Korach תרל”ה 2

בְּפַסּוּק הַמְּעַט מִכֶּם כּוּ’ לָכֵן אַתָּה וְכָל עֲדָתְךָ כו’.
In Moshe’s reply to Korach he says (Bamidbar 16:9) Is it not enough that you have been set aside by HaShem to serve as a Levi etc. Therefore you and your group have banded together against HaShem.
אֵין מוּבַן הַלָּשׁוֹן לָכֵן מָה טַעַם הֲוָא לְזֶה.
The expression “therefore” is difficult to understand, what is the reason that Moshe has given that proves Korach has banded together against HaShem?
אַךְ כִּי מרע”ה הֶרְאָה לוֹ שֶׁטּוֹעֶה עַצְמוֹ. כִּי אִם הַי’ קֹרַח רוֹאֶה הָאֱמֶת שֶׁמַּדְרִיגַת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ לוֹ אֵינוֹ בָּא מִכֹּחוֹ וְעוֹצֵם יָדוֹ. רַק מִכְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הקב”ה בָּחַר בָּהֶם וְנָתַן קְדֻשָּׁה מְיֻחֶדֶת לְכֹּהֵן לֵוִי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְכָל אֶחָד כְּפִי מַדְרִיגָתוֹ א”כ לֹא הַיָּ’ מִתְקַנֵּא בְּאַהֲרֹן.
However Moshe was showing Korach that he was fooling himself. For if Korach would have been aware of the truth, that the holiness that he has is not due to his own power, rather it comes from the nation of Yisrael, that HaShem chose each person, giving unique holiness to each group Kohanim, Levi’im and Yisraelim, according to their level, then Korach would not have been Jealous of Aharon.
אַךְ כִּי נִתְגָּאָה קֹרַח שֶׁבְּמַעֲשָׂיו זָכָה לְזֶה לָכֵן לֹא הֶאֱמִין שֶׁיְּזַכֶּה אַהֲרֹן בַּכֹּחַ עַצְמוֹ לִהְיוֹת כה”ג.
However since Korach, through his haughtiness thought that he earned this level of holiness, therefore he could not fathom how Aharon could attain such a level of holiness through his (Aharon’s) own actions. (and therefore coveted Aharon’s position).
וְקֹרַח אָמַר כָל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים. ומרע”ה אָמַר אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה’ הוּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ.
Now Korach said “the entire nation is holy”, and Moshe said “The one that HaShem chooses is the one that is holy”,
וּשְׁנֵיהֶם אֱמֶת כִּי יֵשׁ קְדֻשָּׁה בִּכְלָל וּבִפְרָט וְהוּא כְּלָל הַצָּרִיךְ לְפָרֵט כִּי בְּוַדַּאי ע”י הַנִּבְחָר מהשי”ת נִמְשַׁךְ קְדֻשָּׁה לְכָל הַכְּלָל וְכֻלָּם קְדוֹשִׁים שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ הַדִּבְּרוֹת כו’.
And really both these statements are true. However there is holiness on a group level and on an individual level. This is the principle (discussed several times) of the rule (group) that needs the individual. For clearly through being chosen by HaShem one draws down holiness to the entire group, and (yet we also find that) the entire nation is holy, for they all received the Torah from HaShem.
וּבֶאֱמֶת קְדֻשָּׁה זוֹ בָּא ע”י מרע”ה כמ”ש וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר. וְקֹרַח שָׁכַח מִזֶּה שֶׁעִקַּר הַקְּדוֹשָׁה אֲשֶׁר לוֹ נִמְשַׁךְ רַק מִמֹּשֶׁה רִבֵּינוּ ע”ה וְאַהֲרֹן כה”ג.
Truthfully this holiness (brought down from one individual onto the group) is through Moshe Rabeinu, as Moshe told them (Before receiving the Torah) “you shall sanctify yourselves today and tomorrow”. Now Korach forgot about this idea that the primary holiness comes through Moshe Rabeinu, and Aharon the high priest.
וז”ש וְיִקַּח כו’ שֶׁלָּקַח לְעַצְמוֹ.
With this explanation we can explain the words “and Korach took”, Rashi explains that “he took himself” (meaning that he attributed the status that he reached to his own earnings, and not to receiving it from a higher power)
וז”ש נִפְשַׁע מִקִּרְיַת עֹז שֶׁחלק עַצְמוֹ מֵעִקַּר תֹּקֶף הַכֹּחַ אֲשֶׁר הי’ לוֹ רַק מֵהֶם וְחָלַק עֲלֵיהֶם:
This is the (meaning of the Midrash quoting the pasuk Mishlei 18:19) a brother offended from a fortified city. For he (Korach) separated himself from the primary strength that he had (which was being a part of Klal Yisrael) and argued against them (Moshe and Aharon).