Beit Yaakov, Parshat Korach

A view of the Judean desert from atop the cliff from where the scapegoat was thown on Yom Kippur in the Temple times.
The Beit Yaakov - Yaakov of Isbitza, son of the Mei HaShiloach

Parshat Korach



“And Korach took…”(Numbers, 16:1)

The affair of Korach and his rebellion against Moshe can be understood through the verse (Ecclesiastes, 9:10), “all that your hand shall find to do, do with your strength, for there is no deed, thought (bill of reckoning), or knowledge, or wisdom in the grave, where you are going.”

Before presenting the commentary of of one of the great spirit masters of the Ninteenth Century, Rav Yaakov of Isbitza, Poland, let me share with you the classical commentary on this verse brought to you from King Solomon's wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes. Because one of the really interesting things about the Chassidic masters was the great creativity they used in their novel conceptions {"chidushim"} of the Torah. And their mastery of and respect for the classical sources was complete. So, my friend, if you want to really understand the words of the Chassidic masters, you have no choice but to know the classical commentaries that they were dealing with. Otherwise, you will not appreciate their creativity and innovative minds. The more you understand the classical commentaries, such as the Talmud, the legends (midrash), Rashi, and so forth, the more you will understand and esteem the Chasidichse Rebbes.
The translation attributed to the Talmudic sage Yonatan ben Uziel of the the above verse, Ecclesiastes, 9:10, tells us, "spend all of your energies to help the poor, because sooner or later you will be in the grave ("sheol," or the underworld), where there is no deliberation, or knowledge, or wisdom, lets face it, bub, there aint no way you gonna help no one, no how. (this is my own translation, and it is infact reliable) And after you die, it is not only the righteous acts you did in your lifetime that you will need to help you." At first glance, the only really difficult thing to understand from Rabbi Yonatan ben Uziel's rendering is the question, "what else do I need to help me in the world to come?" It seems to an unlearned fellow as myself that maybe there are people who fancy themselves as saints simply because they are washing lepers in the black hole of Calcutta. King Solomon, through the lense of Rabbi Yonatan, might say that everything you do in your life has significance for the state of your soul after it leaves the body. One who helps the poor, that's great, that is a huge mitzvah, but it is not enough. Everyone in the world is commanded seven commandments, (Belief in One God, Don't insult (Blaspheme) God, Don't Kill, No immoral sex acts, Don't steal, Uphold a Judicial system, and don't eat the flesh taken from a living animal - see www.thirdtemple.com), and anyone born of a Jewish mother is commanded 613 laws (of which about 80 or so can be performed by all Jews, as some laws are for kings, some for Cohenim (members of the priestly family), and some only while the temple is standing. And everything we do to follow God's will and enlighten ourselves and our communities determines the relative health or, God forbid, the opposite, in the world to come. So basically, King Solomon is saying, it's your world to come, you can do with it whatever you want to. Just dont come whining before the heavenly court that you volunteered in a soup kitchen for fifty years and that exempted you from putting on your tefillin and saying the Shema Yisrael, that that exempted you from learning Torah, from having to go to the mikveh, from having to get rid of your leaven products on passover. It's all essential, and it's all possible, because God does not make his commandments impossible, He is not a tyrant. Well, there's my five cents worth.

And Rashi, who can learn a verse without Rashi?? Cant be done. He was not just some Rabbi with an additude, my friends, he was the holy of holies and, as it were, heard the voice of God speaking from between the wings of the two Cherubim on the Ark of the covenant. That settles it. But will ultimate respect for Rashi, let me explain his words to the best of my abilty and God help me if I'm wrong. He says that the verse tells us, "do the will of your Master in your lifetime with all of your strength, and if you succeed you won't be plotzing at the big bill waiting for you in the afterworld." Rashi also tells us that the word, "cheshbon," which means "bill of reckoning," or, "account," is refering to the rightous, and the words "action, thought, knowledge, and wisdom," refer to the wicked. I see Rashi as saying, "On the one hand, there is no action, or knowledge, or wisdom that is of any use to those who messed up in their lifetimes, because you can't change the past. (You had your chance, bub. But don't despair, its reincarnation time for you.) And on the other hand, if you did the right(ous) thing you need not worry, you will have no "cheshbon" or account to pay in the world to come. Meaning, you are not going to have to go through the painful court deliberations that your poor mistaken friends will." Then Rashi says that if you don't want to say that "chesbon" refers to the righteous and the rest refers to the wicked, then, Cheshbon means simply "thought." He tells us, "in the afterlife, is there anything you can possibly do to get aquitted?" (On the slim chance that there is someone out there reading this who didn't get that this is a rhetorical question, go to someone who you think is, "smart," and ask them about the meaning of a, 'rhetorical question." Then get back to your computer and finnish this blog and you will be blessed with the power of perseverance {"a strong-willed and stubborn student." dont worry, son, its a good thing}.)
With that all said, and "with perseverence," we can turn to mammash a Gevaldt (way cool) piece of Torah. Here we go.


Translation of the Beit Yaakov.

“all that your hand shall find to do, do with your strength, for there is no deed, thought (bill of reckoning), or knowledge, or wisdom in the grave, where you are going.” (Ecclesiatstes, 9:10)

“Your strength,” hints at the right, or the right arm, the principle power of action. “Your hand,” hints at the left, an action that is not greatly based on choice. In this light, “all that your hand shall find to do, do with your strength,” means that the left should be included within the right, as is mentioned in the holy Zohar (Korach, 178a).
God created man as a greater being than all of His other creations, because He created him with the power of choice. This is man’s superiority over all other creations. Below man is the animal, for though the animal has the ability to freely move all of his limbs as he pleases, this is not a choice based on knowledge. Below the animal is the plant, which can not willfully move itself. However the plant has the ability to move and spread forth based on its very growth. Minerals and inanimate objects, however, stand in their form and are greatly limited in the power of movement.
And therefore, all of these receive life from man. (Meaning, man, with his conscious choice, can elevate lower life forms by using them in the service of God.) Inanimate object also possesses the power of life, but in a hidden way. Because of this, the power of choice became so important in the world. But sometimes a man does an action without knowledge or choice (meaning, he just does something without thinking - "brainless"), and the Holy One, blessed be He, agrees with the action. In this case, the power of this choiceless and brainless action was greater than one done with knowledge and deliberation. God alone was the source of this action, without man’s consciousness. And can one compare the consciousness of man with the consciousness of God? This is what King David meant when he said (Psalms, 146:2), “I will praise God with my life.” God desires the life of man, and wants man to serve God with his human power. This is (Psalms, 88:6), “among the dead I am free,” that God no longer wants my service. Even though certain good ones are set apart (meaning there are souls of certain tsaddikim in the world to come who, as we are told by our tradition, can pray and intercede on behalf of us folks down here in the world, swaying God's will), and they are truly great, still, since they do not have the power of action. living human beings are still greater, because they can still distinguish themselves by means of their service. “Fortunate is the once who the God of Jacob helps,” (Psalms, 146:5) meaning one who does not sin against God’s wisdom. This is because the attribute of Yaakov Avinu was to take care to act with justice (or to "establish equity" - See Psalms, 112:5) so that his actions would not need further clarification. This is why this verse (Psalms, 146:5) says, “his hope is in Hashem E-lohav,” for the name, “E-lohim,” teaches of wisdom.
The Midrash Rabba explains the words, “And Korach took.” What is written in the preceding passage? “Tell them to make for themselves tsitsit (fringes)... and that they put with the tsitsit of each corner a thread of techellet (sky-blue dyed wool) (Numbers, 15:38). Korach jumped up and asked Moshe, ‘If a cloak is entirely of techellet, what is the law as regards its being exempted from the obligation of tsitsit?’ Moses answered him, ‘It is subject to the obligation of tsitsit.’ Korach answered, ‘A cloak that is entirely composed of blue cannot free itself from the obligation, yet the four threads of techellet do free it!’ ”
The Tallit (Prayer shawl) represents something that encompasses man. Korach’s assertion was that since the light of God surrounds his being, and without God man cannot perform even the smallest action, then why is it at all necessary for man to continue to perform the service of God? The tsitstit hint at the service and fear of God. The place where the corner goes outside of the circle represents a time when the path of God is hidden, for it has gone outside of the boundary. In both situations, within and without, the service of God is necessary. If one sees clearly how God is governing the world, and that without His governance, nothing could be done, this would not oblige one to perform the service of God. What would he achieve with all his service? Also, if one has deduced that the world is not run under any higher governance, God forbid, this would also negate the power of service. It is rather when man knows that God is running the world, yet His way is hidden from man, this is when his heart is awoken to serve God.
God created night and day. “Day,” is when man imagines that he has the power of action. This is because the intellect is in control during the day. “Night,” is the time of sleep, when man sees that he has no power of action. One is required to wear tsitsit during the day, for then he could imagine that the power of action is all his, and therefore he (does not) need service. However, at night, when he sees that he has no power of action, then he is not required to wear tsitsit. This is like the saying of the Ari”zal, that at night the tsitsit is covered within the tallit, for it does not go outside of its boundary.
This was Korach’s assertion. Since he is encompassed by the kedusha (sanctity) of God, as he comes from the seed of the Patriarchs and kedusha is even like a part of his body, within him, as he said (Numbers, 16:3), “for God is within them,” then what use does he have for service? This is also his intention in saying, “a talit made entirely of techellet.” Since man is totally encompassed in kedusha, and his own choice will have little consequence, for it is not within his power to surpass his boundaries, then why would he continue to need to wear tsitsit? This is also true for his second assertion, “a house that is full of holy books does not need a mezuzzah on the door.” This being true, why would one need to actively serve God? Is he not full of the awesome power of kedusha to begin with?
This is why Moshe answered him (Numbers, 16:5), “in the morning, God will make it known.” When man serves God with his intellect, it is called, “tahara – purity.” When man does an action without his conscious knowledge, and later God makes it clear that the action was done from the depths of his kedusha (sanctity) which is imprinted within him, it is called, “kedusha – sanctity.” Kedusha is greater than Tahara. Yet now, while the kedusha is not yet refined, and the Tahara is not yet refined, man needs to actively serve God. This is because (Ecclesiastes, 9:10), “there is no deliberation, or knowledge, or wisdom, in the underworld.” Explaining this, the holy Zohar says (Korach, 178a), “an action that is done with knowledge (consciousness) and deliberation will not fall into hell.” In the future, the Altar itself will be greater than its accessories. (See Menachot, 99a) The kedusha which is permanently imprinted in man is called, “gufo shel mizbeach – the Altar itself.” Yet in this world, the accessories to the Altar (that which is offered upon it) are greater. This is because for the sake of the Altar itself one would not desecrate the Shabbat, for, “the act of building the Temple itself does not require the suspension of the laws of Shabbat.” (Yevamot, 6a) The, “Accessories,” however, meaning the sacrifices, the service itself, supercede the Shabbat. (Yoma, 85b) All the while man is alive, he can make the consciousness of God his help by means of crying out in prayer. When his pieces come apart, however, then he no longer has the power to enter and exit. Then his actions are fixed without his ability to redefine them (“what I meant by this was…”)
In the explanation of the Mei HaShiloach on the verse (Genesis, 4:7), “sin crouches at the door,” he quotes the Gemara (Eruvin, 19a), “even on the threshold of hell, the wicked do not return to the way of God.” “In hell,” itself, need not be said, for hell is a place of complete absence and loss, a parched and desolate land. In such a place, the consciousness of teshuva (return to God’s way) can not exist. An action done with such consciousness will not fall into hell. However, something done without consciousness, will remain without consciousness in its new home in hell. No matter how much Korach and his congregations scream from hell, “Moshe is true and the Torah is true,” it will not save them. (Baba Batra, 74a) This is because they are not crying out from the depths of their hearts. In their hearts they are still rebelling against Moshe.
Thus, even though in the future God will make it clear that actions that were done without consciousness emerged from the depths of kedusha, this is only a long way off. This is as it is written in the Kitvei Ari (Liqutei Torah, Tehillim), the last letters of the verse (Psalm 93:13), “TsadiK c’tamaR yifraCh – the righteous will bloom like the date palm,” spells the name, “Korach.” The date palm, the Tamar, teaches of something that will not happen for a long time in the future, as it is the last in the Torah’s enumeration of the seven species of the land of Israel. (Deuteronomy, 8:8, and also because the word Tam within Tamar means whole and perfect, and such perfection is only with the final redemption) Also, that it is read from the, “final,” letters, this itself teaches of something that is due a long time in the future.
King David fixed the actions of Korach. We see this in the Psalms attributed to the sons of Korach, and that they are not called by name, but just as, “the sons of Korach.” If it were, God forbid, bad for them, they would not have been called in their father’s name. The King Messiah will fix it all completely.