Parshat Korach 5779-An insight from the sefer Be’er Yosef.

Based on a shiur heard from Rabbi I.Bernstein zal in London in 1994.

וַיָּקֻ֙מוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַאֲנָשִׁ֥ים מִבְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם נְשִׂיאֵ֥י עֵדָ֛ה קְרִאֵ֥י מוֹעֵ֖ד אַנְשֵׁי־שֵֽׁם׃

They began to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute.

What does  קְרִאֵ֥י מוֹעֵ֖ד actually mean?

Rashbam comments:

קראי מועד - [קרואי העדה], קוראים ושולחים בשבילם ליום המועד הקבוע למשפט בין איש לאיש.

‘the ones who had been referred to in Numbers 1,16 as קרואי העדה. They would be invited to preside over litigation on the days appointed for this (מועד).......”

These are the court officers who are important members of the community,needed as supporters if Korach wishes to succeed in his rebellion.

A completely different interpretation is found in T.B. Sanhedrin 110a:

(במדבר טז, ב) ויקומו לפני משה ואנשים מבני ישראל חמשים ומאתים מיוחדים שבעדה קריאי מועד שהיו יודעים לעבר שנים ולקבוע חדשים אנשי שם שהיה להם שם בכל העולם

“It is written: “And they arose before Moses, with men from the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, the elect men of the assembly, men of renown” (Numbers 16:2). These men were the distinctive people of the assembly. “The elect men of the assembly [keri’ei moed]” is referring to those who knew how to intercalate the years and establish the months in order to determine the time for each Festival [moed]............”

Here the reference is to men who have the knowledge to intercalate the Jewish calendar, when a day or a leap year has to be added, or to fix the dates for Jewish festivals.Why would men with such skills be targeted by Korach for his rebellion? How would such skills prove useful to Korach’s cause?

The Be’er Yosef (Rabbi Yosef Salant zal, who died in Jerusalem in the early 1980’s and whose sefer was published with the encouragement of Rabbi SZ Auerbach zal) adds a further question. If the congregation of rebels, according to the Talmud , are men of ‘scientific/astronomical’ ability, what is the response by Moshe in the next verse to their remonstrations:

וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־קֹ֜רַח וְאֶֽל־כָּל־עֲדָתוֹ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ בֹּ֠קֶר וְיֹדַ֨ע יְהוָ֧ה אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ וְאֶת־הַקָּד֖וֹשׁ וְהִקְרִ֣יב אֵלָ֑יו וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַר־בּ֖וֹ יַקְרִ֥יב אֵלָֽיו׃

‘Then he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Come morning, the LORD will make known who is His and who is holy, and will grant him access to Himself; He will grant access to the one He has chosen……………’

Why does Moshe tell them to  wait until the ‘morning’.What is the significance of mentioning  בֹּ֠קֶר at this moment? Also Korach was a ‘pikeach’ according to Rashi, in which case, what is a ‘smart person’ doing by having this serious disagreement?

Rabbi Salant gives a masterful explanation on the whole episode to answer his questions.He explains that Korach did not want Moshe’s job(which really was ‘not a job for a Jewish boy’) but he did want to be Kohen Gadol.His argument was that he deserved the position and Aharon only got the job through nepotism and was not worthy. Although the people had witnessed Aharon’s great holiness and his ability to bring the Shechinah down to Israel, see Vayikra 9:23-24

וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַהֲרֹ֧ן אֶת־ידו [יָדָ֛יו] אֶל־הָעָ֖ם וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֑ם וַיֵּ֗רֶד מֵעֲשֹׂ֧ת הַֽחַטָּ֛את וְהָעֹלָ֖ה וְהַשְּׁלָמִֽים׃

‘Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being.

23

וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וַיֵּ֣צְא֔וּ וַֽיְבָרֲכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיֵּרָ֥א כְבוֹד־יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־כָּל־הָעָֽם׃

Moses and Aaron then went inside the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the Presence of the Lord appeared to all the people……………………….’

Korach still argued that anyone who would be appointed to the position of Kohen Gadol could achieve the same result, so what was so special about Aharon? 

He further backed up his argument by taking the men of intercalation skills into his camp.These were men who decided when the holy days took place in Israel and the Shechinah would come down, and even though they were very spiritual and holy, they were not so special as to come from one place or family, but could come from any tribe in Israel. Korach always tried to reinforce his argument with religious content (the use of techelet and mezuzots etc) and this element is no exception.This is where his 'smartness' worked against him and explains the reason for his complaints."Sometimes people are too smart for their own benefit".

So what was Moshe’s reference to the ‘morning’ to convey, as an answer to this complaint? Rabbi Salant answers so beautifully , as follows: the creation of the world has set up certain barriers (havdalot) which exist as a result of the plan of God in the world.The morning and the night are two distinct entities and ‘morning’ does not feel’ hard done by’ by not being the other part of the creation, the night.This is a reality which we accept. Similarly Moshe was saying to Korach that Aharon is like the morning and everyone else is the evening, in that his innate qualities of holiness are really the reason why he is chosen to be the Kohen Gadol and not because of nepotism or other foolish considerations.Korach tried to achieve his goals through a cynical approach and Moshe responded with an approach of truth and reality which refuted the argument that Korach made.

It is interesting to note that in the famous travels of Rabba Bar Bar Chana( TB Bava Batra 74a) an arab shows him the place where Korach and his assembly were swallowed up.It says that he put his ear to the ground and could hear the Korach assembly cry out-Moshe emet vetorato emet-Moses is true and his torah is true’.The commentaries point out that they came near to the surface  every Rosh Chodesh, as if to emphasize to the world the message that Moshe had taught Korach about Aharon.It was a false comparison that he made, to the men who understood the ways of intercalation of months.Aharon was a ‘superior/elevated’ Jew and had the essence to become the most holy person in the nation.Furthermore this also shows that Korach tried to attack by using guile(pikeach)and was defeated by the truth.

These are relevant comments which we would do well to heed at all times, especially when we experience disagreement and machloket in the community.Is this an argument based on a true claim or is it rooted in guile and cynicism? An important question to ask and a  lesson for all of us to bear in mind at all times.

Rabbi Ian Shaffer Cherry Hill NJ July 2019