"Korach the son of Izhar, . . . took" [himself to one side]

Rabbi David Hanania Pinto

Parshas Korach

"Korach the son of Izhar, the son of Kehat, the son of Levi took" [himself to one side] (Bamidbar 16:1)

It is not coincidence that the parashah of Korach is written in the Torah between the parashah of tzitzit and parashat Chukat. Regarding the parashah of tzitzit it is stated (Bamidbar 15:39), "When you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the L-rd to perform them," and in parashat Chukat it is written (Bamidbar 19:2-14), "This is the statute of the Torah… if a man dies in a tent." Chazal explain (Berachot 63b) "From where do we learn that words of Torah are firmly held by one who kills himself for it? Because it says, This is the Torah, when a man shall die in the tent." These are the two essential conditions in order to merit the crown of Torah: first, "When you see it," meaning a person must first see Hashem's existence and know His greatness; he must acknowledge His existence and remember all His commandments. And this is accomplished by contemplating the thread of techelet on the tzitzit, as Chazal state (Chulin 89a), "Blue resembles the color of the sea, and the sea resembles the color of the sky, and the sky resembles the color of a sapphire, and a sapphire resembles the color of the Throne of Glory."

Thus we see that when a person looks at his tzitzit, he remembers the greatness of Hashem, Who sits on the Throne of Glory, and consequently he also remembers His commandments. However, this is not sufficient, because generally speaking, when a person looks at his tzitzit, he does not feel that this affects or influences him. If so, how is the promise fulfilled that "You will remember all the commandments of the L-rd to perform them?" Therefore, Parashat Chukat follows, which states the requirement of another condition in accepting the Torah; that a person must sacrifice himself for the Torah, as Chazal explain, to "kill himself for it," and to humble himself before the Torah, subjugating all his desires and all his aspirations for the honor of the Torah. He must recognize his subservience to the Torah, and conduct himself with great humility toward it.

These are the two conditions which are connected to each other. Although the mitzvah of tzitzit teaches a person to remember the greatness of Hashem and recognize His Eminence, but on the other hand, one must also realize his subservience to the Torah and overcome all his negative attributes for the glory of the Torah. For even if he will recognize the Greatness of Hashem, if arrogance prevails within him, and he considers himself honorable, then surely he will not desire to remember the commandments of Hashem, which obligate him to subjugate his will. Therefore, together with the recognition of the Eminence of the Shechinah, a person must also lower himself and be humbled before the Torah and its scholars.

This was the mistake of Korach. He met the first condition, since he was one of the carriers of the Ark, and surely recognized Hashem's greatness. But on the other hand, he did not know how to humble himself and perceive the true deficiency, as a human-being of flesh and blood. He did not wish to fulfill the pasuk, "This is the statute of the Torah… if a man dies in a tent." It was difficult for him to kill his personal desires, and subjugate himself to the Torah and to Moshe, the Rabbi of the entire nation, because arrogance filled his heart. So he argued, "Why should only Moshe Rabbeinu lead, and not I?" Since he was lacking the virtue of humility, and did not subjugate himself before the Torah and before the leaders of the Torah, in the end he rebelled against the Torah and even denied Hashem, G-d forbid! If one denies and degrades a tzaddik, it is as if he rebelled against Hashem.

Thus parashat Korach was written between these two parshiyot, in order to teach us that this was Korach's error. One who wishes to merit the crown of Torah must also recognize the greatness of Hashem, and on the other hand, recognize his lowliness in comparison. Korach at first recognized the Eminence of Hashem, but he did not contemplate his lowliness in comparison, and fell spiritually so deeply.

Therefore, a person should be careful to straighten his ways, so that the sprout of the Torah within him should blossom and produce rich fruit, and he should not behave like Korach and his congregation, whose faulty traits caused his ultimate downfall, bringing him to the depths of destruction.

HevratPinto