Korach
קרחThe Rebellion
28 translated essays · 64 total
תרל"א(1870)
Korach תרל"א 1· Essay 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&…
Nullifying the Self into Oneness· Essay 2
ובמדרש אח נפשע מקרית עוז כו’. The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 18:1) brings the following pasuk in regards to Korach: (Mishlei 18:19) “A brother offended is harder to win over thn a defended city” כי ע”י שפשע ומרד קרח בעיקר הע…
Korach Severing His Own Vitality· Essay 3
קנאה כו’ מוציאין את האדם מן העולם. “Jealousy (desire and honour)….remove a person from this world” (Avos 4:21) ונלמד מקרח שנתקנא This idea is learnt from Korach (due to his jealousy of Aharon) כי מי שדבוק בפנימיות החיות ממילא יש…
Jealousy versus the unifying inner point· Essay 4
"Kin'ah (jealousy)… removes a person from the world" (Avos 4:21). The Mishnah warns that jealousy drives a person out of the world — a teaching the Sefas Emes connects to Korach. And we learn this from Korach, who was jealous; for one who i…
תרל"ה(1874)
Unity Through Shabbos Peace· Essay 1
במדרש אח נפשע מקרית עוז ה’ עוז לעמו יתן כו’ יברך עמו בשלום. The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 18:14) quotes the pasuk (Mishlei 18:19) “A brother offended is harder (to win back) than a fortified city”. This was Korach, who sinned wit…
Holiness in Klal and Prat· Essay 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 ha…
תרל"ו(1875)
Sustaining the World Through Kindness· Essay 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.…
Cherishing Every Small Service· Essay 2
וְעַל פִּי פִּשּׁוּטוֹ יֵשׁ לִלְמֹד דֶּרֶךְ אִישׁ הַיָּשָׁר בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא כָּל שֶׁעוֹלֶה מִדְּרִיגָה יוֹתֵר. יוֹדֵעַ חֲשִׁיבוּת כָּל דָּבָר קָטָן. Simply we can explain that it comes to teach us, that the correct service of HaShem i…
Priesthood as Divine Gift· Essay 3
ואהרן מה היא כו’ (Bamidbar 16:11) “And what is Aharon that you complain about him” פי’ שזה הי’ בחי’ אהרן הכהן איש חסד פי’ שיכול לקבל החסד כראוי. The explanation is that the concept of Aharon, is that he is call…
Why Korach descended alive· Essay 4
That which Moshe Rabbeinu requested specifically to punish them in this manner, when he said "but if Hashem will create a creation now" (Bamidbar 16:30) — could He not have punished them with punishments already created during the Six Days …
תרל"ח(1877)
תרל"ט(1878)
Torah's inner light needs unity· Essay 1
The Midrash cites: "A brother offended is harder to win than a fortified city" (Mishlei 18:19). The Sefas Emes opens with this pasuk because Korach's quarrel against Moshe Rabbeinu was a rebellion against the very "fortified city" — the str…
The kehunah as a Divine gift, not earned· Essay 2
On the verse "And it shall be, the man [whom I choose] — his staff shall blossom… and I shall quell [the complaints of Bnei Yisrael against Me]" (Bamidbar 17:20) — and one must understand why this would remove the complaints of Bnei Yisrael…
תר"מ(1879)
Bittul and unity versus Korach· Essay 1
In the Midrash on the verse: "A brother offended is harder than a fortified city" (Mishlei 18:19). The Sefas Emes opens with this verse, reading "kiryas oz" (city of strength) as a key to the parsha of Korach and the theme of unity. It has …
Pure leadership without self-interest· Essay 2
On the pasuk, "Is it too little for you" (Bamidbar 16:9). Moshe rebukes Korach and his company with the words "hame'at mikem," and the Sefas Emes notes the precise wording. And it should have said "for you" (lachem). One would have expected…
Penimiyus versus the hollow externals of Korach· Essay 3
My grandfather, of blessed memory, said in the name of the Rebbe of Peshischa, of blessed memory: Observe how those who oppose the tzaddik specifically choose to speak against him in the very trait that is most perfected in him. The Sefas E…
תרמ"א(1880)
תרמ"ב(1881)
Aharon's daily Divine choosing versus Korach· Essay 1
"In the morning Hashem will make known... whom He will choose..." (Bamidbar 16:5). Moshe answers Korach's challenge: by morning Hashem will reveal whom He has chosen. The Sefas Emes will probe why this revelation comes specifically "in the …
Dispute for Heaven versus self· Essay 2
And in the Mishnah: a dispute that is not for the sake of Heaven (she-einah le-shem shomayim) is the dispute of Korach. (Avos 5:17) The Mishnah cites Korach's quarrel as the prime example of a dispute not for Heaven's sake. And it is diffic…
Korach תרמ"ב
בוקר ויודע ה’ כו’ אשר יבחר כו’. הגם כי כבר בחר השי”ת באהרן. רק בכל יום יש בחירה מחדש. כמו שבנ”י מקבלין בכל יום מלכותו ית’. כמו כן כביכול הקב”ה בכל יום בוחר בבנ”י ובמנהיגיהם. וכ”כ את ה…
תרמ"ג(1882)
Aharon's silence and the power of bittul· Essay 1
On the verse "Is it too little for you… and Aharon — what is he?" (Bamidbar 16:9-11). The Sefas Emes opens with Moshe's response to Korach, focusing especially on the words "and Aharon — what is he," which he will read as a key to Aharon's …
The Kohen renews the realm of deed daily· Essay 2
On the pasuk: "In the morning, and Hashem will make known..." (Bamidbar 16:5), Chazal expounded: "Just as He separated between morning and evening..." etc. Moshe tells Korach to wait until morning; Chazal read his words as invoking the divi…
True achdus needs righteous leadership· Essay 3
And in the Gemara and Midrash on "in their assembly let my honor not be united" — this refers to the congregation of Korach, as it is written, "and they assembled against Moshe and against Aharon." Yaakov's words "let my honor not be joined…
Korach תרמ"ג
בפסוק המעט מכם כו’ ואהרן מה הוא כו’. דאיתא ויקח קרח לעצמו לקח. דאיתא האומר שלי שלך ושלך שלך חסיד ושלך שלי ושלי שלי רשע. כי בנ”י כל אחד מסייע לחבירו והחסיד תולה מעשים טובים שלו בזכות אחרים. והרשע סובר שכל העולם ניזון בשבילו…
תרמ"ד(1883)
Deeds as the vessel for Torah's light· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "A brother offended is harder than a fortified city" (Mishlei 18:19). The Midrash on Korach opens with this verse; the Sefas Emes will unpack the phrase "kiryas oz" — fortified city — as a key to the parshah. As it is writte…
Dispute for Heaven's sake versus self-interest· Essay 2
In the Mishnah: "A dispute that is not for the sake of Heaven — its end is not to endure; this is the dispute of Korach" (Avos 5:17). The Sefas Emes begins from the Mishnah's verdict: Korach's machlokes was the paradigm of a quarrel that wa…
Korach תרמ"ד
במדרש אח נפשע מקרית עוז. דכתיב ה’ עוז לעמו יתן והוא התורה ה’ יברך את עמו בשלום והוא ההכנה שנמצא בכללות בנ”י להיות מתוקנים ומוכנים לקבל התורה וגם זה ברכה מה’ ואינו בכח עצמותם וזה נק’ קרית עוז. וזה בחי’ התי…
Undated
36 more essays from this section await translation.