Parshas Korach - Remember to Remember

Thoughts on The Parsha

Parshas Korach

Remember to Remember

By: Daniel Listhaus

וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וְאוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן

“And Korach the son of Yitzhar son of Kehas son of Levi took...”

-Korach 16:1

        Rashi¹, as well as the Medrash², describe that Korach came to Moshe with the following two questions. The first was, “Does a tallis made entirely of techeiles require a string of techeilis”? The logic behind this question is that we know that we are required to put tzitzis strings on each corner of every four-cornered garment that we wear. The real mitzva of tzitzis includes that one of the strings on each corner be techeiles³. So, essentially, Korach was asking that if, for a regular tallis, a string of techeiles is enough to fulfill the requirement, then certainly if the whole garment is made of techeiles, it should require no such thing.

      The second question that Korach approached Moshe with was pretty similar to his first; “Does a room filled with seforim need a mezuzah?” Again, the logical force behind this question is the following. We know that we must put a mezuzah, containing the shema, on every doorpost⁴. So, Korach was asking, if there is a room filled with seforim or Torahs, and those have all the parshiyos in the Torah, why should such a room require a mezuzah? What power would the mezuzah be adding which would not already exist in such a room?

      Somehow the asking of such questions was deemed to be intolerable, and Korach, along with the rest of his assembly, was swallowed up by the earth. What was so unacceptable about these questions, though, that necessitated such a severe punishment?

       Although there are various approaches in understanding the core underlying reasons behind what Korach was trying to accomplish, the Kli Yakar⁵ introduces an interesting idea. The Kli Yakar writes that really the primary engine behind Korach's arguments was that, “...The entire assembly – all of them – are holy and Hashem is among them”⁶. Korach argued that just like a tallis made entirely of techeilis should not require a sting of techeilis and a room of Sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls) should not require a mezuzah, so too a nation consisting of the purist and holiest people, should not require the spiritual leadership and guidance of Moshe and Aharon. He questioned Moshe and Aharon's authority by declaring that the Jews of the time were holding on the level of recognizing that Hashem is always watching, and therefore had no need for leaders to remind them.

      The Kli Yakar then explains that the reason for Korach's severe punishment was because he attacked the two mitzvos which remind us about Hashem and all of His mitzvos.

     On the surface level, this Kli Yakar is quite difficult to understand. How is the Kli Yakar answering his question? He explained that Korach was coming from a perspective that the Jews in the desert had a built-in techeiles and mezuzah within themselves. If this was indeed true that the Jews were on such a high level, so then, what exactly was the need for spiritual guidance? How could the Kli Yakar suggest that the main issue with Korach was that he attacked those mitzvos which serve as reminders for us? Korach was not really saying that, objectively, reminders that Hashem is all around serve no purpose, it is just that Korach claimed it was not applicable because the Jews had achieved such a level on their own. So, back to the Kli Yakar's question, what was so unacceptable about Korach's debate?

    To better understand this Kli Yakar, perhaps we could review it on a deeper level. Korach attempted to compare the Jews to a tallis completely of techeiles and a room full of seforim. The common denominator between these three, explained Korach, is that each of these entities are themselves perfect and should therefore not have the requirement to add on the additional factor; namely – the string of techeilis, the mezuzah, and Moshe and Aharon as leaders of B'nei Yisroel. Just like the perfect tallis and the perfect room should not require their own reminders, so to the perfect nation should not need leaders breathing down their necks.

      Korach's mistake, though, was exactly as the Kli Yakar states, he attacked the two mitzvos which serve as reminders for us. However, people need reminders! Even people as pure and as holy as the Jews living in the desert, experiencing daily, open miracles, need to be constantly reminded of Hashem. This is vital in order that our knowledge of Hashem's existence and involvement in the world remains on the forefront of our minds. The techeiles, mezuza, and leaders of b'nei Yisroel are not “extras”, they are in fact each an integral part to their respective entities Without them, the fact that the tallis, room of Torahs, and klal Yisroel are already perfect, is irrelevant; for these things cannot remain perfect without their respective techeiles, mezuza, and manhigei Yisroel (leaders/guiders of the Jewish population).

     Korach thought that life is like a video game. One plays, passes obstacles, gets up to a checkpoint, and no longer needs to worry about what one has already accomplished, rather only for what lies ahead. However, this is a dangerously incorrect assumption. In life in general, and specifically the Torah life of a Jew, it is one's job to not only be prepared for what lays ahead, but simultaneously to remind ourselves of the things we already know. Even a nation of the holiest people must be constantly reminded of the most basic beliefs of Judaism, in order that it should always be at the forefront of their minds.

    Therefore, of course even the tallis made of techeiles and the room filled with seforim require the same reminder for us to see the techeilis and mezuzah and be reminded of Hashem and His mitzvos. In order to live a proper life as a Jew one must always have the proverbial string-tied-onto-one's-finger as a memory trigger, even if it is reminding us of something we already know or of an area we feel we have already mastered. This is certainly true as well when it comes to having a gadol hador (great Torah-scholar of a generation). A gadol hador is needed to hold up the bar of achievement and never let his mind wonder from looking out after the entire Jewish population with a pure hashkafa. Such a position is needed amongst B'nei Yisroel. Without someone firmly setting and establishing a strong belief in Hashem, the normal human behavior would be to eventually forget. We must constantly have something we could look at to remind us of our purpose in life as a Jew.

    Now we can understand why Korach deserved such a severe punishment. Had he succeeded in his debate, there would be no hope in keeping the mesorah of leaders and maintaining the level that the Jews had indeed achieved. Instead, it would have quickly died down. Manhigei yisroel of Moshe and Aharon's stature were surely needed to hold such a spiritual level in place looking after the Jews in the desert, right after the acceptance of the Torah, and keeping the standards high by reminding the people what they had to do.

    The consequence that Korach and his assembly had to face afterward as a punishment for their questioning this system and Moshe and Aharon's authority, was surely an event that a witness would never be able to forget, and a story which would live on for generations. The ground opened up and swallowed all of those who had involved themselves in Korach's side of the disputation. Despite this, the lesson we must take from Korach continues later in the parsha. Hashem commanded that the staff that Aharon had, which miraculously blossomed almonds, be kept as a remembrance for everyone to see so that they remember what happened to Korach⁷ – for humans need reminders to remember. Without reminders and constant review, our knowledge, and even our own opinions and beliefs, all turn into a meaningless mush.

     We must remember that life is not like a video game with saving points. The default setting for a person is to do nothing. It takes constant work and effort not only to achieve high levels of spirituality, but to maintain them.

     The nineteenth chapter of Orchos Tzaddikim is the Gate of Remembrance. The Orchos Tzaddikim, also known as Sefer HaMidos, discusses all of the various traits contained in a person and teaches how to perfect these traits. Being that one of these is zechira (remembrance), we must understand how it is that one's memory is a character trait which could be perfected. It is true that people are born with the ability to remember and recall people, places, and events (some better than others); however, if memory is indeed a character trait which we are expected to perfect, there must be a much deeper form of memory.

     Perhaps we could better understand the middah of zechira based on our explanation of the story with Korach. Zechira is not limited to memorizing and knowing things. As a matter of fact, that type of zechira is a weak form of the middah⁸. The full force behind this middah is not when one utilizes it to simply remember with one's mouth, like, “I'll pay you back later”. Rather, in order to use this middah in the proper way, one must set up things to trigger his memory in order to constantly remind oneself of the most important things in life. Keeping something on the forefront of one's mind is the real power of zechira. We are expected to grasp this middah and use it to keep us tunnel-vision focused towards what Hashem wants of us. Let us not fall into Korach's trap and convince ourselves that we have already mastered various areas of spirituality and Torah and have no further need for reminders.

1Korach 16:1

2Medrash Rabbah 18:1

3A bluish dye made from a sea snail (chilazon)

4Excluding bathrooms

5Korach 16:1

6Korach 16:3

7Korach 17:25 and Rashi there.

8See Orchos Tzadikkim; Sha'ar HaZechira

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