Korach תרל”א 1

בזוה”ק קרח חלק על שלום ושבת ע”ש.
The Zohar says that Korach argued on the concept of Shalom – peace and Shabbos.
דאיתא מהו שבת שמא דקוב”ה.
It is brought down (where?) What is Shabbos? It is the name of HaShem
כי הקב”ה נקרא שלום לאשר לכל הנבראים נמשך חיות מנקודה אחת שנק’ שלום ששלימות הכל בנקודה הנ”ל מהשי”ת המחי’ כל.
This is because HaShem is called Shalom because this is the source that all creations draw their life force from. This is called Shalom from the word shleimus perfection / completion. For perfection comes (and exists) only from HaShem who sustains everything.
ואיתא קוב”ה לא יתיב על כורסיא יקירא עד דאתעבידת ברזא דאחד והוא בשבת שכל הנבראים עולים ונכללים בנקודה זאת שנק’ רזא דאחד
And it states (Zohar 2:135a): HaShem does not sit on his precious seat until everything comes together with the secret of oneness. This is on Shabbos, where all of creation becomes uplifted and a part of this point, which called the secret of oneness.
שהוא חיות פנימי שבכל הנבראים ובשורש הכל רק נקודה א’ ונק’ רזא דאחד.
This is the internal life force that exists in everything, and lies at the root of everything and it is called the secret of oneness.
ופי’ דאתעבידת שנמשך האחדות תוך המעשה וימי העבודה ומלאכה.
(In the Zohar above it says) everything is made with it. Meaning that this secret of oneness and the life force is drawn also into the days of the week and work (mundane matters)
וכמ”ש לעשות את השבת למשוך הארת השבת לימי המעשה כמ”ש במ”א.
As we have said elsewhere (Bnei Yisrael should guard the Shabbos) to make the Shabbos, this too refers to drawing the light of the shabbos into the days of the week.
ויש ללמוד מק”ו דלא יתיב כו’ מכש”כ ששום אחד מישראל לא יוכל לקרב עצמו בלי ביטול לכללות ישראל שעי”ז יוכל להבטל ולהכלל בשורש חיות הכל כנ”ל.
We can also infer that if HaShem does not sit in His place until everything proclaims His oneness, how much more so no person can become closer without nullifying himself to the general klal unity of Bnei Yisrael. For it is only through this that we can nullify and become a part of the root and life force of everything.

וכבר נודע כי מחלוקת קרח שרצה שכל אחד כפי מדריגתו וכחו בעבודת השי”ת יזכה לו לעצמו.
We know that the argument of Korach was that he wanted every person to earn his right through his own level and service of HaShem.
ולא כן הי’ רצונו ית’ רק להיות כלל ישראל ולהם כה”ג אחד מזבח א’ כו’ שיתקשרו הכלל ביחיד הדור.
However this wasn’t what HaShem wanted. For HaShem had commmanded there to be one Cohen Gadol and one altar etc. Through which each person can connect to through the holy leader of the generation.
ועבודת כל אחד יהי’ בטל להכלל והכלל בפרט הנ”ל.
And that means that each person’s work is to nullify himself to be included in the mass.

ואמר כל העדה כו’ קדושים כו’. ובזוה”ק כהן קדוש לוי טהור.
Korach said that everyone is holy. The Zohar says that he proclaimed “The Cohen is holy and the Levite is pure.”
כי קדוש הוא מתחלתו. וטהור בא מעבודתו לדחות הטומאה כמ”ש מי יתן טהור מטמא.
(The difference between holy and pure is that) holiness is an original state that one is created with. However purity is something that comes with work pushing off and removing the impurity. As it says (Iyov 14:4) “who will give purity from impurity” (meaning that purity comes from removing impurity)
והשי”ת בחר באהרן הכהן להיות קדוש מרחם הוא וזרעו עד סוף כל הדורות.
And the fact that HaShem chose Aharon HaCohen from and all of his descendants forever, to be holy from inception the womb.
ואין זה מעבודתו רק מה שנתן לו השי”ת.
This is (obviously) not due to their own merit rather a gift that HaShem gave them.
וכ”כ בספרים על עבודת מתנה אתן כו’ כהונתכם שהם נשמרים מהשי”ת שלא יבואו לידי שום טומאה כלל.
Similarly it states (Degel Machane Ephraim Korach d”h ‘Avodat’) that due to this gift they must protect themselves from any impurity.
ועל ידיהם נמשך קדושה לכלל ישראל.
And it is through them that holiness can be drawn into all of klal Yisrael
ומ”ש כולם קדושים אמת הי’ אבל הי’ בכח שדביקים באחדות הקדושה ע”י אהרן כ”ג שנקרא קדוש כמ”ש [דה”י א’ כ”ג] ויבדל כו’ קדש קדשים.
Even though Korach said everyone is holy which was a true statement (and it seems to contradict the above that Aharon was chosen not due to his own merit, and rather an ‘earned’ position?), However they are only each holy when they connect to the oneness of holiness through Aharon the Cohen Gadol, who is called holy. As it states (Divrei Hayamim 1:23:13) “He separated Aharon to sanctify him great holiness, him and his children forever…”
וז”ש מרע”ה ואהרן מה הוא כי כל שבח אהרן שהי’ מוכן לקבל השפעת קדושה מהשי”ת בלי שינוי.
This is what is meant by Moshe’s retort to Korach. “What is Aharon”. Because this is indeed the greatest praise of Aharon, he was always ready to receive the holiness of HaShem without changing (and becoming haughty)
כמ”ש ויעש כן שלא שינה.
As it says (in the beginning of Beha’alotcha) that Aharon did so (lit the menorah) which teaches us that he did not change (see Sfas Emes Beha’alotcha)
אבל לא לשתף כח עצמותו כי ידע תמיד שהוא רק כלי מוכן לקדושת השי”ת..
However he did not ever combine (or attribute) his own strength because he knew that he is only a vessel for the holiness of HaShem.
ולא הי’ טעם כלל לקנאת קרח כי אדרבא בחי’ אהרן הוא הביטול לגמרי וז”ש ואהרן מה הוא כו’
And indeed Korach had no reason to be jealous of Aharon at all, because on the contrary Aharon’s entire concept was to be completely nullified, as Moshe said “what is Aharon”
וגם אמר המעט מכם כי הבדיל כו’. שע”י שהי’ קרח טועה וחשב כחי ועוצם ידי כו’ לכך נתקנא.
Moshe furthermore told Korach “Is this a small thing that you have been separated to be Levites”? Because Korach was under the perception that everything needed to be earned, therefore he made this mistake of Kochi ve’otzem yadi etc.
אבל אם הי’ יודע שאין שום אדם יכול לגשת לעבודת הקודש רק ע”י שהבדיל הקב”ה הלוים לקרבם אליו.
Had Korach only known that no person can actually on his own accord approach any level of service of HaShem, without HaShem having first separating them just as he chose the levites for their service,
ממילא הי’ מבין ומאמין כי כן נכון בדרך זה להיות בטל אל הכלל.
(Had Korach realised this) he would have automatically understood and trusted that this is the correct approach to nullify oneself to the general public.
כי אם יהי’ כל אדם זוכה כפי מעשיו לא יהי’ כח לשום ברי’ לגשת אל עבודת הקודש כנ”ל:
The reason being is because if every person would merit only through his own actions no one would be able to even begin any level of service of HaShem.