Page 454 - 24107
P. 454
Orchard of Delights Korach
they are separated from the rest of the Torah in order to stress their parties is driven by ego and dubious motives unlikely to allow for
crucial importance. resolution.
The question remains though as to why the letter nun was chosen to In order to understand why Pirkei Avot assumes the opposite,
set these verses apart. Among the many concepts represented by the we need to understand the value and respect Judaism accords
letter nun is the idea of falling, as the verb “falls” (nofel) begins with the to the argumentative process. The oral tradition as presented in
letter nun. Psalm 145, which David wrote, is constructed as an acrostic the Talmud is based on a dynamic question and answer method,
following the order of the Hebrew alphabet. Only the letter nun is involving meticulous probing and exhaustive inquiry. The better the
absent as David did not want to even allude to any future downfalls or question, the better the answer; the sharper the intellectual curiosity,
hardships the Jewish people would suffer. Nonetheless, aware of such the clearer the contextual understanding becomes. In this spirit the
potential downfalls, the very next verse states that God supports all Talmud exclaims that each and every conflicting opinion is considered
those who have fallen. This verse provides crucial encouragement for “the words of the living God” (Eruvin 13b). In other words even an
all those who do experience life’s inevitable setbacks. opinion that is not accepted as normative is not entirely dismissed
as it too has some kernel of truth to it, it also offers some valuable
David is referred to in the Talmud as the “fallen one,” a term that
literally denotes a stillbirth or miscarriage. According to tradition, perspective on the matter. This is only true, though, if both parties
David’s soul was not granted any time in this world. When Adam to the dispute are arguing for the sake of Heaven, that is to say,
prophetically witnessed David’s stillbirth, he volunteered to give solely in order to discover the truth. If so the disagreement endures
David seventy of his one thousand years. Despite Adam’s generosity, eternally, for both positions possess a kernel of truth. On the other
David experienced each moment of life as if he was in a constant state hand when a dispute is not for the sake of Heaven it will eventually
of existential freefall, although he also simultaneously experienced be resolved as there is no underlying merit to the dispute; eventually,
God’s constant support. The following phrase is added to Grace one side will triumph, as the other side is hollow and empty.
After Meals on Sukkot: “O Merciful One, lift up the fallen sukkah of Although the classic case provided by Pirkei Avot to illustrate an
David.” All the trials and tribulations of the Jewish people over the argument not for the sake of Heaven is that of Korach, the Arizal
years are referred to symbolically as David’s fallen sukkah. revealed that even in this disagreement both disputants possessed
an element of truth. So much so that he taught that in the future
The inverted nuns therefore prophetically allude to the many trials
and tribulations facing the Jewish people in their attempt to fulfill after Mashiach comes, Korach’s soul will serve as the High Priest!
God’s will in the world. In explaining the purpose of the inverted As a scriptural support for this innovative interpretation, he cites
nuns, Rashi actually alluded to this as the two nuns separate two the following verse: “A righteous one like a date palm will blossom”
sets of sins that occurred in the desert; the Jewish people in the desert (Psalms 92:13). As he notes, the last letters of these three Hebrew
fell either because the challenge overwhelmed them, causing them words – tzaddik katamar yifrach – spell Korach, thus hinting that the
to experience a lapse in judgment, or because they followed their righteous one who will blossom like a date palm is Korach.
baser desires. Moses’ brief two-verse prayer reverberates throughout Korach’s argument that all members of the Jewish people are holy
the generations, for he addresses both each and every individual and and that God is among them was a very strong and persuasive argument
the nation, encouraging them to stay the course with the knowledge for it is undeniably true (Numbers 16:3). His downfall though was
that no truly worthwhile achievement is ever attained without that he turned a profound truth into a populist platitude in order
overcoming opposition. Indeed, despite all that the Jewish people to advance his personal agenda. Chassidut teaches that although
the notion that all Jewish people are holy and God is among them
454 475 # 24107
# 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Magenta #24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15 - B | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Yellow 24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 15
