TORAH- FAX KORACH TORAH

DIALOGUE
KORA74ED
KORACH -Numbers 16:1
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*+ RA**I ED DA,I%
1. The Mishnah states that when an argument is for
the sake of Heaven then it is very ifferent from an
argument that is not for the sake of Heaven. The
e!am"# e that the Mishnah $Avot %&'() gives is that
the argument *etween +hammai an Hi##e# was for
the sake of Heaven, *ut the argument of Kora-h an
his -ongregati on is not for the sake of Heaven. The
#atter -#ause is not "ara##e# to the first one, +hammai
an Hi##e# argue. The se-on -#ause shou# have
rea the isagreement *etween Kora-h an Moshe.
.hy oes it say Kora-h an his -ohorts/ 0t seems to
*e that the argument Kora-h ha with Moshe was
oome from the *egi nni ng an was not for the sake
of Heaven. Kora-h an his -ohorts e!"eri en-e an
insie argument1 there are arguments withi n the
-am" of re*e#s. 2erha"s ea-h one ha a ifferent
agena whi-h wou# not survi ve the re*e##ion. The
re*e#s themse# ves were not in agreement with the
rea# -ause of their u"rising against the authori ti es.
3rom the te!t itse#f it is very iffi-u# t to as-ertai n
what Kora-h wante an what Datan an Aviram
wante. .hat was in it for the other '%( of the tri*e
of Reuven who a#igne themse# ves with Kora-h/
Even if they i not isagree with ea-h other, ea-h
one ha a se"arate agena. This one wante to *e
the "rin-e of the 4eviti-a# fami # y of Kehat, that one
wante to *e a Kohen, this one wante to *e a 4evi,
another one mi ght have wante to *e -onsiere a
mem*er of the first -#ass5the tri*e of e#ers. .e o
unerstan that Reuven was the first*orn of 6aakov7s
sons an yet was emote from the "rivi# eges of the
first*orn. These are his es-enants who mi ght have
wante to *e -onsiere that -#ass of #eaershi ".
8onse9uent# y even among the re*e#s themse# ves
there was no agreement. Even if the re#igious sie of
these events were not the "oint of -ontenti on, there
were other issues that wou# have *een "ro*#emati -.
'. The first #ine of the Torah narrati ve in-#ues the
name of Ohn, the son of 2e#et, yet his name is not
menti one again in the entire story. The Ta#mui-
Mirashi- res"onse was to -reate a s-enario *y whi-h
our +ages te## us that Ohn7s wife save Ohn from
"arti-i "ati ng in this i##: fate re*e##ion. +he sai to her
hus*an, ;.hat is the ifferen-e to you if Aharon is
the #eaer or Kora-h the #eaer/ 0n either situation
you are not going to *e a #eaer. < Her hus*an
neverthe# ess re=e-te his wife7s avi-e an her
argument, -#ai mi ng that he ha sworn affi#iati on to
the re*e#s7 -ause. +he gave him wine to rink so he
wou# take a na", an then she sat at the entran-e of
the tent with her hair strewn an not -overe.
Therefore when the re*e#s -ame to -o##e-t hi m they
i not want to a""roa-h the tent $+anheri n 1(>).
.hat 0 fin very fas-inati ng from the Ta#mui - te!t is
that the re*e#s were frum? Mrs. Ohn -overe her hair
as a marrie woman. @y a""eari ng in this fashion the
others wou# not a""roa-h *e-ause they, too, were
sensiti ve to the re9uirements of ha#a-hah. Even the
9uestions that Kora-h "resente to Moshe in front of
everyone a*out a Ta##it that is mae -om"#ete# y of
T-hei#et $the *#ue -o#or ne-essary for the fringes of
TAitAit) wou# ini-ate that Kora-h was not re=e-ti ng
the ha#a-hah, *ut rather 9uestioni ng the #ogi- in its
a""#i-ati on. 0n this regar we -an a#so unerstan
then why there is a "ara##e# *etween the two -ases
enumerate in the Mishnah -ite a*ove. +hammai
an Hi##e#, Kora-h an his fo##owers, Moshe an
Aharon, were a## -ommi t te to a Torah way of #ife.
The isagreements were not *ase on ha#a-hah *ut
rather -entere u"on ego, an as"irations for
#eaershi " an authori t y in the -ase of the re*e#s.
$RED)
B. 0n this "arsha we see the en of the series of
very iffi-u# t an "ro*#emati - narrati ves in the Torah,
*egi nni ng with the "eo"#e -om"#ai ni ng of the #a-k of
foo, the +in of the +"ies, an now the Re*e##ion #e
*y Kora-h. This was a ownwar s"ira# that was
o--urri ng not #ong after they #eft Egy"t. Even more
a#armi ng is that these events are taking "#a-e not
that mu-h #onger after the reve#ati on at +inai. This
wou# take its to## on Moshe. 0nstea of ra##yi ng to the
efense of the "eo"#e, as was the -ase with the
Co#en 8a#f, Moshe fe## to his fa-e, may*e in a sense
of surrener to the -onstant -om"# ai ni ng that he
hear from his nation $1D&4). 0 wou# suggest that
Moshe was e!"erien-i ng this as a "ersona# atta-k
against hi m an his #eaershi ". E#ti mate# y we
unerstan the re*e##ion has to *e inter"rete as a
re*e##ion against Co, *ut Moshe ha to have
*e-ome 9uite ef#ate an isa""oi nte in his
"eo"#e. 0 think of the "ara##e# *etween the
isa""oi nt ment that the 2ro"het E#iyahu ha after
his "u*#i- is"#ay of the ivine ato" of Mount 8arme#,
an not seeing a "ro"er res"onse among the "eo"#e
to this s-enario of Moshe7s e!"erien-e of the ivi ne
is"#ay of reve#ati on at Mount +inai an not seeing a
-onti nue a##egi an-e to the wor of Hashem? $RED)
4. 0n 1D&11 Moshe menti ons his *rother Aharon as if
Aharon were the rea# target of the re*e##i on. The
re*e##ion is aime at Hashem. The re*e##ion is aime
at Moshe. @ut the one who seems to *e the "erson in
#ine to #ose his =o* as a resu# t of this re*e##ion is
Aharon. An yet we see a*so#ute# y no res"onse from
him whatsoever. To me this ini-ates a tremenous
sense of humi # i t y that Aharon has "ossesse a##
a#ong from the first ti me we en-ounter his e!isten-e.
He seems to a#ways *e saying, ;0 am not worthy. <
0nitia## y we are a#ways inter"reti ng Aharon7s
hesitan-y to assume the ro#e of Kohen Cao# to *e
re#ate to his "arti-i "ati on in the sin of the Co#en
8a#f. Aharon "ai a stiff "ri-e in a## the -ommentari es
in terms of whatever "unishment Hashem mete out
against him for the ro#e that he "#aye. Two of his
sons ie. He was not in-#ue in the -ensus of the
4eviyi m. Moshe ha to urge Aharon to assume his
"osition of Kohen Cao#. .hen this re*e##ion took
"#a-e Aharon is targete *ut he remai ns si#ent.
May*e he is thinki ng that some*oy e#se is *etter for
the =o*. This is an over#ooke "ie-e of humi # i t y. 0 say
over#ooke *e-ause there is rea##y no -omment
mae in the Torah, or even among most of the
-ommentators. @ut Moshe oes raise the 9uestion
here in this verse& .ho is Aharon that you -om"# ai n
a*out him? $RED)
%. Hashem is"#ays true anger at the re*e#s an He
wants to ki## everyone . Moshe 9uestions the =usti-e of
this $see 1D&''). Di everyone rea## y "arti-i "ate in
the re*e##ion/ .hat was the thought that wou#
=ustify seeing everyone ie/ A-tua## y, may*e they
shou# have. .hen the re*e##ion took "#a-e, what
was the rea-tion of D((,((( "eo"#e/ 3rom the te!t
we o not know who they are *a-king. Di they
-hoose a sie/ 0t oes not #ook #ike they -ame to
efen Moshe an Aharon. Therefore may*e they are
gui# ty. @ut if Kora-h an '%( of his fo##owers ie,
AFD a## of @nei 6israe# ie as a resu#t of their
"assivi ty, what is the ifferen-e *etween Kora-h7s
-ohorts an the rest of @nei 6israe#/ 2erha"s that is
why Moshe, with Hashem7 s *a-king, ha to -hoose a
uni9ue metho of e!e-uti on. To have the earth
swa##ow u" the re*e#s was a very unusua# form of
eath. The -hoi-e of metho of e!e-ution was to
make it very ifferent from a norma# eath. This
wou# ini-ate that the re*e#s eserve to ie.
May*e the others eserve to ie a#so, *ut they
wou# not ie in an unusua# fashion. $RED)
D. .hat form of e!"#anati on -an you think of that
wou# ini-ate to us that the "unishment fit the
-ri me/ .as this measure: for: measure as we wou#
e!"e-t Hashem to e!er-ise in -hoosing the "ro"er
form of "unishment for the re*e#s/
7. And Moshe said, with this you shall know that
the Almi ght y sent me to do all these things; I did not
make them up $1D&'G). Moshe goes on to te## Kora-h
an his fo##owers that they wou# soon ie unnatura#
eaths $verses '>: B%). This mi ght a""ear to *e very
-rue# on Moshe7s "art. To e!"#ai n Moshe7s rea-tion,
the A#shi-h gives the ana#ogy of a o-tor who sees a
nee to am"utate a "erson7s han or foot in orer
that a isease shou# not s"rea. A#though this
mi ght seem -rue#, it is rea## y an a-t of kinness
*e-ause it saves the "erson7s #ife. +imi#ar# y, Moshe
saw that Kora-h7s re*e##i on was s"reai ng an he
ha '%( fo##owers a#reay. 0n orer to save the rest
of the nation, Moshe, with his -om"assion for
everyone e#se, ha to use stringent measures. $Torat
Moshe& A#shi-h). True kinness at ti mes wi## o*#i gate
us to use a""roa-hes that might a""ear very stri-t.
@ut the key fa-tor is a#ways our moti vati on an the
entire situati on. 0f someone sees a young -hi#
"#ayi ng with mat-hes an gra*s them from him, the
-hi# wi## most "ro*a*# y -ry an think that this
"erson is very -rue#. @ut on#y a "erson who is
a"atheti - or -a##ous wou# a##ow the -hi# to -ontinue
"#ayi ng with mat-hes. Esing harsh measures when
they are not a*so#ute# y neee is -rue#. @ut fai#ing to
use harsh measures when they are the on#y
a""roa-h avai#a*# e in orer to he#" someone is a#so
-rue#. The "erson who is tru# y kin wi## weigh ea-h
situation -arefu# # y to see what is neee. 2eo"#e
who #a-k -om"assion use this -on-e"t as a
rationa#iAati on to *e -rue#, whi-h is very wrong. @ut
mis"#a-e softness a#so has negati ve -onse9uen-es.
Mu-h wisom an -om"assion are neee to a""# y
the a""ro"ri ate methos in ea-h situation. At ti mes
kinness re9ui res that we use harsh measures. $R.
He#ig 2#iskin.)
-AFTIR
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,erse /r0m 1INCHA%
HAFTORAH
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I%AIAH
0n this s"e-ia# haftorah for Rosh 8hoesh some
*asi- -on-e"ts of our re#igi on are e!"resse.
A#though Co sits on His throne, so to s"eak,
ini-ati ng a s-ene #ike a morta# king sitti ng on a
throne, =ugi ng his su*=e-ts from afar, here the
"ro"het as that earth is Co7s footstoo#. The earth
is the resien-e of man who is re"resente *y K#a#
6israe# in his re#ati onshi " to Co. +o a#though Co
seems istant, He is firm# y invo# ve in the estiny of
every one of His su*=e-ts on earth. Fothing on earth
o--urs *y mere -han-e or -oin-ien-e, ;for My han
has mae a## these things. < A## that ha""ens in this
wor# is inf#uen-e *y the Divine "resen-e. Even the
sma##est an seemi ng# y the most in-onse9uenti a#
"eo"#e eserve an re-ei ve Co7s attenti on. Co
notes a## a-tivi ti es, the sins -ommi t te *y a## an the
no*#e ees "erforme *y the "oor an hum*# e.
2ower an inf#uen-e in this wor# are firm# y in the
hans of the wea# thy. Feverthe# ess, Co7s attenti on
is not at a## mono"o# iAe *y the wea# thy an
inf#uenti a# in this wor#. Those who are ismaye *y
the -ontinue a*sen-e of a Ho#y Tem"#e an
therefore inter"ret this as a istan-i ng of Co from
our wor# shou# take heart. Even without the
Tem"#e, Co is very mu-h invo# ve with our wor#,
an He "romises to *e here for us.
%HA**AT HALACHAH
8#a""i ng One7s Hans an Dan-ing & The Ra**is
"rohi *i te -#a""i ng one7s hans an an-ing on
+ha**at, #est one -ame to "re"are a musi-a#
instrument. Ra**i 6osef Karo re-ors this "rohi*i ti on
in the +hu#-han Aru-h. The Rama, however, avises
against "rotesti ng the "ra-ti-e, stati ng that it is
"refera*# e that "eo"#e transgress in ignoran-e $ ),
sin-e they wi## not hee any amoni ti on in this
regar. He a#so -ites the view of some authori ti es
that it is "ermi tte nowaays, *e-ause we are not
orinari # y -a"a*#e of making musi-a# instruments,
an it wou# *e rare for one to o so. AshkenaAi m
fo##ow the #enient view of Rama an "ermi t -#a""i ng
an an-i ng, "rovi e it is one in honor of the
Torah, or for the sake of a MitAvah, as on +im-hat
Torah an in honor an re=oi-i ng for a *rie an
groom, or to soothe an infant an kee" it from
-rying. +efari m ahere to the stri-ter view of the
+hu#-han Aru-h.