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Korach, a prominent member of the family of Levi, refuses to accept the authority of Moshe Rabbeinu. Korach believes that Moshe has requested that Hashem appoint Aaron as Kohen Gadol, passing over other Leviim, including Korach himself. Moshe speaks in a conciliatory manner, leaving it to Hashem to demonstrate that Aaron is His choice. Moshe suggests that Korach and his 250 supporters each bring a fire pan on which ketoress (incense) is sprinkled. In the morning, Hashem will select the fire pan of the one designated to be the High Priest. Korach and his followers remain obstinate, and Moshe warns them that if they do not yield, the earth will open up to swallow them alive.
Immediately, Korach, together with his chief allies, and Dasan and Aviram and their families are devoured by the ground with all their belongings. Fire then consumes the 250 men associated with them. The fire pans are retrieved and made into a covering for the altar, to serve as a reminder of the fate of those who rebel against Hashem.
The people complain that Moshe and Aaron have caused the deaths of their fellow Jews. Hashem threatens to punish those who complain. Moshe instructs Aaron to fill a pan with fire from the mizbayach (alter) and with incense, and to hasten among the people to stop the plague which has already begun.
Hashem tells Moshe that the nasi (prince) of each shevet (tribe) should bring to the Ohel Moed (tent of meeting) a rod with his name on it. Aaron's name should be on the rod for the tribe of Levi. The rod sprouting blossoms will demonstrate that its owner is chosen by G-d for the kehunah (priesthood) . Aaron's rod blossoms with almonds. The rod is saved as a reminder to those who harbor rebellious thoughts.
The Torah lists the gifts which Bnai Yisroel are required to give the Kohanim and the Leviim. These include the pidyan b'chorim, redemption of the first-born, which is given to the Kohanim, and maser rishon which is 10% of the produce grown from the earth, given to the Leviim. The Leviim take 10% of the maaser rishon and give terumas maaser (tithing of the levites) to the Kohanim.
"And Moses was greatly distressed, and he said to Hashem, 'Do not turn to their (Korach and his followers) offering.' ". (16: 15)
Our parsha begins with the tragic revolt led by Korach against Moses and Aaron in an attempt to question their claims of being Divinely-chosen and ultimately to overthrow their leadership. Moses suggests that the dispute be resolved by challenging Korach and his 250 followers to prepare Ketores (incense), a very unique and special Temple Service. Aaron would do so as well, and the person whose offering was accepted by Hashem would survive, while all of the others would perish.
Korach refuses to back down, accepting the challenge even at the risk of his life and those of his followers. Moses grows angry and petitions Hashem not to accept the incense offerings of Korach and his followers. Accepting the offerings would be tantamount to substantiating Korach's blasphemous and heretical arguments; why was it necessary for Moses to pray that they not be accepted? Wasn't it obvious that Hashem wouldn't do something which would cause such catastrophic consequences?
The following story will help us to appreciate the answer given to our question. Rabbi Shalom Schwadron was once praying at the Kosel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem when he was startled by a loud noise. Turning around, he saw two men wearing leather and chains who had just pulled up behind him on a motorcycle.
One man took out a pen and paper and scribbled a note, which he showed to his friend. After his friend nodded his approval, he folded up the paper and placed it in one of the cracks in the Kosel. The men returned to their motorcycle and sped off with a bang. Rabbi Schwadron was curious as to what these two ostensibly non-spiritual men had written, when a gust of wind suddenly blew their poorly-placed paper straight to his feet. He picked up the paper and read, "Please Hashem, Maccabi Tel Aviv (a sports team) for the league championship," a prayer which was apparently subsequently answered.
In light of this story, we can now understand the answer given by the Alter of Kelm (1824-1898). He teaches that our question is based on a fundamental lack of appreciation of the power of heartfelt prayer. We live in a society which believes that a person must be at the highest levels of piety for his prayers to be answered, and that we should "bother" Hashem only to pray about matters of great import.
Judaism, on the other hand, believes what King David wrote (Psalms 145:18) "Hashem is close to all those who call out to Him genuinely". King David is pointing out that Hashem accepts our prayers regardless of our spiritual standing; our sincerity is the key.
Moses knew that with their lives on the line, K orach and his followers, heretics that they were, would pray for the acceptance of their incense offerings with tremendous ferv or and intent, and had no choice but to counter their powerful prayers with an even m ore potent one of his own. Moses understood that it doesn't matter what the subject of the prayer is. Heartfelt prayer about whatever is important to a person, whether sp orts or even the deposition of Hashem's hand-picked prophet and leader, brings him close to Hashem, who is likely to answer such prayers in the affirmative, a lesson we should remember the next time we open a siddur (prayer book).
"And Korach, the son of Yitzhar the son of Kehos the son of Levi, separated himself, and Dasan and Aviram the sons of Eliav, and On the son of Peles, the sons of Reuven." 16:1
It is no secret that Yaakov was the father of Levi. What then was accomplished by omitting mention of his name? Indeed, what Yaakov sought to avoid with his plea to be omitted was not posthumous shame. Rather, he hoped to impress upon Levi that his actions were inconsistent with Yaakov's philosophy. Although his words may not have their intended effect on Levi's descendent, Korach, he was no longer considered culpable, because early on, he had lodged his protest. By omitting his name from the list of Korach's ancestors, the Torah is teaching us that even an unheeded protest is not wasted. Korach would go down in history as a villain, but Yaakov, by virtue of his protest, would bear no guilt in the matter.
"Moshe said to Korach, "Please listen, sons of Levi. Is it not sufficient for you that the G-d of Israel has elevated you over the rest of the congregation of Israel to bring you closer to Him to perform the services of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) of Hashem, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? And He brought you near with all of your brethren the sons of Levi with you - and yet you demand to be kohanim (priests) as well? 16:8-10
It is important to recognize that Korach's rebellion attacked more than just Moshe's choice of Aaron, his brother, as high priest. Accusing Moshe of nepotism was an attack on Moshe's personal integrity, and would undermine everything Moshe had done as a leader, most importantly the giving over of the Torah. The charge was totally baseless: Korach ignored the fact that for all Moshe's sacrifices on behalf of the people, he himself would merit neither the priesthood nor the monarchy. None of his children would ascend to positions of prominence. As a leader, his service of the Jewish people was a model of perfect altruism. Yet, members of his own tribe ignored this completely, and accused him of nepotism! This baseless charge, if left uncontested, would poison the national attitude toward Moshe, and eventually destabilize the entire infrastructure that he had built. This left Hashem with no option other than to remove Korach and his followers from the nation, lest they pollute the national attitude even further.
"You will not bear a sin because of it, when you separate its best part; and the sanctities of the Children of Israel you should not desecrate..." 18:32
Although the Torah instituted priestly tithes in order to provide basic material support for the Kohanim, who devoted their lives to the service of Hashem, it wasn't meant to be treated as a business. The tithes were sacred, and they needed to be treated with esteem. A Kohen who attempts to manipulate the system by improperly positioning himself to receive the tithes, demonstrates a petty self interest which in turn, engenders a loss of respect for him as a spiritual leader in the eyes of the people. This verse teaches us that the Kohen, as a representative of Torah, must always conduct himself with integrity and altruism, for his personal honor is not the only thing at stake. His sacred duty to communicate the will of the Almighty will be compromised as well. This lesson applies not only to Kohanim, but to each and every Jew as the ambassador of a higher form of morality.
Dear Rabbi,
An elderly
aunt of mine fell ill some time ago and since she is very close to our family,
we visit her often. I know that this is an important commandment of "Bikkur
Cholim" [visiting the sick] but I was wondering if you could enlighten me as to
what this commandment entails? Are there things I should be doing in addition to
shmoozing with her?
Thank you, Betty M.
Betty,
I'm sorry to hear about your aunt's situation and I pray that she be granted a
complete recovery along with all of the ailing members of the Jewish people. The
mitzvah of BikkurCholim is indeed, a very great Mitzvah, as can be
evidenced by its rather unique source in the Torah.
Soon after undergoing circumcision at an advanced age, Avraham Avinu (Abraham our father) is visited by none other than the Almighty Himself, as the verse [Bereishis 18:1] says, "AndHashem appeared to [Abraham] in the Plains of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the hottest part of the day." Our sages explain that this was Hashem's way of visiting Avraham, who was ill, and many of the details of this mitzvah are derived from that incident. In another verse [Shmos 18:20] we learn that we are required to emulate the ways of Hashem: "And show them the path that they must take." The "ways of Hashem" include visiting the sick. Whether the obligation is considered a scriptural or rabbinical injunction is a matter of debate between RambaN [scriptural] and RambaM [rabbinic].
Interestingly, the word "Bikkur " does not actually mean, "to visit". Rather, it translates as "to investigate," because the obligation encompasses far more than merely paying a social call. Instead, one must actively seek out areas in which the patient needs assistance and attend to those needs. Our sages have delineated three areas that the visitor should focus on, in order to fulfill this mitzvah properly. They are:
It is important to remember that visits should take place at a time that is convenient for the patient, not the visitor. I have seen visitors literally wake up sleeping patients because they did not want to return at a different time. It goes without saying that this is a rather blatant contradiction to the very purpose of their visit. A visit that imposes on the patient and leaves him feeling worse than he did before is not a positive fulfillment of this important mitzvah.
A fascinating tidbit about the prayer aspect of BikkurCholim is that when praying for a choleh (sick person) we use his first name/s and that of his mother. This is in contradistinction to all other times that we refer to a person by his name and that of his father. This custom has its source in the writings of the Zohar and is a means of ensuring that the person is properly identified due to the severity of the subject matter being discussed. While there can always be some doubt about who a person's father may be, there is never a question about who the birth mother is and since we're dealing with health, we want to be extra certain that our prayers will be maximally effective.
I hope this short response offers you greater insight into the mitzvah of Bikkur Cholim. If you are interested in learning more about this great mitzvah, I highly recommend a wonderful book on the subject published by Artscroll titled, " Visiting the Sick - A Halachic and medical guide with down-to-earth advice" by Rabbi Aaron Glatt.
Respectfully,
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
Excerpted from The Kleinman Edition of A Daily Dose of Torah:
Parshas Korach
Artscroll Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn, NY
March 2007.
The machlokes (dispute) caused by Korach is always referred to as non other than "the dispute of Korach and his followers". Many commentators ask the obvious question: Seemingly, it should be referred to as the dispute between Korach and Moshe, or between Korach and his followers on the one hand and Moshe and Aharon on the other. Why do we use this somewhat misleading term "the dispute of Korach and his followers"?
To answer the question, we must first note that the machlokes of Korach and his followers is used in the Mishnah (Avos 5:20) as the prime example of a machlokes that is not L'shem Shamaim (for the sake of Heaven), for the sake of Heaven. Several commentators strive to identify what it was about this particular dispute that makes it the prototype of such a machlokes. Malbim explains that when a dispute is entered into for the sake of Heaven, there are two clearly defined sides to the question, with each camp united in their views and understanding of their position. On the other hand, when a machlokes is not undertaken for the sake of Heaven, but rather for personal and ulterior motives, there is no unity even among each faction, for each side of the dispute may be composed of people with differing agendas, who have become bedfellows simply because of expediency.
Such was the case, he explains, in the matter of the dispute of Korach and his followers. All of them were united against Moshe and Aharon, but for different reasons. Korach wanted to become the Kohen Gadol, for he felt that the position should have been his. Dasan and Aviram and Ohn the son of Peles were angry that the birthright of the firstborn had been taken from Reuven. [In addition, Dasan and Aviram were enemies of Moshe due to earlier arguments.] And the 250 leaders were willing to rebel because they desired a greater role in Hashem's service. Together, they opposed Moshe and Aharon but they were not united. Thus, this dispute is always referred to as "the dispute of Korach and his followers," for Korach and his followers in fact did not agree with one another as to why they opposed Moshe and Aharon and this was the proof that their argument was not for the sake of Heaven. [This explanation is supported by the fact that the verse separates the different factions in the dispute by saying that Korach came to argue because he was the son of Yitzhar (and so he felt that he was entitled to the position of Kohen Gadol), and the others came because they were from the tribe of Reuven (whose members, they felt, deserved the privileges of the firstborn).]
Another possible reason for the fact that the dispute does not name Moshe is because Moshe never involved himself in any dispute. As soon as the challenge was brought to him, he immediately sought peace and did not defend himself in any way. Nevertheless, he did not succeed in establishing peace, because Korach and his followers did not want peace they wanted strife. For this reason, the dispute is named by mentioning them alone.
Q: The word with the highest Gematria (numerical value) in the entire Torah appears in Parshas Korach. What is it, and what is the significance of this fact?
A: The word Tishtarer [tav-shin-tav-reish-reish] (16:13) is only five letters long but possesses a whopping numerical value of 1500. As there are no coincidences in the Torah, the Paneiach Raza explains why specifically this word has such a large value. After failing to sway Korach, Moses approached Dasan and Aviram, Korach's cohorts in leading the rebellion, in a final attempt to quell the dispute. They brazenly rebuffed his peaceful overtures and accused him of Tishtarer seeking to make himself great and dominate the Jewish people. Tishtarer , a word meaning greatness and domination, appropriately has the largest gematria in the entire Torah!
Q: The Torah teaches (17:5) that there will never again be an episode like Korach and his assembly. How is this to be understood?
A: Although in a literal sense many commentators understand this verse as a Biblical prohibition against engaging in machlokes (fighting and strife), Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik offered a homiletic interpretation with a lesson we would do well to internalize. In the rebellion led by Korach and his followers, their position was 100% wrong, without any legitimacy whatsoever. The position of Moses and Aaron, against whom they were fighting, was revealed by Hashem to be 100% correct. Rav Chaim suggested that our verse may be understood as a Divine guarantee that there will never again be such a dispute in which one side is completely right and the other is absolutely in error. When we disagree with our spouses, co-workers, families, and friends, each side all too often falls into the trap of assuming that his or her position is completely justified, and engages in a campaign of "proving" to the other side the absolute absurdity of their opinion. If we remember the promise of the Torah that there will never again be such a one-sided disagreement as that of Moses and Korach, it will be much easier for us to see and understand the logic of those around us, which will naturally result in much happier and more peaceful resolutions for everybody.
Table Talk: For discussion around the
Shabbos Table
a) Judaism teaches
that people are punished for their sins "measure-for-measure". In what way was
Korach's punishment of being swallowed alive by the ground (16:32-33) for
rebelling against Moses and Aaron specifically appropriate for his crime?
b) Until now, whenever the Jewish people sinned,
such as with the golden calf and the spies, Moses always prayed for their
forgiveness. Why didn't Moses pray that Korach and his followers should repent
or be forgiven as he had done previously?
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