staffs were placed in the Sanctuary. The next day, Aharon's staff was found with almond blossoms and nuts growing on it. It was left as a memorial next to the Holy Ark. Then comes a description of the priestly and Levite duties in the Sanctuary, including preventing Israelites from approaching places forbidden to them within the Sanctuary area. G-d then tells which produce and animals are included in the priests' and Levites' portions which Israelites must bring them. Also the Levites are commanded which portions they too must bring to the priests. Insights We live in a society that strives to create equality. Enacted initially to right the advantage taken by the powerful, it has come a goal in and of itself. Korach's rebellion against Moshe and Aharon had a similar focus. "The entire nation is holy; why do you raise yourselves above G-d's congregation?" (16/3). Korach believed in absolute equality between every Jew. Jewish tradition states that Korach's platform of unity became the opposite, the prototype for the worst possible division, as it says "every dispute...not for the sake of Heaven...is the dispute of Korach and his followers" (Avot 5/17). Chassidus explains that the refutation of Korach's claim is hinted in Moshe's words "(in the) morning and G-d will know" (16/5). The word morning was to demonstrate how G-d has created the world with necessary borders. Just as it is impossible to mix night and day, so Korach's expectation to make every Jew totally equal was also impossible. The Rebbe explains that G-d created the world with certain specifications and limitations for every creation to differentiate it from the rest. Likewise every created being has a unique reason d'etre. The different qualities G-d gave each creature are in order help that thing, animal, person, etc. to best serve its ultimate purpose. When a created being uses its specific qualities, it is attaining its full potential. If a creation was to attempt otherwise by fulfilling goals and using talents not given to it by G-d, that being is actually make chaos. {We see what happens when man tries to play G-d. As often as not, moving an animal or plant out of it's normal environment to another can often result in not only upsetting delicate natural balances, but can also lead to destroying entire habitats, despite all the 'good' intentions.} Our challenge is to discover what our talents and qualities are and then utilize them to the max. The division G-d made within the Jewish people, between Kohens, Levites, and Israelites (and also between the ordinary Kohen and the High Priest) is not arbitrary! Each grouping, each Jew, has actual differences in soul components and purposes in life. In order for each Jew, and ultimately all of creation, to attain true completion, each person must act within these borders. Destruction or ignoring these delineations, as Korach did, lead only to total anarchy and destruction. His goal of unity was only 'virtual'. Real unity is defined as each person utilizing his or her individual strengths for the sake and benefit of the whole. A car has many parts, each of which must work according to their design and shape. If a lever wanted to be a chain, and a wire a pipe, no one would get anywhere, (pun intended). Choose wisely when society offers a choice between our Jewish heritage and society's demands to break borders-between genders, religions, Jews and gentiles, etc. all for the sake of 'equality and peace'. All to often, professed goals of unity lead to exact opposite, CH"V. Recognizing the danger is one more step towards the true unity that will come with the final redemption. What is another aspect of Jewish equality? The verse reads, 'Shivisi - I place - G-d before me always'. The verse can also read, 'I have made G-d equal before me always'. Whether G-d is treating me with kindness or testing me, my faith will remain equal and not waiver.

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