TORAH FOR THE TIMES
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Torah Reading: Parshat Korach Numbers 16:1 - 18:32
Haftora: Shmuel I 11:14 - 12:22
Shabbat Candle Lighting: 8:13 PM
Shabbat Ends: 9:22 PM
KORACH
KORACH’S ACTIONS, NO!
HIS PASSION, YES!
“It is Too Much!
Korach started a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. He and his followers demanded admission to the priesthood.
In the midst of Korach’s insurrection, Moses rebuked the rebels with the following cryptic words:
“It is too much for you (Rav Lachem), O offspring of Levi.”
What exactly did Moses mean when he said that it was too much for them?
Rashi submits that Moses was attacking Korach for actually challenging G‑d Himself.
Ibn Ezra understands the rebuke as attacking the Levites for wanting more power when they already had the distinction of being Levites. Their demands were excessive.
There is another, more nuanced, way to understand the meaning.
Measure for Measure
There is a passage in the Talmud (Sotah 13) that focuses on the Hebrew words rav lachem and states the following:
“Moses informed them [Korach and his cohorts] with the words ‘rav lachem-it is too much for you’ and he too was thus informed [that he will not enter into the Promised Land] with the words ‘rav lecha-it is too much for you and [therefore] do not continue to speak to me about this matter.’”
From a cursory examination of this comparison of the language used in both contexts it seems that G‑d was rebuking Moses with the same words that Moses used to rebuke Korach’s rebels. This implies that G‑d was punishing Moses, measure for measure. G‑d would not accept Moses’ prayers to enter the Promised Land because he used the expression “it is too much for you.”
The obvious question here is why Moses would be punished for rebuking the rebels with those words “it is too much for you.” Moses was simply defending G‑d’s choice of Aaron to be the High Priest. What was so lacking in his choice of words that he had to be told, in no uncertain terms, that he would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land? And what does not entering the Promised Land have to do with the Rebels biting off too much and making exaggerated demands.
No Punishment
The following is an adaptation of the explanation given in the Chassidic work Tzlosa d’avraham. In this exposition, Moses was not being punished at all. In fact, G‑d was explaining to Moses why His refusal to allow him to enter into the Promised Land was actually not a punishment but was similar to the positive message Moses delivered to Korach’s rebels.
The Torah introduces G‑d’s command to Moses to appoint Aaron to the High Priesthood with these words:
“And you should draw Aaron your brother close to you.”
Why did G‑d utter these introductory words before assigning the responsibilities of the priesthood to Aaron and his sons?
The Chassidic work, B’er Mayim Chaim offers the following explanation:
When G‑d commanded Moses to assign the role of the Priesthood to Aaron, Moses might have felt deprived of that honor himself and become despondent. After all, during the seven days of initiation of the Mishkan, the Sanctuary, Moses served as the High Priest. And now that role was being transferred to Aaron and his progeny.
To mollify Moses, G‑d told him “And you should draw Aaron your brother close to you.” This intimated that by giving the honor to Aaron it was his own honor too for he and Aaron, in this role, were one.
There is a double rationale for this premise:
First, if one truly wants to serve G‑d and craves to fulfill His commandments out of love for Him, it makes no difference who performs the service and who was chosen for a particular role. Either way, G‑d will be satisfied. One who truly loves G‑d is only concerned to bring joy to G‑d; who does so is irrelevant.
Second, the mere fact that you desire to do the Mitzvah and the enthusiasm with which one expresses that desire, it is as if he or she actually performed that Mitzvah.
Thus, B’er Mayim Chaim makes two points:
First, one must realize that the most important thing is for G‑d’s will to be fulfilled. When G‑d gives a role to one person or group and not to another it should not lead to dejection or anger. On the contrary, a person who truly loves G‑d has one interest: the joy that G‑d will derive from us, regardless of the one who is chosen.
Second, when we crave to fulfill that Mitzvah even though we are denied by G‑d, He considers it as if we had actually performed that Mitzvah.
This is a spiritual version of having your cake and eating it. We get the satisfaction that G‑d is pleased and the satisfaction that we had a hand in it.
This, then, is what G‑d intimated to Moses: he should not only be content that G‑d will be satisfied by Aaron doing the service, but, moreover, that Moses’ passion for this position would be regarded by G‑d as if he himself had been chosen to be the High Priest.
“It is Too Much for You,” Revisited
We can now understand what Moses had in mind when he told the rebelling Levites “It is too much for you (Rav Lachem).” Moses was not rebuking them for their excessive demands and passionate desire to become priests.
On the contrary, Moses was trying to impart the above message to them, to encourage and uplift them in the hope that they would reconsider their protests. Moses was, in effect, saying: Your passion for the Mitzvah proves that you are passionate about serving G‑d. Therefore, if you are truly motivated by love of G‑d it really makes no difference who will have the distinction of the Priesthood and High Priesthood.
Moreover, Moses was trying to validate the goodness of their passion for the priesthood. The passion of the rebels to be priests was, in fact, tantamount to actually performing all the rituals. There was no need to arrogate to themselves the role of the priesthood to get all the its spiritual benefits. Desiring something holy with passion bestows upon you that spiritual benefit.
Considering all this, we can now retranslate the words “It is too much for you” to convey an uplifting message: “You have been endowed with so much.” Meaning you don’t have to acquire the status of Aaron to serve G‑d like Aaron. By virtue of your passion and craving to be priests, it is as though you have actually assumed that position and you don’t really need to feel deprived.
Moses was Not Rebuked
This, then, is the meaning of G‑d telling Moses that “it is too much for you and do not continue to speak to me about this matter.” G‑d was not admonishing Moses. G‑d was actually conveying the same message that Moses had imparted to the rebels; telling him that his passion to enter into the Promised Land was tantamount to actually being there.
The lesson from the above is that G‑d values the passion to get closer to him, even when we cannot translate that passion into action.
When we express that passion for Moshiach, it is as if we are already in the Messianic Age. In addition, when we actually live with this passion and yearning for Moshiach we accelerate his coming.
