Parashas Korach

The Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Korach . In this Sedra we read of Korach , a Levite , the relative of Moshe , whose descendant was Shmuel Samuel the Prophet and this is why the usual Haftorah for this Sedra is in 1 Samuel 11 : 14 - 12 : 22 where we read about Samuel the very holy Prophet . But seeing as this Shabbos is Shabbos Rosh Chodesh , we also read as the Maftir Numbers 28 : 9 - 15 and we replace the regular Haftorah with the Haftorah for Shabbos Rosh Chodesh , which is in Isaiah 66 : 1 - 24 and also add to it the two verses in 1 Samuel 20 : verse 18 and verse 42 , as Rosh Chodesh also comes out the next day too .

In this Parsha , we see the long reaching negative affects of not appreciating What HaShem Gives us and how we must always appreciate HaShem .

Korach was not satisfied with being a Levite of high station and wanted more . We learn in this Parsha how Korach caused so much Machlokes Strife amongst the people and what did happen to him and those that stood with him as a result of his choices and actions . Korach was the cousin of Moshe Rabbeinu , from the very holy son of Levi , Kohath . It was this Tribe that was given the right to carry The Holy Ark And The Holy Articles Of The Tabernacle . So as Moshe responded to Korach who had used the same words to Moshe , Moshe said to him , ' is it not too much , oh Son of Levi , ' for , to carry such Holy Articles , should have been enough of a great Kavod - Honour , but sadly for Korach , it was not . It was from this holy side of the Tribe of Levi that Korach descended .

Korach always felt that he was meant for greatness . He foresaw that his descendant would be the holy Prophet Shmuel Samuel and Korach was the son of Yitz'har ( as mentioned at the beginning of this Sedra ) to show his illustrious family line . The word " Yitz'har " has within it the Hebrew Word " Yatzar , " which means ' create or make ' ( Shilo Hebrew Dictionary ) which shows a high status with regards to the word ' create , ' for it suggests A Closeness With HaShem The One And Only True Creator . The word " Yitz'har " also has within it the word ' Yetzer ' which means ' inclination , ' like the word ' Yetzer Horah ' - ' the evil Inclination ' and so , within Korach was a choice that he could either choose to be very holy or fall to his Yetzer Horah and turn out the opposite . Sadly he followed the latter choice .

Korach himself , was a man of division , strife and Machlokes , so much so that even his own organs within himself did not agree with each other . In fact his own hair on his head was separated on the left and the right , thus forming an empty middle patch and pathway in the middle where the hair separated on the left and right , leaving a balding line in the middle . The word " Korach , " means ' separate or balding . ' The Gematriah of his name comes to 100 + 200 + 8 = 308 and 3 + 0 + 8 = 11 and 1+1 = 2 , not one , showing that he is not One With HaShem , but lives a life choice of two different conflicting opinions .

Korach was also one of the wealthiest men that ever lived and in Egypt , he was put in charge of Pharaoh's treasury and thus when the redemption from Egypt came , he did not want to leave , for he hoped that at the destruction of Pharaoh , he might be put in charge of that treasury . One day , he came across Yosef's secret wealth , hidden among the rest of the wealth in Egypt that belonged to Yosef and Korach took it for himself , making him extremely wealthy to the point that when he left Egypt , he had with him man and maid-servants that saw to his every need and these were some of the Eirev Rav , Canaanites and Egyptians that went with .

Korach's wife , like him , was never satisfied with their present status and both of them always wanted more status and higher honour and position and so , she constantly prodded and pushed him further over the edge . When he would return home , she often questioned him and as did he , belittled Moshe and the things that Moshe would Command From HaShem .

After the incident of the Spies that we read in the previous Parsha , Korach saw that the atmosphere was rife for rebellion and so , he thought , as did his wife , that now would be the time to take his stand . The last Sedra ended with instructions on the Tzitzis and then this Sedra of Korach continues . The reason for this Sedra carrying on straight from the one before about Tzitzis , is that it was the issue of Tzitzis that Korach chose , to come to Moshe with and challenge him once and for all . Korach would often privately with his wife , question Moshe's relating Of HaShem's Commandments .

One day , Korach came home to his wife and his wife asked him what he had done that day . Korach in anger related how he among other Levites , had been told to stand before Moshe and Aharon and be lifted and waved for the preparation of their service . Korach's wife told him that Moshe had just made this law only to ridicule him . Instead of Korach's wife being an Eishes Chayil , like On's wife ( On is mentioned in this Sedra ) , Korach's wife constantly prodded him , for her own status and benefit .

Korach then related the Laws of Tzitzis and that they need a Techeiles String of Blue . Again , she mocked this as did he , telling her how the blue has to come from a creature called the Chilazon . And so they carried on . It was then that Korach chose to once and for all confront Moshe . But he would not do that on his own . He chose to go around from tent to tent , stirring up strife and division and Machlokes , using every possible thing he could twist , to gain support . Near him , was the Tribe of Reuvein and so , did he approach that Tribe and specifically two of their members , who were brother in law to each other , Dathan and Aviram , from the Tribe of Reuvein and also a Reubenite called On .

Korach knew already that Dathan and Aviram held an antagonism to Moshe . Dathan was the one , who in Mitzrayim Egypt , Moshe had saved from being beaten by the Egyptian Taskmaster , over the matter of Dathan's wife Shelomis and when the following day , Shelomis' brother Aviram was arguing with Dathan not to divorce his sister , Moshe had come along and tried to stop their bickering and they warned him . It was this Dathan and Aviram who had gone to Pharaoh at the time , to report on Moshe for what happened to the taskmaster and it was this incident of reporting on Moshe , who had actually saved Dathan , that had caused Moshe to have to leave Egypt at the time . This was that Dathan and Aviram .

" On , " that is mentioned here as well , is not mentioned again , as he started out standing with these rebels , but his wife constantly talked him out of it and told him to stand with Moshe . Also , when the time came to go before Moshe , On's wife gave him something that would put him to sleep and she and their daughter sat outside their tent with their hair uncovered , so that Korach or his followers , when coming to call him , would have to turn around and go , rather than converse with a wife of uncovered hair , thus On's wife and daughter saved On's life , by making sure that On would not go with Korach that day . In fact , On's wife , insisted that On go and apologize to Moshe for even taking part but On refused , feeling too guilty to face Moshe , so she called Moshe and Moshe humbly came to him and so On apologized to Moshe and Moshe forgave him . Such is the difference of the wife of On and the wife of Korach , where a holy wife seeks to improve her husband's Holiness , but an unholy wife seeks to pull her husband down with her . Such is a true Holy Eishel Chayil A woman of Valour as Shlomo Hamelech wrote , that we say every Shabbos Kiddush evening , as we bless the Holy Wife and Mother of our children who Lights the Holy Shabbos Candles and bring Holiness to the Jewish Home , just like Sarah did , the wife of Avraham .

Korach , using every persuasion in the book , like saying that Moshe makes up his own Laws and only chooses his brother for Kohein Gadol and his close family for high positions and that Moshe had no right to shun the first-born , for Levites , as all of Israel is Holy equally , ( he meant only himself ) and that Moshe had no right to have the spies destroyed and so Korach managed to get the support of 250 men of the Children of Israel ( leaders of the assembly ) , to stand with him against Moshe and Aharon and thus against HaShem .

Korach got a lot of support from the Tribe of Reuvein , for he persuaded them , by winding them up about them being shunned , as the Tribe who was first born among the Tribes and having to take a back seat . As I mentioned , Levi's line through Kohath , was near the Tribe of Reuvein . So Korach and Dathan and Aviram stood before Moshe and Aharon with the 250 men , men of renown . They all appeared before Moshe and Aharon so as to mock Moshe , by these 250 men all wearing Tzitzis , but not As Commanded By HaShem Through Moshe , for they had made Tzitzis totally of Techeilis Blue . Korach challenged Moshe on this saying , ' can they wear a garment totally of Blue ' and he also challenged Moshe on the other points I mentioned , that Korach had gone around saying to the others . Korach challenged Moshe's position as Leader and most of all , challenged Aharon's Appointment as Kohein Gadol , for this position , Korach wanted for himself . In challenging this , Korach was Challenging their Leader and more so , HaShem , Who Had Appointed them .

Aharon stood quietly by , not responding to Korach's attacks against Aharon's Appointment of the High Priesthood , for Aharon himself felt totally unworthy of the position and Aharon too was also a very humble man . Moshe defended Aharon's honour and reminded Korach and the followers , that Aharon had not chosen this position for himself and nor had Moshe , But That It Had Come Straight From HaShem Directly As Had Everything Else that Korach was complaining about .

In Pirkei Avos , we are reminded of how there was not even agreement among Korach and his own followers , for even they did not agree amongst themselves . Such is the bitterness and evil of Machlokes and Strife . Moshe reminded Korach how Aharon had lost his two beloved sons and certainly it wasn't a position Aharon had personally chosen , but Korach did not stop . Moshe fell on his face . Moshe begged them to stop and pleaded With HaShem For Peace and Guidance .

HaShem Answered and so , Moshe told them that they were to return the next morning and for each one of them to take his fire-pan and put fire in them and place incense upon them " before HaShem tomorrow and the man Whom HaShem Will Choose - he is the holy one . " Moshe felt that Korach and the others should be satisfied with their positions and not want more and so , as I mentioned , Moshe said to Korach and those of Levi who were dissatisfied , " It is too much for you , O offspring of Levi , " but they should rather be happy With What HaShem Has Given them . By now , Dathan and Aviram had left and returned to their tents . So Moshe summoned them , but they refused him , their very holy leader . So in Moshe's humility and caring , Moshe himself humbly went to them , to plead for them to stop this . When Moshe came to them , they did not even stand up for him , but remained seated . They accused him of bringing them out of Egypt and they totally shunned HaShem , by daring to call Egypt , a land flowing with milk and honey . A Description That HaShem Gave us Only For Israel , not for Egypt which was a land of suffering and slavery and taskmasters and killing of our First-born and Tum'a Impurity . They accused Moshe of bringing them all out to die in the Wilderness and of trying to dominate them and accused Moshe of not bringing them to the land of Israel , when they knew it was the people's fault for shunning HaShem And HaShem's Gift Of The Land and the evil report of the spies and almost all the people whispering in their tents against HaShem that they had to wander in the Wilderness for the 40 years . Moshe had enough and knew their offerings that they were wanting to offer was against Halacha , for only a Kohein Priest can take the offerings and prepare them and so , Moshe asked HaShem not to turn to their gift - offering , given only for their own benefit . Moshe told Korach to be with his assembly before Aharon the next day , with their fire-pans as instructed and so the next day , that is exactly what happened .

The next day , they ( the rebels ) all arrogantly stood before The Tent of Meeting with their fire-pans . The Glory Of HaShem Appeared To the entire assembly . HaShem Spoke And Told Moshe And Aharon to separate themselves from amid this assembly And HaShem Said That He Would Destroy them In An instant . Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces to try and save the others . And So HaShem Told Moshe To tell the assembly to get themselves up and away from all around the dwelling places of Korach , Dathan and Aviram and Moshe obeyed .

It was then that Moshe Asked Of HaShem A Miracle , for the sake of all the others , that the others see A Neis , a Miracle , for Moshe felt it was needed For HaShem's Sake and so , Moshe asked that these evil men not die a natural normal death , But That HaShem Make A Miracle And Open Up the Earth And Have them Swallowed Up And That they descend into the pit of Gehinnom alive , As A Kiddush HaShem . As soon as Moshe had finished speaking , So Did HaShem Make the Earth open up and swallow them alive and their households and all those with Korach , in reference to those who served him and his wife and Korach's entire wealth . Afterwards , the Earth closed completely , leaving no trace of an opening . All Israel fled in fear , lest they too be swallowed alive . Only Korach's three sons survived , for they were holy and did not go along with their Father , rising when Moshe walked into their tent , even though their Father did not want them to . And so , did the line of this family go down to Shmuel Samuel the holy Prophet that we usually read about in the usual Haftorah of this Sedra when it is not Shabbos Rosh Chodesh .

Korach's sons composed Psalm 48 , which is said on the second day of the week , the day in Creation That HaShem Separated the waters , for Strife and Separation is not a good thing , ( where on this day in Creation , it is the only day That HaShem Does Not Talk Of that day being good ) , as Korach caused Strife Machlokes and so his sons wrote this Psalm .

HaShem Sent A Flame That Consumed the 250 men who had offered the incense . Seeing as they had intended to make an offering To HaShem using the fire-pans , these fire-pans had become holy and as in Halacha , that which is set aside for a holy purpose cannot be used for a mundane thing And So HaShem Commanded Moshe To Tell Aharon's son Elazar to pick up the fire-pans from amid the fire , throw away the flame and make them into hammered out sheets as a covering for the Altar and so it was done .

On the morrow , the entire assembly complained against Moshe and Aharon about what had happened to Korach and his followers , so Moshe and Aharon turned toward The Tent of Meeting and the Cloud Covered It And HaShem's Glory Appeared . HaShem Told them to remove themselves from this assembly And HaShem Would Then Destroy them in an instant . Again , they fell on their faces . Moshe quickly told Aharon to take the Fire-pan and put fire on it from the Altar and to go quickly to the assembly and provide atonement for them For The Fury Had Gone Out From HaShem , For HaShem Had Sent the Malach Angel Kesef , Where It Was HaShem Who Had Brought a plague . Aharon obeyed and stood between the dead and the living and so , the plague was checked . This was something that Moshe had learned when he was Up With HaShem On Har Sinai , from the Angel of Death .

HaShem Then Commanded That Moshe tell the Children of Israel , that each Tribe take a staff , according to their Father's House , twelve staffs , each man inscribing on his staff , his name and also Aharon for the Tribe of Levi and lay them together in The Tent of Meeting before The Testimony , Where HaShem Meets With Moshe and the man That HaShem Will Choose , his staff will blossom , so as to cause the complaints of the Children of Israel to subside against HaShem and Moshe and Aharon . And so did Moshe do and so did the leaders of the Tribes obey .

Moshe specifically put Aharon's staff in the middle and not on the outside , so that none of the Tribes could later say , that because Aharon's staff was put on the outside , it must have touched the Holy Place and thus budded , so Moshe made sure that it was not on the edge of the staffs but in the middle , so they would not be able to make out it budded because it was on the edge near the Holy Place and thus did Moshe put it in the middle so that it could not have touched the Holy Place . And so it was done .

On the next day , Moshe came to The Tent Of Meeting and so , Aharon's Staff of the House of Levi had blossomed , bringing out a blossom , sprouting a bud and " Shekeidim " - " Almonds " ripened . " Shaked " also means " hurry , " For HaShem Waited Not A Moment Longer To Ensure That His Will , be seen by all And When HaShem Chooses something and the time arrives for that thing to take place , no more waiting takes place And HaShem Fruitfully Hurries To Perform it . This will be like the time of Moshiach , for though he tarry and we await his coming , when he finally does come , it will come like a flood , in a hurry , with no more waiting . And so , HaShem Instructed Moshe to bring back the staff of Aharon before the Testimony as a safekeeping , as a sign to rebellious ones and so that their complaints should cease to HaShem , that they not die . How Beautifully Merciful Is HaShem . Moshe obeyed As HaShem Had Commanded .

HaShem Then Talks of the duties of Aharon and the Kohanim and Mentions the 24 Gifts to the Kohanim and also the Tithes to the Levites and so ends the Parsha .

We may think , after reading this Parsha , how terrible it was of Korach to make this division and Machlokes against the Leader Moshe and against HaShem and against Aharon . Yes , it was a terrible thing he did and so , he sits even till today in Gehinnom . A story was told of how one day , a very famous Rabbi was walking in the desert and he came across a hole in the desert and heard a man screaming the same words that Korach screamed as he was on his way into the opening , " Moshe Was Right , Moshe is the Leader , HaShem Was Commanding Moshe , I was Wrong . " The Rabbi asked who this voice was and from deep down in the pit , the Rabbi heard that this was the very Korach who had caused this division and was now in Gehinnom . The miracle was not just that the Earth Opened up and swallowed Korach and all that was his , but also , as I mentioned , that it closed up again , just as if it had never opened in the first place . HaShem Had Performed A Miracle . Not just that , But HaShem Had Also Brought the lower opening of Gehinnom , close up to the Surface of the Earth , so that when the Earth opened up , Gehinnom's opening would be right there . So yes , Korach does sit even today in Gehinnom and out of Mercy , will only come out when Moshiach Comes . But though we may view Korach as bad and doing terrible things , are any of us so different . Have we also at times , argued with our Holy Sages and With HaShem , as if to say and wrongly think that we think we know better , even though we never can As HaShem Is All Knowing . Are we so different from Korach . Aren't there many , who turn away From HaShem's Laws or lessen on Them , Chas Ve Shalom . Aren't there many who think that they know better Than HaShem , Chas Ve Shalom and so , wrongly make up their own paths that will definitely not lead to where they want it to , because they should rather Follow HaShem And HaShem's Holy Way Only , For Only HaShem's Way Is The Way To HaShem and Holiness .

HaShem Wanted To Make A World That would be At One With Him . A World that would seek Only His Closeness . Sadly For HaShem , We have done the opposite . We make strife wherever we can . We all want to go our own way . We all wrongly think deep down that we know it all , which we certainly do not and we all think that we are the only ones who have the answer to Heaven . But no , we are not and we do not . We are just mere mortal human beings that do not even know our tomorrow . But HaShem Does . Yes , HaShem Knows All Things . HaShem Knows Everything there is to know and more . ' To Be At One With HaShem , ' we have to ' Be With HaShem As One . ' We cannot do our own thing or follow our own heart , no matter how we might think we are right . We are not . Only HaShem Is Right .

In this Parsha , we also learn the difference between being grateful For All That HaShem Gives us and the position and station in life That HaShem Gives us for a very good reason and not coveting what others have , For Only HaShem Knows what station and position each person must have in order to grow .

We also learn in this Sedra the difference in life that a Holy wife can make , for in the case of Korach , his wife pushed him further toward destruction , unlike On's wife , that saved her husband from destruction . The true Jewish partner , is one that helps and assists their spouse toward Greater Humble Holiness And Toward Closer Humble Closeness With HaShem . Let what happened to Korach and his followers teach us , that no matter how sure we may be that we have the answer and are right , that is only our own limited personal feelings and view on things . The Creation Is So Much Bigger And Deeper Than us . We know hardly anything . Our Pathway To HaShem Is , like Moshe , To Be Humble And Follow The Only True Truth And The Only True Path , The Only Path That Takes us To HaShem And To Shamayim Heaven And That Is The Path Of HaShem Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu , HaShem , The Holy One Blessed Be He .

I Wish Forever Eternally Most Beloved HaShem A Beautiful Sweet And Special Shabbos Kodesh And Chodesh Tov With Forever And Everlasting Love and to all of my fellow Jews and to all of Creation a Blessed Beautiful And Special Shabbos Kodesh and Chodesh Tov with love .