Some classical Reflections on Parshat Korach - from Rabbi Jonathan Seidel
If everyone is Holy - why do we have hierarchies? If Israel is a “nation of priests then why are some given the actual status of priest and not others? Are we not interested in the key question of the Korach gang? It certainly is relevant to the radical egalitarianism of the Aquarian Minyan where “everyone is a Rebbe” !!
And from Rabbi Shai Held, The Heart of Torah (JPS 2017) Commenting on Exodus and Numbers on this very issue of the special status of Priests and the prohibition and then mandate to wear Shatnez (a mixture of wool and linen) Rabbi Held, following Rabbi Jacob Milgrom comments:
“ A close reading of Exodus suggests a deep connection between Tzitzit and the High Priest’s vestments. Moses is instructed to “make for the High Priest a plate of frontlet of pure gold (Exodus 28:36) In Hebrew the plate is called Tzitz, which sounds like Tzitzit "; in fact the Hebrew word “tzitzit” can be translated as “little tzit” . The plate, Moses is told, is to have a woolen cord of blue (petil tekheilet) suspended on it “ (Exodus 38:37) similarly the tzitzit an Israelite wears must have a woolen cord of blue (petil tekhelet) as part of it. The tunic the High Priest wears, we learn, must be made of fine linen (28:39) and he thus prominently combines wool and linen in his priestly garments. Most striking, perhaps, are the words of Moses is instructed to engrave upon the High Priest’s plate (tzitz) “Holy to YHVH” These words call to mind the meaning of the tzizit as explained in parashat Shelach “Thus you shall be reminded to observe all my commandments and be holy to the Lord your God (kedoshim leiloheikhem) Numbers 15:40.
The explanation for all this, Rabbi Milgrom argues, is clear “The resemblance to the High Priest’s turban and other priestly clothing can be no accident . It is a conscious attempt by the Torah to encourage all Israel to aspire to a degree of holiness comparable to that of the Priests “ …..a stunning claim emerges from all this : the tzitzit that Jews don each day express a remarkable challenge and aspiration : We are summoned to be holy . Without being priests, we can partake of the holiness of the priests - even of the High Priest. The tzizit then are a physical sign of the Torah’s most fundamental call to the Jewish people : “you shall be a kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation” (Exodus 19;6) {note: the mandate, not the actual de facto situation} In light of this Korach’s challenge to Moses leadership begins to appear far less outlandish than it might seem at first glance. In confronting Moses and Aaron, Korach and his band announce that “all the community are holy, all of them” (Numbers 16:3) Are they not simply affirming what they learned from the laws of Tzizit ? Their challenge to Moses seems to make good sense: if every Jews is holy, indeed if everyone can don the uniform of a priest , then why are some assigned a higher status than others ? If the requirement to wear tzizit contains an implicit egalitarian thrust (we are all like the High Priest) then how can the hierarchy of priest and nonpriest be justified ? What is wrong with Korach’s challenge and why does it lead to such devestating consequences for him and his followers (16:31-35) Israeli philosopher who points out that Israel is summoned to be holy, not that Israel is already holy. Leibowitz argues that the mitzvah of tzizit, on the one hand, and the posture of Korach, on the other , represents two antithetical approaches to the Holy, separated by a vast and unbridgeable chasm: holiness as a challenge and a calling versus holiness as an established fact with attendant privileges . (The Heart of Torah, JPS 2017 Volume 2)
Hasidic Teachings - from Rabbi David Wolf Blank in his “Meta Parasha” Commentary from the 1990’s :
The Rabbinic condemnation of Korach resonates in new ways with the classical Hasidic masters and I’d like to share some of those teachings with you here. My predecessor Rabbi David Wolf-Blank brings a summary from Rabbi Chayim Halberstam of Tzanz (Divrei Shalom) and Rabbi Mordechai Yosef of Izbitz (the Mei Shiloach) on the Argument of Korach which picks up the theme of the contiguity of the end of Parshat Shelach on the Mitzva of Tzizit with the opening of the next parasha
“Korach brought a blue Tallit to Moshe Rabbenu and said ‘ Does and entirely blue cloak requre a blue thread on it’s Tzizit? If the whole nation is holy, aren’t we all Priests?”
As the world was being created, before darkness and light were separated between the light and the darkness and called light, day and the darkness, night) they were mixed up together, operating as a dark cloudy light. Or (light) and Choshekh (darkness) discussed and argued: “Is everything really circular, equal to everything else or can one thing be more important than other things? Which of us is more important than the other?” and related discussions and arguments. Korach (mistakenly) thought that his argument with Moses was the human form of these cosmic arguments . Korach wished to blot out all differences. He knew that in the time to come all the Tzaddikim would be dancing in a large circle around God (as it were) He thought that the time had come . But he neglected to remember that God had separated between the Light and the Darkness for a reason.
This world needs polarities and diversity in order to grow towards the perfection of the Time to Come, the time of Circle Dancing . If Korakh had won, the Tree of Life (and all Trees) would have only a needle-thin trunk with no facets, no differerentiation of the polarties of the sides . All people would be Priests but they would also be the same. We would exist in a much thinner, duller environment
In addition - we might also consider the classical commentaries, including the Hasidic masters who empasize that Korach was a “taker” based on first verse of the Parasha - “And Korach Took” - without a direct object - that he is unfit to serve because he is a “taker” and the real, honest to goodness, authentic priest is a “giver” . for all this, perhaps Korach’s punishment is just, albeit severe…is he eligible for clemency?
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