Change not at any cost

Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald – The Parasha in our everyday life - Korach - 5781

No system is perfect. In any system, good as it may be, there are healthy and successful components and there are also flaws. In a fixated system, its defects can lead to destruction. Therefore, every system needs to be periodically refreshed, changed and constantly improved. It is difficult for the system to recognize its defects, so an audit is required, preferably from an external source. For the critique to be beneficial, it must be a 'constructive' and proportionate critique, aimed at improving the situation, a critique 'for heaven's sake' and free from the critics' foreign considerations.

Changes should be made carefully and with common sense. Not every change proposed is a guarantee of improving the existing situation. Sometimes the format of the proposed change, which has not been tried yet, is worse than the format of the existing situation with all its flaws and shortcomings. Sometimes it may even undermine the healthy and successful components of the existing system and worsen the situation even further.

There is criticism that is not 'in the name of heaven', (L'Shem Shamayim) intended to exploit the flaws of the system for unfamiliar reasons, most often these are self-interested personal goals, which come from ego. The auditor seeks to position himself as an alternative to whoever heads the system, saying, 'I can do it better.' Such 'infected criticism' is strong enough to lead to a proposal for 'change' that will not improve the existing situation and may even worsen it.

In our Parasha, Korach criticized the leadership of the people of Israel, and seeked to make a change in the Priesthood system; he challenged the centralization of the Tabernacle work. That there is only one Priest at a time and offers to disperse it because there are others who may fit:

...כִּ֤י כׇל־הָֽעֵדָה֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים וּבְתוֹכָ֖ם ה' וּמַדּ֥וּעַ תִּֽתְנַשְּׂא֖וּ עַל־קְהַ֥ל ה'׃

"…For all the community are holy, all of them, and Hashem is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above Hashem’s congregation?” (Bamidbar 16:3)

And as is implied from the answer of Moshe Rabbeinu:

ואתם מאתים וחמשים איש מבקשים כהונה גדולה?!

"but you two hundred and fifty men are [yet all] seeking high priesthood! (Bamidbar Rabbah 18:20).

"כונתו של קרח היתה לבלבל כל הסדרים. אהרן היה כהן ו'בסוד חסד', וקרח היה לוי 'בסוד הגבורה', ודין הוא שהחסד ישלוט על הדין, והוא היה רוצה להגביר השמאל על הימין כמו שכתוב בזוהר

This is a change that undermines the existing foundations: "Korach's intention was to confuse all orders. Aaron was a Cohen, - with the emotional attribute of loving-kindness (Chessed), and Korach was a Levi - Justice and discipline (Gevurah). The rule is that Chessed will rule over, and he would like to increase the left over the right as it is written in the Zohar". (Moshe Chaim Luzzatto -Ramhal's Commentary on Torah-Korach).

The criticism was directed at Moshe and Aaron even though the pattern was dictated by G-d:

לָכֵ֗ן אַתָּה֙ וְכׇל־עֲדָ֣תְךָ֔ הַנֹּעָדִ֖ים עַל ה' וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן מַה־ה֔וּא כִּ֥י תַלִּ֖ינוּ עָלָֽיו׃

"Truly, it is against Hashem that you and all your company have banded together. For who is Aaron that you should rail against him?” (ibid Pasuk 11)

Sages reveal that the criticism was not "L'Shem Shamayim", it stemmed from a personal, egotistical harm, since the appointment of Elizaphan as the chieftain of the Kohathite clans. However, according to Korach, he was supposed to be appointed to the position. (Rashi Bamidbar 16:1, Tanchuma Korach 1).

Although, criticism that was not 'in the name of Heaven', had no chance of existing:

כל מחלוקת שהיא לשם שמים. סופה להתקיים. ושאינה לשם שמים. אין סופה להתקיים. איזו היא מחלוקת שהוא לשם שמים זו מחלוקת הלל ושמאי. ושאינה לשם שמים. זו מחלוקת קרח וכל עדתו:

"Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven, will in the end endure; But one that is not for the sake of Heaven, will not endure. Which is the controversy that is for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai. And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korach and all his congregation". (Mishna Avot 5:17)

In order to intensify his demand for change, he also recruits other leading people, 'heads of the Sanhedrin' to be partners in the uprising:

...חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם נְשִׂיאֵ֥י עֵדָ֛ה קְרִאֵ֥י מוֹעֵ֖ד אַנְשֵׁי־שֵֽׁם׃

"…two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute." (ibid pasuk 2).

Only On's wife (son of Peleth) noticed in her wisdom that Korach was 'using' them for his own ego, so she demands that he differentiates himself from Korach and not be a 'used idiot':

וְאָמְרָה לֵיהּ מַה לָּךְ בַּהֲדֵי פְּלוּגְתֵּיהּ, אִי אַהֲרֹן כַּהֲנָא רַבָּא אַתְּ תַּלְמִידָא אִי קֹרַח כַּהֲנָא רַבָּה אַתְּ תַּלְמִידָא.

“On ben Peleth had his wife save him; for she said to him, ‘What has this dispute to do with you? If Aaron is the high priest, you are a disciple; if Korach is high priest, you are [still] a disciple]." (Bamidbar Rabbah 18:20)

Scripture implies that Korach planned the move carefully, ahead of time:

כונת המדרש בויקח קרח שלקח עצה בלבו לעשות מה שיספר

"Scripture does not state here: And Korach ‘quarelled,’ or ‘spoke,’ or ‘commanded,’ but it says vayikach (and he took). What did he take? He did not take anything; rather, it was his heart that took [control of] him" (Ramban Pasuk 1).

Psychologically, he went through a process of 'dissociation' and 'side transition'. Otherwise, he could not have set himself against Moshe.

ויקח קרח. לָקַח אֶת עַצְמוֹ לְצַד אֶחָד לִהְיוֹת נֶחֱלָק מִתּוֹךְ הָעֵדָה לְעוֹרֵר עַל הַכְּהֻנָּה,

"He betook himself on one side with the view of separating himself from out of the community so that he might raise a protest regarding the priesthood to which Moshe had appointed his brother". (Rashi ibid)

The mental motivation was deeper, a kind of megalomania and adventure. Korach envisioned himself as the head of a great dynasty that would come out of him:

וְקֹרַח שֶׁפִּקֵּחַ הָיָה מָה רָאָה לַשְּׁטוּת הַזּוֹ, אֶלָּא עֵינוֹ הִטְעַתּוּ, רָאָה שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת גְּדוֹלָה עוֹמֶדֶת הֵימֶנּוּ, שְׁמוּאֵל שֶׁשָּׁקוּל כְּמשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן... עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע מִשְׁמָרוֹת עוֹמְדוֹת מִבְּנֵי בָנָיו שֶׁכֻּלָּם מִתְנַבְּאִים בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ... אָמַר אֶפְשָׁר הַגְּדֻלָּה הַזּוֹ עֲתִידָה לַעֲמֹד מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲנִי אֶדֹּם, וְלֹא רָאָה יָפֶה

"Now since Korach was a clever man, how did he see fit to commit this folly? It is simply that his eyes misled him. He foresaw a great lineage stemming from himself, [e.g.,] Samuel, who was the equivalent of Moshe and Aaron… Moreover, the twenty-four [Levitical] shifts would stem from his descendants, all of whom would prophesy by the holy spirit...” He said, “Is it possible that, when this greatness is going to stem from me, I should perish?” But he did not foresee correctly". (Bamidbar Rabbah 18:20)

Therefore, he hurried. He felt that this was an opportunity that could not be missed. And if not now, when.

Every year we read Parshat Korach to remember the damage he caused to the people of Israel:

אמר רבי לוי: למה נקרא שמו קרח? שעשה קרחה בישראל.

"Rabbi Levi said: Why is he called Korach? For he made a bad bargain by challenging Moshe and Aaron. He caused a “bald spot” among the Israelites, his very name meaning: “bald,” devoid of hair where there ought to be hair." (Midrash Mishlei 11:27).