Korach: Chapter 1

"Now Korah..."

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak tells us that if the children of Yisrael had followed the Torah they would not have been exiled, because whoever deals in the Torah has freedom from everything including death. The Torah is the power of the right, and whoever exchanges the left for the right is as if he destroys the world. Rabbi Yitzchak says that Aaron is right and the Levites are left, and that Korah wanted to exchange them in that he desired the priesthood; this is why he was punished. Korah had an evil tongue, he took bad counsel, he chased after something that was not his, and he turned to disagreement which brought conflict instead of peace. The Shabbat is the peace of the upper and lower grades, and by this peace the world endures; whoever creates dissension in this peace will be destroyed.

Evil Gold Holy Name Honey Izhar Kohath Korah Torah Tree Tree of Life World to Come, The

1. "Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi took..." (Bemidbar 16:1). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse: "more to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (Tehilim 19:11). How supreme are matters of Torah, and how precious they are. They are desired above and they are desired by all, because they constitute the Holy Name. Whoever toils in the Torah strives for the Holy Name and is saved from all EVIL; he is saved in this world and rescued in the World to Come. Come and behold: whoever deals in the Torah is attached to the Tree of Life and, since he is attached to the Tree of Life, he is part of everything, as it is written: "she is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her..." (Mishlei 3:18).

1. וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי וְגוֹ.' רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז רַב וּמְתוּקִים מִדְּבַשׁ וְנוֹפֶת צוּפִים. כַּמָה עִלָּאִין פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, כַּמָה יַקִּירִין אִינּוּן, תְּאִיבִין אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא, תְּאִיבִין אִינּוּן לְכֹלָּא. בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִשְׁתְּדַּל בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִשְׁתְּזִיב מִכֹּלָּא, אִשְׁתְּזִיב בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וְאִשְׁתְּזִיב בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. ת"ח, כָּל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אָחִיד בְּאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי. כֵּיוָן דְּאָחִיד בֵּיהּ, בְּכֹלָּא אָחִיד, דִּכְתִּיב עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְגוֹ.'

Death Death and the Afterlife Exile Freedom Hands Israel Tablets Torah

2. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Whoever deals in the Torah is free from everything, even free from death, as mentioned, since liberty, WHICH IS BINAH, dwells upon him and is attached to him. If Yisrael had adorned themselves with Torah, they would have been saved from everything and would not have found themselves in exile. This is what is written: "engraved (Heb. charut) upon the tablets" (Shemot 32:16). Do not read it WITH AN 'A,' but rather WITH AN 'E,' as "Cherut," since this freedom (Heb. cherut) is available in the Torah. The Torah is the power of the right, as it is written: "from His right hand went a fiery law for them" (Devarim 33:2), and the left is included in the right. Whoever makes the right left and the left right is as if he destroys the world.

2. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, כָּל מַאן דְּיִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, חֵירוּ אִית לֵיהּ מִכֹּלָּא, חֵירוּ מִמִּיתָה, כְּמָה דְּאַמָרָן. בְּגִין דְּחֵירוּ עָלֵיהּ שַׁרְיָא, וְאָחִיד בֵּיהּ. אִילּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְעַטְּרִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, יִשְׁתְּזִבוּ מִכֹּלָּא, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, וְדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחוֹת, אַל תִּקְרֵי חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵירוּת. וְחֵירוּת דָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, אוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהִי חֵילָא דִּימִינָא, כד"א מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ, וּשְׂמָאלָא אִתְכְּלִיל בִּימִינָא, מַאן דְּעָבֵיד יְמִינָא שְׂמָאלָא, וּשְׂמָאלָא יְמִינָא, הָא אִיהוּ כְּאִילּוּ חָרִיב עָלְמָא.

Aaron Correction Correction (Tikun) Evil Korah Levites Moses Priests Tikun (Correction)

3. Come and behold: Aaron is right, WHICH IS CHESED, and the Levites are left, WHICH IS GVURAH. Korah wanted to exchange the right for left; HE DESIRED THE PRIESTHOOD, WHICH IS RIGHT, FOR THE LEVITES, WHO ARE LEFT; therefore, he was punished. Furthermore, he had the evil tongue, BY SPEAKING OUT AGAINST MOSES, and was punished for everything. Rabbi Yehuda said: The left is always contained in the right, BECAUSE THAT IS HOW THE LEFT IS CORRECTED. Korah wished to substitute the correction of above and below, SINCE HE ASPIRED TO THE DOMINATION OF THE LEVITES, WHICH ARE LEFT, SO THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE PRIESTS, WHICH ARE RIGHT. Therefore, he was annihilated from above and below.

3. ת"ח, אַהֲרֹן יְמִינָא. לֵיוָאֵי שְׂמָאלָא, קֹרַח בָּעֵי לְמֶעְבַּד חִלּוּפָא דִּימִינָא לִשְׂמָאלָא, בג"כ אִתְעַנָּשׁ. וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא, וְאִתְעֲנָשׁ בְּכֹלָּא. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, שְׂמָאלָא אִתְכְּלִיל תָּדִיר בִּימִינָא, קֹרַח בָּעָא לְאַחְלְפָא תִּקּוּנָא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, בג"כ אִתְאֲבִיד מֵעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא.

Korah

4. "Now Korah...took" (Bemidbar 16:1). HE ASKS: What is the meaning of "took?'' HE RESPONDS: He took faulty counsel for himself. If one chases after something that does not belong to him, it escapes from him and he even loses what he has. Korah chased after something that was not his. Therefore, he lost his own and no one else gained.

4. וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח, מַאי וַיִּקַּח. נָסִיב עֵיטָא בִּישָׁא לְגַרְמֵיהּ, כָּל דְּרָדַף בָּתַר דְּלָאו דִּילֵיהּ, אִיהוּ עָרִיק מִקַּמֵּיהּ. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא מַה דְּאִית בֵּיהּ אִתְאֲבִיד מִנֵּיהּ. קֹרַח רָדִיף בָּתַר דְּלָאו דִּילֵיהּ, דִּילֵיהּ אָבִיד, וְאַחֲרָא לָא רָוַוח.

Holy Name Korah Peace Universe

5. Korah turned to disagreement. What is the meaning of disagreement? Distancing and repulsion; the distancing and repulsion of what is above and below, and whoever wishes to postpone the restoration of the universe will become lost from all the worlds. Conflict is a distancing of peace, and whoever is in conflict about peace is in disagreement with His Holy Name, because His Holy Name is called 'Peace.'

5. קֹרַח אָזִיל בְּמַחְלוֹקֶת. מַאי מַחֲלוֹקֶת. פְּלוּגְתָּא. פְּלוּגְתָּא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. וּמַאן דְּבָעֵי לְאַפְלְגָא תִּקּוּנָא דְּעָלְמָא, יִתְאֲבִיד מְכֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין. מַחֲלוֹקֶת, פְּלוּגְתָּא דְּשָׁלוֹם. וּמַאן דְּפָלִיג עַל שָׁלוֹם, פָּלִיג עַל שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, שָׁלוֹם אִקְרֵי.

Creation Grades Peace Shabbat

6. Come and behold: the world does not exist except through peace. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, it could not endure until He came and made peace dwell upon them. What is it? It is the Shabbat, which is the peace of the upper and the lower grades. And then the world endured. THEREFORE, whoever creates dissension about this PEACE will be lost from the world.

6. ת"ח, לֵית עָלְמָא קָאֵים אֶלָּא עַל שָׁלוֹם, כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, לָא יָכִיל לְאִתְקַיְּימָא, עַד דְּאָתָא וְשָׁרָא עָלַיְיהוּ שָׁלוֹם. וּמַאי הוּא. שַׁבָּת, דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלָמָא דְּעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וּכְדֵין אִתְקָיָּים עָלְמָא. וּמַאן דְּפָלִיג עָלֵיהּ, יִתְאֲבִיד מֵעָלְמָא.

Peace Shabbat Zelophehad

7. Zelophehad was in dissension with the Shabbat because he was gathering wood (or: 'trees'). What were these trees? These were the other trees OF THE SEVENTY CHIEFTAINS, as we mentioned. These were secular matters and secular concerns do not prevail in sanctity. HENCE, he was in conflict with the world peace, WHICH IS SHABBAT, BECAUSE HE BLENDED THE SECULAR WITH THE SHABBAT.

7. צְלָפְחָד פָּלִיג עַל שַׁבָּת, דַּהֲוָה מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים. וּמַאן אִינּוּן עֵצִים. אִינּוּן אִילָנִין אַחֲרָנִין כִּדְאַמָרָן. וְאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּחוֹל, וְחוֹל בַּקֹּדֶשׁ לָא שַׁרְיָיא, דְּפָלִיג עַל שְׁלָמָא דְּעָלְמָא.

Fire Korah Love Moses Peace Torah

8. Rabbi Yosi says that it is written: "great peace have they who love Your Torah" (Tehilim 119:165). The Torah is peace, as it is written: "and all her paths are peace" (Mishlei 3:17). And Korah came to blemish that peace of above - WHICH IS THE TORAH, MEANING THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT IS CALLED 'TORAH' THAT PRODUCES PEACE BETWEEN THE RIGHT AND LEFT, and of below, OF MOSES. Therefore, he was punished from the higher and the lower aspects BY FIRE AND BY THE OPENING OF THE EARTHLY CHASM.

8. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, כְּתִיב שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאוֹהֲבָי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְגוֹ.' אוֹרַיְיתָא הוּא שָׁלוֹם, דִּכְתִּיב וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם. וְקֹרַח אָתָא לְאַפְגָּמָא שָׁלוֹם דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, בג"כ אִתְעֲנִישׁ הוּא מֵעֵילָּא וְתַתָּאָה.

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