by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

The story of Korach is most instructive. Korach staged a rebellion against Moshe because he would have liked to have been the Kohein Gadol, the High Priest. Instead Ahron, Moshe’s brother, was appointed, and Korach could not sit still.

The Medrash tells us that Yosef hid treasures in Egypt, and “one of them was discovered by Korach.” Korach was a wealthy man.

Korach “drew people to him with gentle words.” Korach was a smooth talker.

“Korach was a respected person. He was one of the honor guards of the Aron.” He managed to rally around him 250 of the leaders. Some of Moshe’s closest supporters joined Korach’s camp. Korach was well leveraged.

Korach posed a question to Moshe. He asked, “If a house is filled with Torah scrolls, does it need a mezuzah?” The implication was that since all Jews are like Torah scrolls, we don’t need a leader- a mezuzah. Now, let’s face it. Korach didn’t want to do away with Jewish leadership. He simply wanted to be the leader. But Korach’s propaganda machine was working overtime.

To Korach, leadership was something that could be purchased by popular vote. So he used his many talents to try obtain consensus.

Korach’s argument was that Ahron’s position as Kohein Gadol should have gone to him. Korach was well positioned, respected, powerful, and felt that he  had been snubbed simply because Moshe preferred to choose his own brother for the position. Korach figured that since he saw leadership as something to be purchased by being well leveraged, presumably that is the way Moshe saw the world as well.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Torah tells us that Ahron was chosen as the Kohein Gadol for one simple reason. Although Ahron was the older brother in their prestigious family, when Ahron heard that Moshe was chosen for leadership (and not him) Ahron rejoiced in his brother’s appointment.

“That’s it?” you ask. Yes. Ahron was a great person. But it was Ahron’s ability to rejoice in someone else’s success that made him G-d’s choice as a leader of the people. As Kohein Gadol he would plead the needs of the people. Through him blessing would be bestowed on the nation.

The position of Kohein Gadol was not intended as the political appointment that Korach envisioned. It was intended as a conduit of blessing. Ahron, a person who rejoiced in another person’s good fortune, even as he might have felt that he was being passed up, was G-d’s ideal choice for the appointment.

Korach’s projecting his own style on other people is not unusual. Often, people ascribe motivations to others based on the way that they themselves operate.

A person who is very political will judge other people’s behavior with the assumption that they too are all about politics. A person who is a kindly, do-gooder, will often think that the people around him are all focused on the collective good. A person who is devoted to observance will assume that most people are the same. Often, a period of astonishment sets in when a person realizes that not everyone is similarly motivated.

Our Sages taught, “A blemish that is in you, do not ascribe to your friend.” Just because you see the world that way, doesn’t mean that the Moshe’s of the world are similarly motivated. There is another possibility. It is that other possibility which Korach would have done well to entertain.

With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos.

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