From the Rabbi’s Desk

Rabbi Manes Kogan

This Torah portion –Korach- allows us to reflect on issues related to leadership, moral choices and spiritual growth, issues which I have been lately interested in.

"Why was he called by the name of On? (The Hebrew "On" is connected with "Aninut"- ‘a mourner’) Because he spent all the rest of his days in mourning (in regret over his share in the rebellion) Why THE SON OF PELETH? Because he was a son for whom miracles (pela'oth) were wrought. Rab said: On the son of Peleth was saved by his wife. She said to him: ‘What has this dispute to do with you? If Aaron be High Priest you are but a disciple, and if Korah be High Priest you are but a disciple. What shall I do (said On to his wife), I took part on the deliberations I swore to them that I would join the rebellion when called? I know,’ she said to him, 'that the whole assembly is holy, for it is written of them, All the congregation are holy’ (This is her reply to his objection that he had taken an oath to help Korah, if summoned) What did she do? She gave him wine to drink and made him drunk, and put him to bed. Then she sat down at the entrance, along with her daughter, and disheveled her hair (It was considered improper to look at, or approach, a woman in such a state), so that any one who came for On her husband (to summon him to the rebellious assembly as arranged), on seeing her turned back. Meanwhile, the others were swallowed up. Thus the text, "Every wise woman built her house" (Proverbs 14:1) applies to the wife of On; "But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands" (ibid.) applies to the wife of Korah". (Midrash Rabbah - Numbers 18:20 and also Sanhedrin 110a)

"Chazal have said that anyone who casts his eyes upon something that does not belong to him will not be given what he seeks, and what he already has will be taken away from him. This is what happened to Cain and Bila'am, and to Korach. They cast their eyes upon what was not fit for them. What they desired they did not attain, and what they had was taken away from them.

Furthermore, it has been taught in Avot that "a person must know his place," and this is one of the forty-eight ways by which the Torah is acquired. Conversely, a person who does not know his place is one who seeks for what is not his. He will not attain it, and he will lose what he has. Let us try to uncover one of the deep ideas hidden in the common foundation of these statements of Chazal.

The creation and all the variations of life within it are nearly limitless. Relative to the vast magnitude of the creation, a human being is only one particular in the whole. Therefore, he is limited and bound. Before Adam sinned he may have approached the nearly limitless scale of the vast creation, but after he sinned, he and all his descendants are certainly bound within the much narrower limits set for them.

Humanity is limited and bound to the unique combination of powers and traits that they have inherited as a species and which have been implanted within them. In addition, each individual is limited according to his particular characteristics and abilities. Within these bounds a person rules in his own domain. He works, serves G-d, and from his labors within these bounds he enjoys a blessing based on his efforts. However, outside of his bounds, in the language of Chazal, man is not in his place, but in a realm, which does not belong to him.

If man casts his eyes into a boundary in which he does not belong, then he cannot succeed there. He does not have the abilities required for functioning successfully in that area. At the same time he necessarily abandons his own domain. While he is looking elsewhere, he is not looking in his own place. While his eyes are abroad, he is neglecting the powers and abilities, which are really his. Consequently, when he casts his eyes unto something that is not his, then he neglects what is his, and he loses it.

Heaven may have given a person a wonderful ability in some area. However, because of his jealousy of someone else, he neglects the heavenly gift that was given to him and he goes to busy himself in an area where he was not given the ability to succeed. He wastes his powers there for nothing, and he also will not see any blessing there.

This lesson is true not only in matters of this world, but in the realm of mitzvot as well.

And this is what happened to Korach. Korach was very intelligent. Chazal have asked why, if he was so smart, did he see fit to argue with Moshe? They explained that he was jealous of Elitzafan ben Uziel whom Moshe had appointed, according to G-d's command, prince of the house of Kehat. The house of Kehat was one of the three houses, one of the three subdivisions of the tribe of Levi, the special tribe, which performed the service in the Holy Mishkan. Korach was smart, but he was not wise enough to know his place.

The Chidushai Harim said in the name of the Holy Zohar that Korach was fit to be appointed prince of the entire tribe of Levi. Just as the High Priest is the head of the priests, so it was intended to make an office whose occupant was supposed to be the head of all the Levites. This position belonged to Korach, although he did not know about it at the time. Instead, he became jealous because he was not appointed to head the house of Kehat. He not only did not get what he craved, but he also lost the higher position, which was destined for him!

On the other hand, if a person grasps his true place, then he is full of joy and satisfaction. He enjoys his work and service. He labors with the unique powers, which are truly his, and his efforts necessarily bear pleasing results".

On, the son of Peleth, did not know his place, but his wife, in her wisdom, reminded him that he was a disciple, not a teacher. In other words, she told him: "If you stay with Moshe Rabeinu, you won’t be in charge and if you rebel with Korach you also won’t be in charge". I can imagine that she also told her husband: "Dear husband, you need to know your place, and in addition nothing is wrong in being second, or third, or fifth". I can hear On’s wife’s anonymous voice telling her husband" "Stay here with me. Don’t go against Moshe Rabeinu. I love you the way you are and I will always love you the way you are. I will love you even if you are not the one in charge. And On, the son of Peleth, listened to his wife and in this regard, once he recognized his place and his potential, he took control over his life.