The Temple Institute — Korach

 

You have gone too far, sons of Levi!"

(Numbers 16:7)

Sivan 27, 5786/June 12, 2026

"And Korach took." So begins this week's Torah reading, and so begins Korach's rebellion against the leadership of Moshe and Aharon, and against G-d, the Holy Blessed One, Himself, Who assigned Moshe and Aharon their roles as leaders of the children of Israel. The one word in Hebrew which opens up our parashah, "Vayikach - and he (Korach) took,"pretty much sums up the entire unhappy episode of Korach's attempt to wrest power from Moshe and Aharon. Korach sought to take, to grab, to seize control of the Israelite encampment. Korach was a taker, not a giver. He sought not to lead the people, but to rule over the people. But why?

Midrash tells us that Korach was fabulously wealthy. He lacked for nothing. He clearly was brilliant as we will learn by his method of seizing power. He was a Levi, a first cousin of Moshe and Aharon, and a son of Kehat, whose role in tending to the desert Tabernacle was the transport of its most holy and precious vessels, namely, the golden menorah, showbread table, incense altar and the Ark of the Covenant. Such a role demanded incredible responsibility and at the same time was a once in a lifetime privilege which most definitely came with an enviable amount of prestige. Who could ask for more? Korach could.

Perhaps it was the very privilege and honor of carrying the holy Ark across the barren wilderness that gnawed away at Korach's sense of self importance. Why am I doing the heavy lifting when my cousins Moshe and Aharon, certainly not my superiors, have all the glory?

Certainly Korach put much thought into his rebellion. Filled with resentment he realized that he could play the resentment card in order to incite and create a following. The sin of the spies had condemned the generation to forty years of wandering and ultimate death in the desert. Surely Moshe's leadership had ended in failure. Surely it was time for a new face at the top. Korach played the politics of grievances, and there was what to work with. Simmering grievances like those already raised about food and water, and now, being condemned to die in the wilderness, could be fed and stoked into a fiery rage. The fact that his chief followers were Datan and Aviram, both of the tribe of Reuven, show us that Korach was stirring up already ancient and forgotten history in order to create new grievances. Originally, the descendants of Reuven were destined to be the kohanim serving HaShem, as Reuven was the first born of Yaakov. This future role was already dismissed long ago by Yaakov, himself, who understood Reuven to be too unsteady and impulsive to take on such a responsibility. Yaakov's decision had never before provoked a peep of discontent from the children of Reuven, but now Korach is planting ideas in their minds. Magnifying grievances that had already been addressed, and creating new grievances that had never existed was Korach's play for power. And it very nearly succeeded. 

Moshe's initial response when being confronted by an angry mob was one of shock. “You take too much upon yourselves, for the entire community — all of them — are holy, and HaShem is in their midst. Why do you raise yourselves above HaShem’s assembly?”(Numbers 16:3) Who, least of all Moshe, could argue with such an eternal verity? Of course we are all holy, each one of us having been created in the image of G-d. And of course that makes us all equals. But all men being created equal does not mean that an angry mob should rule the people. And here is where Moshe put his foot down, threw down the gauntlet, and in a brilliant counter move to Korach's challenge, challenged Korach and his band to an incense offering competition, knowing that this would put the resolution of Korach's provocation in the hand of HaShem. Moshe, who never asked to be the savior and prophet of Israel, and at times longed to be relieved of the burden, knew that G-d could end Korach's insurrection in a manner much more convincing and final than Moshe ever could. 

The standoff grew more heated before it was ultimately resolved by an incontrovertible act of G-d: the unprecedented phenomenon of the earth literally opening its mouth and swallowing up Korach and his entire following. When Korach first opened up his mouth to spout alleged grievances he literally opened a can of worms, and now those worms were his closest neighbors.

But what would have happened had Korach succeeded in his attempted coup? How would he have led the people? No doubt with an iron fist and zero tolerance for dispute. His first victims would have been his erstwhile followers, namely the sons of Reuven. Having successfully used them to grab power they were now dispensable, a useless irritant to be discarded. And his talk about holiness and equality? Equality for Korach meant Korach at the top and every one else equally oppressed or ignored, at best. It also would have been the end of HaShem's  authority over the people. Having removed G-d's prophet meant breaching G-d's covenant with Israel. The Ten Commandments? Into the bonfire! Love your neighbor as yourself? For the losers! 

Korach may have been buried alive for all eternity, but Korach's playbook has remained the go-to guide for demagogues and would be dictators to our very day. The politics of grievances, the false sophistry of equity, the promise of free amenities for all, (except for those footing the bill), is all the fashion today. But all these ephemeral illusions quickly fade like mirages in the desert when the self appointed saviors finally grab hold of the reins of power. The one looming truth threatening their complete hold on power is G-d, and not just any god, but the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, the G-d of Israel and the G-d of the Torah and the Ten Commandments. Should today's Korachs, G-d forbid, ever gain the upper hand, the flood gates of chaos and anarchy will open. The utopia they promise will quickly become a dystopia.

"You have gone too far, sons of Levi!" Moshe told Korach. And it's a good thing Moshe understood this from the very start. For had he been blind to the ultimate consequences of Korach's rebellion, or had otherwise been complacent or asleep, it would have been too late. When G-d opened man's eyes to see and discern between good and evil, this was the moment.