One Sinai, Many Vessels: Korach's Mistake
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 16:3
וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל־מֹשֶׁה וְעַל־אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם רַב־לָכֶם כִּי כׇל־הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם יְהֹוָה וּמַדּוּעַ תִּתְנַשְּׂאוּ עַל־קְהַל יְהֹוָה
They gathered against Moshe and against Aharon and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves! For the entire congregation, all of them are holy, and Hashem is in their midst. Why do you raise yourselves up over the congregation of Hashem?”
Rashi: “All of them are holy”: all of them heard words at Sinai from the mouth of the Almighty.
1“For the entire congregation, all of them are holy, and Hashem is in their midst.”1 Rashi explains: “All of them heard words at Sinai from the mouth of the Almighty.” But this is puzzling. Moshe never disputed with Korach and his company whether they had all heard at Sinai. Their dispute was over the leadership of Moshe and Aharon: had the two of them received it from the mouth of the Almighty or not? What, then, does the hearing at Sinai prove about that? The question is all the stronger because the hearing at Sinai was not limited to the generation that disputed the leadership. All the souls of Israel, to the end of all generations, stood at Mount Sinai and heard from the mouth of the Almighty.2 As is well known, our master R' Elimelech of Lizhensk, zt"l, said that he remembered the revelation at Mount Sinai, and even remembered whom he had stood beside. [If so, it is also hard to explain that the dispute was over Moshe Rabbeinu's authority for all generations to come, for what would that have to do with the revelation at Sinai?]
כִּי כָל הָעֵדָה כּוּלָּם קְדוֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם ה׳, (טז, ג). פֵּירֵשׁ רש״י ז״ל כּוּלָּם שָׁמְעוּ דְּבָרִים בְּסִינַי מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה. וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, וַהֲלֹא בְּעִנְיָן זֶה לֹא נֶחֱלַק מֹשֶׁה עִם קֹרַח וַעֲדָתוֹ בְּאִם כּוּלָּם שָׁמְעוּ מֵהַר סִינַי, רַק שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ עַל עִנְיַן נְשִׂיאוּתָם שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אִם קִבְּלוּ זֹאת מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה אוֹ לֹא, וּמָה הָרְאָיָה מֵעִנְיַן שְׁמִיעַת מַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי לְדָבָר זֶה. וּבְיוֹתֵר שֶׁהֲרֵי שְׁמִיעַת הַר סִינַי לֹא נָהֲגָה רַק בְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ בִּדְבַר הַנְּשִׂיאוּת, אֶלָּא אֲפִילּוּ כָּל נְשָׁמוֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת כּוּלָּם עָמְדוּ בְּהַר סִינַי וְשָׁמְעוּ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה, וְכַיָּדוּעַ שֶׁרַבֵּינוּ הָרַבִּי אֱלִימֶלֶךְ מליזענסק זצללה״ה אָמַר שֶׁזּוֹכֵר אֶת מַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי וְאַף זוֹכֵר עַל יַד מִי עָמַד. [וְאִם כֵּן לְפִי זֶה גַּם יִקְשֶׁה לְפָרֵשׁ דְּהָיָה הַמַּחֲלוֹקֶת עַל כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ לְדוֹרוֹת עוֹלָם, דְּמַה עִנְיָנוֹ לִדְבַר מַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי].
In shortRashi reads “all are holy” as “all heard at Sinai,” but how does that bear on Moshe's leadership, when every soul stood there?
2We may say as follows. On the face of it, Bnei Yisrael all received the Torah together and equally, since all of them heard the same words at Sinai. Above all, they were privileged to hear from the mouth of the Almighty Himself, not through Moshe.3 This was Korach's claim: all of them are holy, and Hashem desires equally to rest His Shechinah among all of them. If they had not been worthy of this, how could they have been privileged to hear words from the mouth of the Almighty? Why, then, should Moshe and Aharon raise themselves above the rest through the high offices of the priesthood and the leadership?
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר, דְּהִנֵּה כְּפִי הַנִּרְאֶה הָיְתָה קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּאֶחָד בְּשָׁוֶה, שֶׁכּוּלָּם שָׁמְעוּ אוֹתָם הַדְּבָרִים בְּסִינַי, וּבְיִיחוּד מַה שֶׁזָּכוּ לִשְׁמוֹעַ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁטָּעַן קוֹרַח שֶׁכּוּלָּם קְדוֹשִׁים וּבְכוּלָּם חָפֵץ ה׳ בְּשָׁוֶה לְהַשְׁרוֹת שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּתוֹכָם, דְּאִם לֹא הָיוּ רְאוּיִים לְקַבֵּל זֹאת הֵיאַךְ זָכוּ לִשְׁמוֹעַ דְּבָרִים מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה, וְאִם כֵּן מַדּוּעַ עֲלֵיהֶם לִנְהוֹג הִתְנַשְּׂאוּת בְּמַדְרֵיגוֹת הַכְּהוּנָּה וְהַנְּשִׂיאוּת.
- See Makkos 24a: they heard the first two of the Ten Commandments from the mouth of the Almighty. ↩
In shortKorach argued that since all heard Hashem at Sinai, all were equally holy, and none should stand above the rest.
3But here Korach was mistaken. Everything depends not only on hearing the words but on the measure in which each person received them, and in this there were indeed differences of level among them. Moshe stood within a boundary of his own, and Aharon within a boundary of his own:4 for them, the whole grasp and reception of the Torah was of a completely different order from that of the rest of Klal Yisrael. Hashem, blessed be He, does indeed desire every Jew, and He revealed Himself before all their eyes to make His word heard, so that “not one was missing.”5 Still, the hearing of the rest of the people cannot be compared at all with that of Moshe and Aharon, whom Hashem chose and drew near to the very highest level.
אָכֵן טָעָה בָּזֶה, דְּאֵין הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי רַק בִּשְׁמִיעַת הַדְּבָרִים אֶלָּא בְּאֵיךְ הָיְתָה עֵרֶךְ קַבָּלָתוֹ, כִּי בָּזֶה כֵּן הָיוּ חִילּוּקֵי מַדְרֵגוֹת בֵּינֵיהֶם, דְּמֹשֶׁה מְחִיצָּה לְעַצְמוֹ וְאַהֲרֹן מְחִיצָּה לְעַצְמוֹ (מכילתא דרשב״י שמות יט, כד), וְהָיְתָה אֶצְלָם כָּל הַשָּׂגַת וְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה בְּאוֹפֶן אַחֵר לְגַמְרֵי מִשְּׁאָר כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאַף דְּאָמְנָם הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ חָפֵץ בְּכָל אִישׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְנִתְגַּלָּה לְעֵינֵי כּוּלָּם לְהַשְׁמִיעַ דְּבָרוֹ אִישׁ לֹא נֶעְדָּר, אֵין לְהַשְׁוֹות כְּלָל עֵרֶךְ שְׁמִיעַת שְׁאָר הָעָם לְעֵרֶךְ שְׁמִיעַת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּהֶם הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְקִירְבָּם לְמַעְלָה עֶלְיוֹנָה בְּיוֹתֵר.
- Mechilta deRashbi on Shemos 19:24; see Rashi there. At Sinai each group stood within its own boundary, its mechitzah. ↩
- Yeshayahu 40:26. ↩
In shortEach received the words of Sinai by his own measure, and Moshe and Aharon, chosen by Hashem, grasped them beyond all comparison.
4Something similar is told of the holy R' Elimelech. Between Minchah and Maariv, the afternoon and evening prayers, he would tell stories of tzaddikim and words of guidance. His words left a deep impression on the heart of every listener, each according to his grasp, as if R' Elimelech were speaking to him alone.6 Indeed, we have seen something like this with every tzaddik. All kinds of people come to take shelter in his shade, people of high stature and people of lesser standing. All of them hear the same tzaddik's words, and each finds in them meaning and healing for his soul, according to his own level and grasp.
וְכַאֲשֶׁר כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה מְסַפְּרִים עַל הרה״ק הָרַבִּי ר׳ אֱלִימֶלֶךְ זצללה״ה, שֶׁנָּהַג לְסַפֵּר בֵּין מִנְחָה לְמַעֲרִיב סִיפּוּרֵי צַדִּיקִים וְהַדְרָכוֹת, וּבָזֶה פָּעַל וְעָשָׂה רוֹשֶׁם גָּדוֹל בְּלֵב כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפִי הַשָּׂגָתוֹ, כְּאִילּוּ דִּיבֵּר רַק אֵלָיו בְּעַצְמוֹ (תולדות אדם פרשת מצורע). וּבֶאֱמֶת מֵעֵין זֶה מָצָאנוּ רָאִינוּ אֵצֶל כָּל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק, אֲשֶׁר בָּאִים לְהִסְתּוֹפֵף בְּצִלּוֹ כַּמָּה מִינֵי אֲנָשִׁים, אַנְשֵׁי עֲלִיָּה וְגַם אֲנָשִׁים פְּחוּתִים יוֹתֵר, וְכוּלָּם שׁוֹמְעִים דִּיבּוּרִים מֵאוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק, וּמוֹצְאִים בָּהֶם כָּל אֶחָד טַעַם וּמָזוֹר לְנַפְשׁוֹ כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי עֶרְכּוֹ וְהַשָּׂגָתוֹ.
- Toldos Adam, Metzora. ↩
In shortR' Elimelech's talks reached each listener at his own level, as every tzaddik's words heal each follower by his measure.
5We find the same thing stated explicitly in the Torah. Before the revelation at Mount Sinai it says, “And Moshe went up to God, and Hashem called to him from the mountain, saying: So shall you say to the House of Yaakov and tell Bnei Yisrael.”7 Chazal and Rashi explain: “‘So shall you say to the House of Yaakov’: these are the women; say it to them in gentle language. ‘And tell Bnei Yisrael’: words as hard as sinews.”8 Yet Moshe told both of them exactly the same words, as it says there, “These are the words that you shall speak to Bnei Yisrael,” which Rashi explains: “These are the words: no less and no more.”9 So the very same words were heard as two kinds of speech, hard and gentle. It is as we said: the giving depends on the powers and vessels of the receivers. From here we learn that the same holds for receiving the Torah. All of them heard the same words from the mouth of the Almighty, yet everything depended on the receivers, for each received according to his own level, and Moshe stood within a boundary of his own, and Aharon within a boundary of his own.
וְכַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה מָצִינוּ מְפוֹרָשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, שֶׁקּוֹדֶם מַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי נֶאֱמַר (שמות יט, ג) ״וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו ה׳ מִן הָהָר לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, ובחז״ל וברש״י אִיתָא ׳כֹּה תֹּאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב׳ אֵלּוּ הַנָּשִׁים תֹּאמַר לָהֶן בְּלָשׁוֹן רַכָּה, ׳וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ דְּבָרִים הַקָּשִׁין כַּגִּידִין, וְהַיְינוּ דְּאַף שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם אֶת אוֹתָם הַדְּבָרִים מַמָּשׁ, וְכָאָמוּר שָׁם (שם, ו) ״אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, ופרש״י אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים לֹא פָּחוֹת וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, הֲרֵי שֶׁאוֹתָם הַדְּבָרִים עַצְמָם נִשְׁמְעוּ כִּשְׁנֵי מִינֵי דִּיבּוּרִים קָשִׁים וְרַכִּים, וְהַיְינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ שֶׁהַנְּתִינָה תְּלוּיָה בְּכוֹחוֹת וּבִכְלֵי הַמְקַבְּלִים. וּמִכָּאן נִלְמַד שֶׁהוּא הַדִּין לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ כּוּלָּם מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה אוֹתָם הַדְּבָרִים, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הַכֹּל הָיָה תָּלוּי כְּפִי הַמְקַבְּלִים, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד קִיבֵּל לְפוּם דַּרְגָּא דִּילֵיהּ, וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה מְחִיצָּה לְעַצְמוֹ וְאַהֲרֹן מְחִיצָּה לְעַצְמוֹ.
- Shemos 19:3. ↩
- Mechilta and Rashi on Shemos 19:3. The word vesageid, “and tell,” is read as related to gidin, “sinews.” ↩
- Shemos 19:6; Rashi there. ↩
In shortThe same words, “no less and no more,” were gentle to the women and hard to the men, for giving depends on the receiver's vessel.
6aStill, although there are levels in receiving the light, and “Moshe is true and his Torah is true,”10 in one respect Korach's words were correct: “The entire congregation, all of them are holy, and Hashem is in their midst.” No tzaddik can boast that he is of higher standing than his fellow. My holy father and teacher, zt"l, explained this in his Kedushas Chelkas Yehoshua, on the Mishnah “If you have learned much Torah, do not claim credit for yourself, for that is what you were created for.”11 He built on a teaching of the Chiddushei HaRim, zt"l, given in the name of the holy R' Bunim of Peshischa, zt"l,12 on Chazal's words about bloodshed: “From where do we know that one must be killed rather than transgress? It is logic: what makes you think that your blood is redder? …”13
אַךְ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ דְּרָגוֹת בְּקַבָּלַת הָאוֹר וּמֹשֶׁה אֱמֶת וְתוֹרָתוֹ אֱמֶת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם צָדְקוּ בְּצַד מַה דִּבְרֵי קוֹרַח שֶׁכָּל הָעֵדָה כּוּלָּם קְדוֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם ה׳, וְלֹא יוּכַל לְהִתְפָּאֵר הַצַּדִּיק כִּי הוּא נִכְבָּד בְּמַעֲלָה יוֹתֵר מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה (קדושת חלקת יהושע ריש פרשת כי תבוא) עַל הַמִּשְׁנָה (אבות ב, ח) אִם לָמַדְתָּ תּוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמְךָ כִּי לְכָךְ נוֹצָרְתָּ, עַל פִּי אִמְרֵי הרה״ק הַחִידּוּשֵׁי הרי״ם זצללה״ה (בשם הרה״ק הרבי ר׳ בונים זצללה״ה קול מבשר ח״ג ענוה אות ד), עַל מַאֲמַר חז״ל (סנהדרין עד, א) לְעִנְיַן שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, מִנָּלַן שֶׁהוּא בְּיֵהָרֵג וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר, סְבָרָא הוּא מַאי חָזֵית דְּדָמָא דִּידָךְ סוּמָּק טְפֵי וְכוּ׳ (ועיין רש״י שם ד״ה מאי חזית).
6bThe Chiddushei HaRim asked: if so, when the tzaddik of the generation is ordered to kill a Jew who is only a simple, ordinary man, surely everyone would recognize that the tzaddik's life takes precedence! But we know that every Jew has a particular task for which his soul came into this world in this incarnation. So the logic of “what makes you think” applies even to a great tzaddik facing an ordinary man. The tzaddik may indeed have attained much, and learned and fulfilled the whole Torah, yet he may not yet have rectified the very thing he is charged to rectify in the world. The simple Jew, on the other hand, may already have rectified the thing for which he came into the world. In that respect he stands on a higher level than the tzaddik. That is why the law of “be killed rather than transgress” always applies to bloodshed.
וְהִקְשָׁה דְּאִם כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמְרוּ לְצַדִּיק הַדּוֹר לַהֲרוֹג יְהוּדִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא אִישׁ הֲמוֹנֵי, הֲלֹא כּוּלָּם יַכִּירוּ שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק וַדַּאי עָדִיף טְפֵי. אַךְ הִנֵּה נוֹדַע דִּלְכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ עִנְיָן מְיוּחָד שֶׁבִּשְׁבִילוֹ בָּא וְנִתְגַּלְגֵּל לָעוֹלָם, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁהַסְּבָרָא דְּמַאי חָזֵית וְכוּ׳ שַׁיֶּיכֶת אַף בְּצַדִּיק הַגָּדוֹל לָמוּל אִישׁ הַהֲמוֹנִי, כִּי אַף שֶׁאָמְנָם הַצַּדִּיק הִשִּׂיג הַרְבֵּה וְלָמַד וְקִיֵּים כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, אַךְ יִתָּכֵן שֶׁעֲדַיִין לֹא תִּיקֵּן אֶת הָעִנְיָן שֶׁמּוּטָּל עָלָיו לְתַקֵּן בָּעוֹלָם, וּלְעוּמַּת זֶה יִתָּכֵן שֶׁהַיְּהוּדִי הַפָּשׁוּט כְּבָר תִּיקֵּן אֶת הָעִנְיָן שֶׁעֲבוּרוֹ בָּא לָעוֹלָם, וְאִם כֵּן נִמְצָא שֶׁמִּצַּד זֶה הוּא עוֹמֵד בְּמַדְרֵגָה גְּדוֹלָה מִן הַצַּדִּיק, לָכֵן לְעוֹלָם אִיכָּא דִּין יֵהָרֵג וְאַל יַעֲבוֹר בִּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים.
In shortKorach was right that no tzaddik may feel superior, for a simple Jew may have completed his life's task while the tzaddik has not.
7In this way my holy father explained the saying “If you have learned much Torah, do not claim credit for yourself”: do not tell yourself that your soul is complete. You, like every person, have a particular thing to rectify, “for that is what you were created for,” the purpose for which you came into the world, and you may not yet have been privileged to rectify it.
וּבָזֶה פֵּירֵשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ ׳אִם לָמַדְתָּ תּוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמְךָ׳ לוֹמַר שֶׁנַּפְשְׁךָ שְׁלֵימָה, כִּי לְכָל אֶחָד יֵשׁ דָּבָר מְיוּחָד לְתַקֵּן ׳אֲשֶׁר לְכָךְ נוֹצָרְתָּ׳, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל זֶה בָּא לָעוֹלָם, וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁעֲדַיִין לֹא זָכִיתָ לְתַקֵּן זֹאת.
In shortMuch Torah learned is no proof that the soul is complete, for one's own task, “what you were created for,” may still remain.
8We have no way at all of judging whether we have fulfilled our duty before Hashem in the task for which we came into the world. That is why we must always ask Hashem, blessed be He, to grace us with understanding, so that we will know how to serve the Creator with temimus, simple wholeheartedness, without any questions or speculations.
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאֵין בְּכוֹחֵנוּ כְּלָל לְהַעֲרִיךְ אִם יָצָאנוּ יְדֵי חוֹבָתֵנוּ לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ בַּמֶּה שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל כָּךְ בָּאנוּ לָעוֹלָם, צְרִיכִים אָנוּ תָּמִיד לְבַקֵּשׁ מִן ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁיְּחוֹנֵן אוֹתָנוּ דַּעַת, שֶׁנֵּדַע אֵיךְ לַעֲבוֹד הַבּוֹרֵא מִתּוֹךְ תְּמִימוּת בְּלִי שׁוּם שְׁאֵלוֹת וַחֲקִירוֹת.
In shortSince no one can measure his own task, we must keep asking Hashem for the understanding to serve Him wholeheartedly.
9May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us be privileged to attain this and to bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
כֵּן יַעֲזוֹר הקב״ה שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לָזֶה וּנְקָרֵב הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortMay Hashem help us serve Him wholeheartedly and bring the redemption near.
Takeaway
All of us stood at Sinai and heard the same words, yet each received them by his own vessel, so there truly are levels in grasping Hashem's light. Still, no one may feel superior, for every Jew came into the world for his own task, and the simplest may already have completed his. Since we cannot measure our own task, we keep asking Hashem for understanding and serve Him with temimus.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.