Different but Interdependent

Korach publicly accuses Moshe Rabeinu of taking too much authority and privilege for himself. After all, says Korach, we all witnessed Divine Revelation at Sinai; we are all holy.

Moshe's response was similar: You, Korach, take too much for yourself if you presume to more than the already elevated Levi has. It's not enough that G-d has separated you and your tribe for His sacred service - you are asking for the Kehuna too?

We know what followed this exchange: a test was suggested - all will offer Incense before G-d and He will demonstrate whom He has chosen for the Kehuna. (Interesting that Moshe was not one of those who offered the Ketoret. He too was not a kohein, nor was he permitted to function like a kohein (except for the seven-day period of the inauguration of the Mishkan). Moshe sets Aharon against Korach's 250 men. And we know that the results of the test was the deaths of the 250 Ketoret bringers, and subsequently, the demise of Korach and the others with him.

Combining some of the mitzvot in Parshat Korach with other details of halacha, we can point out the following:

No, not everyone of Klal Yisrael is the same as everyone else. There are Kohanim and Leviyim and Yisraelim - and they are all different from each other. Kohanim have duties that cannot be discharged by anyone else. So do Leviyim. And so do Yisraelim.

Here's one interesting example. The night in the Beit HaMikdash is over; dawn has come. During the night, 21 Leviyim were at their watchposts, as were three kohanim. No kohein was permitted to guard in place of a Levi, nor could a Levi man one of the three kohein watchposts.

Sunrise is approaching and the kohanim on duty have their assignments - some of which were chosen by lottery. The moment of sunrise is at hand, everyone and everything is ready to proceed and nothing can happen until a particular Yisrael (non-kohein, non-Levi) gives the "go ahead". He is one of the members of the MAAMAD, from the same region of the country that the kohanim and Leviyim who are on duty this week come from.

The point is that a kohein isn't better than a Levi who isn't better than a Yisrael. Nor is a Yisrael inferior or superior to a kohein or a Levi. We are all just different.

We are the same in our being part of the People of Israel. And we are different in some of us being kohanim and some Leviyim and some Yisraelim.

And not only are we different, but we are also interependent. T'ruma and Challa and Bikurim... are not just what we give to a kohein. He gives something back to us. Same for the relationship between Leviyim and Yisraelim.

Only a Levi can sing in the choir of the Beit HaMikdash. Fact. And not even all Leviyim can. A Levi whose job is to guard cannot sing. What if a non-Levi is musical and wants to participate musically in the Mikdash service? Choir? No. Cannot be done. Instrumental accompaniment? Yes! The various instruments can be played by non-Leviyim.

A Yisrael cannot do most of the Avoda required for a korban he brings. But he can do the Sh'chita.

But these examples are beside the point. If you want to do something that you are forbidden to do, you just don't do it. And there is nothing to complain about. No one to be jealous of. This is how G-d in His wisdom set things up for us. Korach's cause was a non-starter. Only ignorance and arrogance combine sometimes to make impossible demands. It's like the well-known idea of changing that which you can and accepting that which you cannot, and knowing the difference. We each have the challenge of improving ourselves, without trying to be someone else.

[The Parshat Korach Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]
[www.ou.org]