CHASSIDIC PEARLS BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS KORACH
“And Korach separated himself” (Bamidbar 16:1).
Korach was a charismatic demagogue. In his thirst for power, he tried to discredit Moshe (Moses) and to weaken Moshe's leadership. With his slippery tongue, he almost lured the People of Israel away from Moshe's influence, and Moshe was the most modest and unassuming man that ever walked the face of the earth.
The Midrash describes how Korach used his empty and warped but sweet-sounding logic in his rebellion against Moshe. Korach would say, "If one tiny mezuzah, with only two passages of Torah, can protect an entire house, then with a wall full of books that contain thousands of Torah passages, who needs a mezuzah?" His throngs of listeners would nod their heads in agreement. Then, Korach would call Moshe and challenge him in front of the masses by snidely asking, "A house has a wall full of Torah books; does it need a mezuzah?" Moshe would answer yes, definitely. Korach and his fellows would guffaw and chide, attempting to make a mockery of Hashem's appointed leader of the Jewish people. Korach's demagogic logic sounded good, but it was as far from truth as east is from the west. The truth is that Hashem requires a mezuzah, whether the house is full of books or not.
Korach separated himself from Moshe by trying to reduce the Jewish religion from a compendium of Divine commandments to a statute of human logic. By separating himself from Moshe, he also severed his ties with Hashem.
Jewish spirituality teaches that the human heart hosts two competing and opposite forces – the Yetzer Tov (good inclination) and the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination), which are strikingly parallel to Moshe (Yetzer Tov) and Korach (Yetzer Hara).
From learning about Korach, we learn the schemes of the Yetzer Hara. The Yetzer Tov, like Moshe, is fully aware of the absolute truth of Torah. Yet, the Yetzer Hara seizes control of the heart by introducing apparently logical arguments as to why the Torah is outdated or illogical. Like Korach, once a person succumbs to the arguments of the Yetzer Hara, he or she is doomed, destined to be buried alive under an avalanche of doubt, confusion, and agnosticism that only leads a person to unimaginable emotional, spiritual, and even physical difficulties.
Reb Natan writes (Kitzur Likutei Moharan I:62d), that the two forces of the heart are always at odds with one each other. While the Yetzer Tov endeavors to enhance one's faith and knowledge of Hashem, the Yetzer Hara tries to conceal truth and to sow seeds of apikorsut (agnosticism). The way to resolve this conflict is by learning Halacha, or Jewish law, and by clarifying the different views of our sages in order to pursue the clear and designated path of Hashem's will. By observing religious law, one makes peace in one's heart, and the Yetzer Tov prevails to do Hashem's will. By doing Hashem's will, a person achieves holiness; furthermore, the channels of wisdom are opened and the person knows how to answer the demagogic claims of the Yetzer Hara.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and Reb Natan tell us to learn Shulchan Aruch – the Code of Jewish Law and all of its principal commentaries – over and over again. Without knowing what religious law requires a person to do, he or she is virtually defenseless against the false claims and misleading arguments of the Yetzer Hara that separate a person from Hashem, God forbid.
“And Korach separated himself” (Bamidbar 16:1).
Korach was a charismatic demagogue. In his thirst for power, he tried to discredit Moshe (Moses) and to weaken Moshe's leadership. With his slippery tongue, he almost lured the People of Israel away from Moshe's influence, and Moshe was the most modest and unassuming man that ever walked the face of the earth.
The Midrash describes how Korach used his empty and warped but sweet-sounding logic in his rebellion against Moshe. Korach would say, "If one tiny mezuzah, with only two passages of Torah, can protect an entire house, then with a wall full of books that contain thousands of Torah passages, who needs a mezuzah?" His throngs of listeners would nod their heads in agreement. Then, Korach would call Moshe and challenge him in front of the masses by snidely asking, "A house has a wall full of Torah books; does it need a mezuzah?" Moshe would answer yes, definitely. Korach and his fellows would guffaw and chide, attempting to make a mockery of Hashem's appointed leader of the Jewish people. Korach's demagogic logic sounded good, but it was as far from truth as east is from the west. The truth is that Hashem requires a mezuzah, whether the house is full of books or not.
Korach separated himself from Moshe by trying to reduce the Jewish religion from a compendium of Divine commandments to a statute of human logic. By separating himself from Moshe, he also severed his ties with Hashem.
Jewish spirituality teaches that the human heart hosts two competing and opposite forces – the Yetzer Tov (good inclination) and the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination), which are strikingly parallel to Moshe (Yetzer Tov) and Korach (Yetzer Hara).
From learning about Korach, we learn the schemes of the Yetzer Hara. The Yetzer Tov, like Moshe, is fully aware of the absolute truth of Torah. Yet, the Yetzer Hara seizes control of the heart by introducing apparently logical arguments as to why the Torah is outdated or illogical. Like Korach, once a person succumbs to the arguments of the Yetzer Hara, he or she is doomed, destined to be buried alive under an avalanche of doubt, confusion, and agnosticism that only leads a person to unimaginable emotional, spiritual, and even physical difficulties.
Reb Natan writes (Kitzur Likutei Moharan I:62d), that the two forces of the heart are always at odds with one each other. While the Yetzer Tov endeavors to enhance one's faith and knowledge of Hashem, the Yetzer Hara tries to conceal truth and to sow seeds of apikorsut (agnosticism). The way to resolve this conflict is by learning Halacha, or Jewish law, and by clarifying the different views of our sages in order to pursue the clear and designated path of Hashem's will. By observing religious law, one makes peace in one's heart, and the Yetzer Tov prevails to do Hashem's will. By doing Hashem's will, a person achieves holiness; furthermore, the channels of wisdom are opened and the person knows how to answer the demagogic claims of the Yetzer Hara.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and Reb Natan tell us to learn Shulchan Aruch – the Code of Jewish Law and all of its principal commentaries – over and over again. Without knowing what religious law requires a person to do, he or she is virtually defenseless against the false claims and misleading arguments of the Yetzer Hara that separate a person from Hashem, God forbid.
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