His Eye Deceived Him – Korach
וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וְאוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן (במדבר טז, א).
Rebi Tzadok HaCohen from Lublin says that to understand a word, you need to examine the context where it first appears in the Torah. The first time the word וַיִּקַּח is mentioned is when HKB"H created Chava from one of Adam's ribs וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו (בראשית ב, כא). The Mefarshim (among them Rabbeinu Bachyei) say that the episode of Korach occurred predominantly due to the bad influence of Korach's wife. We explored this in a previous shiur (Korach, 2022).
Rashi says that Korach's lineage in the passuk is traced back to Levi when it could have gone back even further. Rashi says that Yaakov specifically asked that he not be mentioned in connection with Korach בִּקְהָלָם אַל תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִי (בראשית מט, ו). The question is why? The Mefarshim (Ramban, Kli Yakar, etc.) say that Yaakov did not want Korach to claim "Whatever I am doing I learnt from Yaakov Avinu!" When Yaakov thought that Eisav was not fit to be the bechor, he set about changing that by buying the bechora from him. When Yaakov thought that Reuven was not fit to be the bechor because of the incident with the דודאים, he transferred that role to Yosef. When Yaakov saw that Ephraim was greater than Menashe, he switched his arms. Korach could claim – "I believe that Moshe and Aharon are not fit to hold their positions, so like Yaakov, I will see to it that these positions change hands!"
In a previous shiur (Korach, 2021) we explored the dynamics of dispute, what makes a dispute legitimate or not. Disputes originating from personal grudges eventually overflow the bounds of legitimacy and end up with character assassination. Although that shiur was written two years before the current events relating to the judicial reform in Israel, the words are chillingly applicable to what is happening today before our very eyes.
The Midrash (במדבר רבה, פרשה יח, סימן ח) asks a pertinent question. Korach was very rich, one of the family of Kehat who carried the Aron and a very smart man. What possessed him to enter into this ill-fated machloket with Moshe and Aharon? It is this question I would like to explore in this shiur.
First, we need to understand what caliber of person was required to carry the Aron Habrit.
The Midrash Tanchuma (ויקהל, ז) says that the Aron Habrit, containing the Luchot Habrit and the שכינה, travelled in front of Bnei Yisrael through the Midbar. The Aron would emit two "sparks" of fire (like some kind of "laser-type weapon") that would eradicate all snakes, scorpions and obstacles in its path. This gave rise to a cloud of smoke that pervaded the entire world with its sweet fragrance, so that all the nations proclaimed מִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר כְּתִימֲרוֹת עָשָׁן מְקֻטֶּרֶת מוֹר וּלְבוֹנָה מִכֹּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל (שיר השירים ג, ו).
It was impossible to carry the Aron and not be a ירא שמיים and the family of Kehat were this caliber of person. It was forbidden to catch even the tiniest glimpse of the exposed Aron. The Aron was completely covered in the Parochet (which was 1 tefach – 8cm – thick) and over that a covering of Tachash skin so that not even the tiniest fraction of the Aron was visible during its transportation. To catch a glimpse of the Aron, even out the corner of your eye meant instant death, as it says in the passuk ולא יבואו לראות כבלע את הקדש ומתו (במדבר ד, כ).
Shmuel Alef (chapters 4-6) recounts the incident when the פלשתים returned the captured Aron to Am Yisrael (after it resulted in a series of catastrophic events for them). They placed it, covered, on a wagon drawn by oxen. The oxen instinctively knew what they were transporting, and since their backs were toward the wagon (as is common when harnessing animals), they turned their heads toward the wagon out of respect and sang shira. As they approached the city of Beit Shemesh, the inhabitants saw this unusual spectacle and were filled with joy. Suddenly a wind blew and exposed a small part of the Aron and this resulted in 70,000 deaths.
Another incident (Shmuel Bet, chapter 6) tells the story of how David Hamelech transported the Aron to Jerusalem with great fanfare, when suddenly the oxen drawing the wagon on which the Aron rested stumbled. Uzah, fearing that the Aron might slip off, grabbed hold of it and he perished on the spot. The Gemara in Sota (35a) says that Uzah should have known the principle that "the Aron carries its carriers" and that at no point was it in danger of falling. The Yalkut Shimoni (שמואל ב, רמז קמב) says that David Hamelech was so disturbed by this because he realized that it was his sin, placing the Aron on a wagon, when it should have been carried by hand, and as a result Uzah perished.
Out of all the families of the Leviim, Kehat was the smallest, because the danger of carrying the Aron carelessly took an immediate toll.
במיעוט שקידתי I have not found a source that says how old Korach was when he began the machloket with Moshe, but לכל הדעות he was over the age of 50 (Korach was a contemporary of Moshe and at that time Moshe was 82). This means that Korach was no longer a serving Levi (service was until age 50). In other words, Korach successfully completed his years of service carrying the Aron, which means he was worthy and thus did not perish.
Rashi (טז, ז) says that Korach was very smart וְקֹרַח שֶׁפִּקֵּחַ הָיָה, מָה רָאָה לִשְׁטוּת זֶה. How do we know that Korach was פִּקֵּחַ? And why does Rashi use the word פִּקֵּחַ and not חכם?
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 52a) quotes Reish Lakish who explains why Korach's followers were duped by him and the answer is that Korach was a very rich man and his followers were receiving payouts, bribes. As we know the passuk says כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר פִּקְחִים (שמות כג, ח). Korach's followers were receiving bribes, that explains their stupidity, but Korach himself was not receiving bribes, so he remained a פִּקֵּחַ.
What is the difference between a פִּקֵּחַ and a חכם? The passuk says הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ (קהלת ב, יד), that a חכם's eyes are "in his head". What does that mean? Rashi (ibid.) says that a חכם at the beginning of a thing, sees what will be at the end of the thing. In other words, a חכם is someone who can foresee the outcome even before it has occurred, as it says in the Gemara - איזהו חכם הרואה את הנולד (תמיד לב, א).
Just to show how פִּקֵּחַ Korach was, we simply need to examine his טענות.
Korach's first question to Moshe was "A בגד with four corners requires tzitzit with a techelet thread, because the techelet reminds you of the color of the sea, the color of the sky, the color of the כסא הכבוד, and by wearing it, one is constantly aware of the presence of HKB"H and it protects you from sin. However, what if the entire בגד is made from techelet? Your eyes are filled with the color of the techelet – do you still need tzitzit?"
It is a legitimate halachic question. However, Korach did not ask Moshe the question to get a psak halacha, he asked it to ridicule Moshe. It is a question cleverly devised, like a chess game where you predict at least 20 moves ahead. Whichever way Moshe responds to this question he "loses".
If Moshe would reply "A בגד that is completely techelet does not require tzitzit", then Korach would claim "If so, Am Yisrael who are all Kedoshim, do not require leaders, so why do you and Aharon place yourselves above the rest of Am Yisrael?"
If Moshe would reply "A בגד that is completely techelet does require tztitzit" (as he did reply), then Korach would claim "If so, then why does the מעיל worn by Aharon, which is completely techelet, not have tzitzit?" (there is a whole debate whether the מעיל requires tzitzit or not, beyond the scope of this shiur – but the pshat would indicate that simply as a garment it does). The reason it does not is because the primary purpose of the techelet is to constantly remind you of HKB"H, but the Kohen Gadol does not need tzitzit on the מעיל to do that. The very fact that he is constantly in the Beit Hamikdash is enough to achieve the same result.
Similarly with Korach's next question "Does a house full of sefarim require a mezuzah?" If Moshe would respond "No it doesn't", then Korach would again claim "Am Yisrael are all Kedoshim (like sefarim), neither do they require a 'mezuzah' (leaders over them)". If Moshe would respond "It does require a mezuzah" (as he did reply), then Korach would counter "Then why is there no mezuzah on the entrance to the Kodesh Hakodashim?"
Either way, Korach's questions elicited the required "response". It appeared that Moshe had "double standards", one set of standards for himself and Aharon and another set of standards for the rest of Am Yisrael.
This shows the depth of insight Korach had. He was as בקי in the sugyot as Moshe was and could devise questions that were extremely "clever" - that required not only a deep understanding of the subject matter, but also a grasp of tactics and strategy.
This was Rashi's question above. If Korach had such intelligence, what prompted him to enter into a machloket that he could not possibly win? To reinforce Rashi's question – If Korach was of such an elevated spiritual stature (to carry the Aron Habrit), how could he enter into a machloket with HKB"H's chosen leader Moshe Rabbeinu? He knew that Moshe was chosen by HKB"H, although he tried to portray it (with his clever questions above) that Moshe was "making stuff up".
The answer simply is that Korach truly believed that he could win this machloket!
We might regard Korach as a troublemaker who ignored what was before his very eyes. However, there was another side to Korach that we tend to overlook. Korach was an extremely spiritually elevated individual who had Ruach HaKodesh! The Midrash Rabba (Korach, 18, 8) says that Korach saw by Ruach HaKodesh that Shmuel HaNavi would be descended from him. However, the Midrash continues, עינו הטעתו – his eye deceived him.
Yes, it was true that Shmuel Hanavi was to be descended from Korach, however not because of Korach's merit, but because of Korach's sons' merit. At the last minute, as they were descending into the pit, Korach's sons did tshuva and were saved. It was in their merit that Shmuel HaNavi was born. It is like Betuel claiming "I gave birth to David Hamelech, the Mashiach!" Actually, David Hamelech is descended from Betuel, however it was not because of Betuel's merit that David Hamelech was born, but because of Betuel's daughter Rivka Imeinu!
Similarly, Korach saw with Ruach HaKodesh that Shmuel HaNavi would be descended from him, so he thought if he entered into a machloket with Moshe, he would obviously survive the ordeal. This is why he accepted the "Ketoret Duel". Korach thought to himself "If I die, then Shmuel HaNavi will not be born. Therefore, there is no way that I will die".
However, עינו הטעתו, his eye deceived him. Why does it say עינו – his one eye and not עיניו – both his eyes deceived him? The passuk above in Kohelet says הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ. Korach was a פִּקֵּחַ but not a חָכָם. A חָכָם uses both eyes, a פִּקֵּחַ only uses one eye. In Meir Panim I bring the Pardes Rimonim (שער ערכי הכינויים, יב) who says that the לויתן has two eyes, חכמה ובינה. What is the different between חכמה ובינה? חכמה refers to intelligence, level of IQ. בינה refers to understanding. A person may be a genius and may be able to regurgitate Shas from memory, however if he lacks בינה, then that intelligence is worthless. בינה, primarily, means an understanding that all our חכמה is finite. It means that in a case when have to rely either on our own intelligence, or defer to what HKB"H says, we opt for the latter. That is a חָכָם.
Bilam had only one eye. He, similarly to Korach, had powers of נבואה, he had tremendous חכמה and knew the exact minute of the day when HKB"H is angry and abused that knowledge to curse people and inflict damage on them. Similarly, Bilam lacked בינה. In the case where he had a choice to follow his own intelligence or listen to what HKB"H said, he opted for the former.
A large portion of sefer Meir Panim is dedicated to the principle of איזהו עשיר השמח בחלקו. Korach was undoubtedly an עשיר, but it is a safe bet to say that Korach was not שמח בחלקו, otherwise he would not have started a machloket in the first place. Meir Panim describes the function of the eyes and the mouth in the principle of being שמח בחלקך. Korach failed both in the eyes and in the mouth (speaking lashon harah).
This is a wile of the yetzer harah – ונחמד העץ להשכיל. The yetzer harah trips intelligent people up davka with their own intelligence. That was the sin of Adam Harishon and that was the same sin of Korach.
Korach, unlike Avraham Avinu at the Akeida, instead of simply following what HKB"H said, used his own powers of deduction and logic. Korach saw that Shmuel HaNavi was to be descended from him and thought he was invincible. But that same Korach was at Har Sinai and heard מפי הגבורה the first two דברות. Korach knew that Moshe was a נביא אמת. The criterion for a נביא אמת is that what they say - actually happens. Moshe never faulted once. Whatever he heard from HKB"H through נבואה and said, actually happened – every time.
Korach was like a fast action replay of Adam and Chava. The נחש got to Adam, who was extremely spiritually elevated, through his wife. Similarly with Korach. The yetzer harah tripped Adam up with his intelligence. Similarly with Korach.
The Gemara (Bava Batra 74a) says that Korach and his עדה never really "died". It tells the story of Rabba Bar Bar Chana who was guided by a Yishmaeli merchant to a spot that was supposedly the pit where Korach and his followers were swallowed up. Rabba Bar Bar Chana saw craters in the ground that were exuding smoke. The Yishmaeli took a wool cloth, soaked it in water, tied it on the end of his spear and inserted it into one of the craters. When he withdrew the cloth, it was completely burnt. The Yishmaeli asked Rabba Bar Bar Chana "What do you hear?" Rabba Bar Bar Chana replied "Moshe and his Torah are the truth and we are liars!" The Yishmaeli told him that every thirty days Korach and his followers "bubble up" from גיהנום, like meat cooking in a pot and repeat that mournful cry.
How difficult it is for each and every one of us to examine a situation completely objectively, without injecting our own personal agendas into it. How can we tell whether it is the voice of G-d speaking or the yetzer harah?
I often think about the Gemara (Bava Metzia 59b) regarding תנור עכנאי, where R' Yehoshua disregarded every proof that R' Eliezer brought, including the "ultimate" proof – a Bat Kol from Heaven proclaiming – R' Eliezer is right. R' Yehoshua rejected even that. How could R' Yehoshua have been so certain that it was the Torah speaking and not his yetzer harah? Perhaps there was some שמץ of a personal agenda involved, some issue of kavod?
I heard a shiur from HaRav Baruch Rosenblum shlita about a Rosh Yeshiva (I forget his name), who was an old man and one of his talmidim was sitting shiva. The talmid lived on the top floor of a building with no elevator. The Rosh Yeshiva wanted to go do a nichum aveilim, but the only time he had free was in the afternoon when most people are resting, between the hours of 2-4pm. So, the Rosh Yeshiva had a dilemma – do I go during those hours and perhaps I might be disturbing his rest? The Rosh Yeshiva thought to himself. "Who is speaking here? Is it the voice of the Torah, not wanting to disturb the aveil's rest, or is it my yetzer harah speaking and telling me to not bother walking up all those stairs? How do I know who is speaking?" In order to clarify which "voice" was actually speaking to him, the Rosh Yeshiva decided "I am going to go to the aveil's home, walk up all the stairs and only then, when I have already walked up the stairs and I am standing outside the door - will I again ask the question. Should I knock on the door and perhaps disturb his rest?" Only then could he be sure who was really talking to him.
R' Yehoshua was certain the voice of the Torah was speaking to him. In the Torah it says אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְהַטֹּת (שמות כג, ב). R' Yehoshua had heard every proof that R' Eliezer brought and despite these proofs, it was the majority decision of the chachamim against the opinion of R' Eliezer. They were simply following the Torah to the letter. How could R' Yehoshua know that the yetzer harah was not involved in any way, because in the aftermath of the decision and the ruling to put R' Eliezer in נידוי, R' Yehoshua took great pains to preserve R' Eliezer's kavod and sent R' Akiva, his favorite talmid to tell him.
Similarly, when we are presented with a situation where common sense tells us one thing, but the Torah tells us the opposite, something that may even seem counter intuitive. The strong tendency in such a case is to follow our common sense. We need to make our best effort to "neutralize", to remove our yetzer harah from the equation in order to make the right decision.
Korach's yetzer harah got the better of him, his eye deceived him. He could not set aside his personal agenda and examine the situation objectively.
The way HKB"H wants us to lead our lives is to relinquish our personal agendas in deference to what He tells us to do in the Torah תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם ה' אֱ-לֹקֶיךָ (דברים יח, יג). That is the daily battle.
