Korach תרל”ו 1

תרל”ו
בבמשנה כֹּל מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהוּא לש”ש סוּפָה לְהִתְקַיֵּם זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם זוֹ קֹרַח וְכֹל עֲדָתוֹ.
The Mishna in Pirkei Avos distinguishes between the different types of arguments. One that is for the sake of heaven will last. For example the argument of Hille and Shamai. However one that is not for the sake of heaven will not. Which is the argument of Korach and his band
דְּיֵשׁ ב’ דְּרָכִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא אֶחָד עפ”י הַדִּין מִי שֶׁמְּיַשֵּׁר כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו וְזוֹכֶה בְּדִינוֹ.
There are 2 ways in which to serve HaShem. One is through din – judgement (absolute worthiness). Where a person aligns all of his actions correctly and merits successful outcome in the din.
וְאֶחָד עפ”י חֶסֶד הַבּוֹרֵא. פי’ שֶׁזּוֹכֶה בְּמַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה השי”ת עִמּוֹ הַחֶסֶד.
And the other is through kindness. Meaning that he merits that through his actions HaShem does kindness to him (and goes beyond the letter of the law, and he merits even though he is not necessarily deserving the outcome).
וְגַם שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְקַבֵּל חֶסֶד עֶלְיוֹן שֶׁלֹּא לָבוֹא עי”ז ח”ו לְהִתְנַשְּׂאוּת וש”ד.
Also another benefit of meriting kindness is that it does not lead one to be haughty and improper behaviour (murder etc)
וּלְזֶה הָאִישׁ מִתְנַהֵג עִמּוֹ הקב”ה בְּחַסְדּוֹ.
And for such a person HaShem acts with him in His (infinite attribute of) kindness
וְנוֹדַע שֶׁאַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן הוּא הַמְּיֻחָד לבחי’ הַחֶסֶד. וְהַלְוִיִּם בַּדִּין.
And it is known that Aharon was exceptional in the attribute of kindness and the Levites in the attribute of din – judgement.
אַךְ בֶּאֱמֶת עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה וא”א לְהִתְקַיֵּם בַּדִּין כמ”ש זַ”ל עָלָה בְּמַחְשָׁבָה במדה”ד וְרָאָה שֶׁאֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְקַיֵּם וְשִׁתֵּף עִמּוֹ מדה”ר הֲרֵי שא”א לְהִתְקַיֵּם במדה”ד בִּלְבַד.
The truth is that it is “A world of kindness will be built” that it is not possible for the world to exist only by ‘Din’. As it says when HaShem created the world He originally intended it to be a world of justice and He saw that it could not last, and therefore He combined the attribute of mercy. This shows us that the trait of ‘din’ justice (is not sustainable) and the world cannot exist upon it alone.
וְהַטַּעַם כִּי העוה”ז אֵינוֹ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת וע”כ יֵשׁ בּוֹ חֶסְרוֹן.
The reason for this is because the world is imperfect and therefore always has something lacking (so there is no absolute perfection which is what the attribute of din requires)
וּבְכַוָּנָה בָּרָא השי”ת כֵּן שֶׁלֹּא לִהְיוֹת הַקִּיּוּם בִּשְׁלֵמוּת בְּלִי עֵזֶר עֶלְיוֹן.
And HaShem intentionally created the world in such a fashion, where it is not possible for there to be an existence without HaShem’s involvement.
וּכְמוֹ בַּגַּשְׁמִיּוֹת נִבְרָא צַד צָפוֹן פָּרוּץ כַּיָּדוּעַ שמג’ רוּחוֹת הָעוֹלָם סָתוּם וְצַד צָפוֹן פָּתוּחַ הַכֹּל לְהַרְאוֹת שֶׁאֵין לְעוֹלָם קִיּוּם מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ.
And similarly we find in the physical world, where the ‘Northern Side’ was left open. From three sides it is closed off and from the Northern side it is open (and imperfect) to show that the world has no existence on it’s own (without HaShem’s involvement).
אַךְ הקב”ה הוּא שְׁלֵמוֹת הָעוֹלָם.
However HaShem ‘completes’ the world (it is through His involvement that perfection can be attained)
וְזֶה בחי’ ש”ק שנק’ שָׁלוֹם
This is the concept of Shabbos which is called shalom – peace or perfection. (it is through Shabbos that the world becomes complete and perfect)
כַּיָּדוּעַ בזוה”ק בע”ש ביה”ש נִבְרְאוּ מַזִּיקִין וְרָצוּ לִשְׁלֹט בָּעוֹלָם רַק שהקב”ה הִשְׁפִּיעַ קְדֻשַּׁת ש”ק וְנִשְׁבְּתוּ הַמַּזִּיקִין.
As the Zohar says, that on erev Shabbos the mazikin (spiritual negative forces) were created, and they wanted to control the world. HaShem therefore affected them with the holiness of Shabbos and the shabbos stopped them.
וְהַיְנוּ שֶׁסּוֹף יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הוּא בְּחֶסְרוֹן שֶׁחָסֵר הַשְּׁלֵמוֹת. וע”ז אָמְרוּ מָה הי’ הָעוֹלָם חָסֵר מְנוּחָה פִּי’ הַשְּׁלֵמוֹת וּבָא שַׁבָּת וְהִשְׁלִים.
This is because the end of the creation of the world was lacking perfection. And this is what is meant that HaShem saw that the world was lacking rest, and Shabbos completed everything.
ופי’ הָעִנְיָן שֶׁהַשַּׁבָּת מַעֲלָה כֹּל הַבְּרִיאָה לְשָׁרְשׁוֹ וְהַתְחָלָתוֹ.
The idea here is that Shabbos elevates everything to it’s root and begining
נִמְצָא קֹדֶם שֶׁבָּא הַגְּמָר שהי’ שׁוֹלֵט הַמַּזִּיקִין כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַגְּמָר חָסֵר בָּא שַׁבָּת וּמַעְלָה הַכֹּל אֶל הַהַתְחָלָה.
Therefore before the world was complete, there was imperfection and the mazikin had power, however once shabbos came and elevated everything to it’s beginning (and the mazikin therefore lost their power).
וז”ש כְּלִי מַחְזִיק בְּרָכָה שָׁלוֹם. פִּי’ שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁהַגְּמָר חָסֵר הֲרֵי הַכְּלִי כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ נֶקֶב וּכְמוֹ צַד צָפוֹן שֶׁפָּתוּחַ. וע”י שֶׁהַשַּׁבָּת מַדְבִּיק הַכֹּל לְשָׁרְשׁוֹ נַעֲשָׂה כְּלִי שָׁלֵם וּמַחֲזִיק בְּרָכָה.
This is what is meant by that a vessel to hold brocha is Shalom. The idea is that since the completion (of the world) was imperfect it was like a vessel that has a crack in it – The northern side was open (the crack for impurity to come through). However once shabbos came along and connected everything to its root, it once again became a complete vessel and can now hold all brocha.
וְזֶה עַצְמוֹ עִנְיַן פִּי הָאָרֶץ לִבְלֹעַ קֹרַח שֶׁנִּבְרָא בע”ש ביה”ש.
This is the idea of the mouth of the earth that swallowed up Korach. It too was created on Erev Shabbos
פִּי’ כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָצָה קֹרַח לְהִתְנַהֵג רַק עפ”י דִּין קָפַץ עָלָיו רֹגֶז הַגֵּיהִנָּם שֶׁהוּא הַצַּד צָפוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מִצָּפוֹן תִּפְתַּח הָרָעָה כַּנַ”ל שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם במדה”ד בְּלִי הִשְׁתַּתְּפוּת חֶסֶד עֶלְיוֹן.
Since Korach wanted to only use the attribute of ‘din’ – justice, (therefore he allowed the absolute element of din to control him), and the ‘anger’ of gehinom (purgatory), attacked him. Which is the Northern side where all bad comes from. For it is not possible to exist solely by justice and without the kindness of HaShem.
וּמַחֲלֹקֶת ב”ש וב”ה ג”כ בְּאֹפֶן זֶה כַּיָּדוּעַ שֶׁשַּׁמַּאי יוֹרֵד לְעֹמֶק הַדִּין כמ”ש מְחַדְּדִין טְפֵי. וב”ה וַתְּרָן וְעַנְוְתָן הַי’.
The idea of the argument of Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel was indeed similar to the machlokes of Korach. Beis Shamai also wanted to get to the depth of justice as it says “they (Beis Shamai) were sharper (than Beis Hillel), and Beis Hillel were yielding and humble.
אַךְ ב”ש כֵּיוָן שַׁהִי’ כַּוָּנָתָם רַק לש”ש.
However (Beis Shamai were not subject to the absolute attribute of justice), because their intention was for the sake of heaven.
זֶה הַמְכַוֵּן שהי’ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם שִׁתֵּף עִמּוֹ מדה”ר פִּי’ שֶׁיָּדְעוּ שאעפ”כ צָרִיךְ לְמִדַּת הַחֶסֶד ג”כ וכמ”ש בַּגְּמָ’ לֹא נִמְנְעוּ זֶה מִזֶּה אעפ”י שֶׁאֵלּוּ אוֹסְרִין וְאֵלּוּ מַתִּירִין כּוּ’.
This intention of doing for the sake of heaven, is what brought about the attribute of kindness. For they appreciated that it was also necessary. And we see an example of this, even though they argued on certain halachos of marriage, nevertheless they still intermarried.
אֲבָל קֹרַח רָצָה לֵרֵד לְעֹמֶק הַדִּין וְעִרְעֵר עַל הַכְּהֻנָּה שֶׁהוּא מִדַּת הַחֶסֶד לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְחֶסֶד לָכֵן לֹא הַי’ יָכוֹל לְהִתְקַיֵּם.
However Korach wanted to act based solely by the attribute of din and he questioned the Kohen who symbolised the attribute of kindness, meaning that kindness was not necessary, therefore he could no longer exist.
וְזֶה י”ל פִּי’ הַמְּעַט מִכֶּם ויל”ד דהול”ל הַמְּעַט לָכֶם.
We can also see this idea in Moshe’s response to Korach. He said “Is this a small thing that you have (the Levite duties)?” However the word he used was Mekem – from you, instead of lachem – for you.
אַךְ זֶה הֶרְאָה לָהֶם מרע”ה שַׁמָּה שֶׁהֵם סוֹבְרִים שעפ”י דִּין יִזְכּוּ לְמַדְרִיגַת הַכְּהֻנָּה הוּא א”א.
However this is what Moshe showed was showing them. The thought that they will merit to kehuna via din is not possible
כִּי הַמְּעַט מִכֶּם
It is below you (this can also be understood: That that you feel that it is beneath you to only have the Levite service and not the Kohen service is – “Mikem”: coming from you, it is just your understanding, however it is not a small thing at all See תרל”ו 2 )
מָה שֶׁזּוֹכִין בְּמַעֲשֵׂיכֶם לִבְחֵי’ לֵוִי’ זֶהוּ ג”כ רַק בְּצֵרוּף חֶסֶד עֶלְיוֹן וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם גַּם כְּהֻנָּה עפ”י דִּין וְהוּא בִּלְתִּי מִתְקַיֵּם:
Meaning that even that level that they have already attained of serving as a Levite, is not due to their own merit, it too is because of HaShem’s kindness, and now they want something even greater through their own right, that is not possible.