19 Jun Korach; Ground Breaking News
Inspired by the teaching of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth
The Torah is full of paradoxes. Through the power concealed in a negative influence, and the rectifying process of tshuva, all creation can become elevated.
In Parshas Shelach, the incident of the spies constitute one of the `4 Great Sins`; The chet of Adam and Chava, Joseph and the Brothers, the Golden Calf, and the Spies). The negative report of the spies caused that generation to wander in the desert for 40 years and ensure the entire generation die in the desert. But there comes from this consequence a new path to a paradoxical positive consequence to this seemingly negative situation. As a result of the spies report and the Nation not accepting the `gift`of going into the Land, the Nation would then have to earn the Land with a great National effort. The by-product is thus a greater experience of ‘ownership’ and National Unity.
In Parshas Korach, the negative experience of the machlokas (controversy) created by Korach and his followers had a seriously damaging effect, causing a plague amongst the Israelites and causing the earth to open up and swallow Korach and his men (250 perished).
Korach having been born a Levi was not pleased with his already lofty station in life. He claimed that he and all Jews were on par with Moshe, and in some ways he was correct. However, he was motivated by his misguided desires to take the position of Aaron as Kohen Gadol, and as it is said, history was made.
So why then do we name a parsha for the transgressor Korach ? What then is the ‘positive’ paradoxical message?
The sages then teach us that we should all have the desire to be a Holy Priest, a Kohen Gadol, like Korach …but in a Holy way.
The secret of the Tribes
No single tribe is greater than another. In order to rectify the world (tikun olam) we need all the powers of all the tribes . Although we may not physically have all tribes today, all the spiritual powers of all the 12 tribes are said to be contained within the tribes we do have today; Kohan, Levi , Yisroel. These 3 tribes hold within them the secrets and powers of Tikun Olam (rectification of the world).
The powers of the Tribes;
Kohan is the attribute of Chochma-Wisdom (intellect/mind). The experience to see, to have a vision (masculine).
The Kohan’s relationship to G-d is most ‘direct’. The Kohan addresses G-d in a direct and personal way as ‘Atah- You’.
Levi is the attribute of Binah- Understanding (heart). The experience of Levi as Binah is Hearing (feminine).
The Levi’s relationship is less ‘direct’ than Kohan, broader and beyond the imaginable, and so the Levi’s address to G-d is ‘Hu-He’ (as He, Hashem is then beyond boundary). Where there is a mind experience (chochma, masculine) , there is also a heart experience (binah, feminine).
Israel (Yisroel, also as Jacob’s other name) is able to integrate the experiences of Kohans ‘Vision’ and Levi’s ‘Hearing’ and through Isreals action synthesis the powers (Kohan-mind chochma and Levi – heart-binah) into a Tikun (rectification) .
Nb Israel as the name of Jacob is represented by the sefirot Tiferet; Beauty and Harmony [ also known as the Kabbalistic middle axis ‘Pillar of Torah’ and ‘Axis of Truth’]
The prophet Yermeyahu reveals the ‘application’ of the 2 terms of the Hebrew words Hu and Atah in the prophetic blessing;
‘You-He are Hashem , G-d’. We can also apply these insights to deconstruct and understand deeper meanings of the shema.
The positive lesson of Korach is to find the Kohanim Priest inside each one of us, and the Levi and Yisrol in each one of us , and to integrate and place into action the necessary Tshuva to bring about Tikun (rectification).
Lawrence (Leib Getzel ) Lax
Addictions and Counseling (Honors)
www.LawrenceLax.com