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Korach’s pride pushed him to the lowest level. His defecting from the
nation effectively brought him to mock Hashem and His Torah.
In contrast, we find that Moshe and Aharon, paragons of humility,
claimed, “What are we?” The word (what) is numerically equivalent
to the word (man), as well as Hashem’s Name with its letters
spelled out. Some commentaries say that Moshe and Aharon did not even
consider themselves on the level of an ordinary person. Who were they,
they asked, that Hashem should rest His Shechinah among them? Others
explain that they meant they were only on the level of ordinary mortals,
not more important than anyone else in the nation.
How could Korach, one of the Ark-bearers, have fallen so low? He did
not internalize the message in the words, “Wealth and honor come from Moshe’s passing is recorded in parashat Vezot Haberachah, read on
You.” Korach was not satisfied with his tremendous wealth, but sought Shemini Atzeret. The great, final message that Moshe left us is the
honor and prestige, above and beyond what he deserved. This brought him following: When a person passes on, he takes neither his possessions nor
to his downfall. his prestige. His only escort is the Torah he amassed in his lifetime.
The Chida explains the connection between the beginning of the parashah, Moshe’s Torah was what accompanied him on his final journey. And
the story of Korach, and the end of the parashah, the mitzvah of tzitzit. Moshe’s blessing of the nation before his passing teaches us that one
Korach used the mitzvah of tzitzit as an example of a mitzvah which cannot be connected with the Torah if he lacks love of his fellow Jew.
makes no sense.
Korach’s lineage stops at Levi. Yaakov had ordered his sons to maintain
The fringes of the tzitzit hang downward. This is to teach a person to unity. It was therefore unfitting for Korach and his uprising to be
observe the mitzvot in humility. Korach did not internalize the message in attributed in any way to our Patriarch, Yaakov.
the tzitzit and therefore met his gruesome end.
The Torah begins with the word (in the beginning) and ends with
Korach was among those who asserted that it was unnecessary to observe
the words “ – before the eyes of all Israel” (Devarim
the mitzvot as long as Bnei Yisrael were in the Wilderness. In spite of
34:12). The secret of our survival lies in the fact that we maintain unity,
Hashem’s evidence to the contrary, illustrated by the fact that the man who
and each person considers his fellow Jew number one.
gathered wood on Shabbat was put to death, Korach held fast to his
position, even scorning the mitzvah of tzitzit, the mitzvah which reminds
us to observe all of Hashem’s commandments.
Korach acted in a self-contradictory manner. He claimed there was no
need to observe mitzvot in the Wilderness, while, at the same time,
maintaining his desire to become the Kohen Gadol. The Yetzer Hara has
all sorts of ways of controlling a person’s mind in his pursuit for glory. # 26347-EYAL-6BOOKS - 26347-Bamidbar-EYAL | 10 - B | 18-08-19 | 13:48:24 | SR:-- | Black 26347-EYAL-6BOOKS - 26347-Bamidbar-EYAL | 10 - B | 18-08-19 | 13:48:24 | SR:-- | Cyan 26347-EYAL-6BOOKS - 26347-Bam
