The Secret of the Faith of the Generation of the Desert and the Root of Korach's Dispute
Lesson No. 61 | (Continued from 60) Thursday, Parashas Chukas, 3 Tammuz 5756 (Continued from 62) Thursday, Parashas Mattos-Masei, 24 Tammuz 5756
What truly stood behind Korach's claims against Moshe Rabbeinu? Rabbi Berland shlit"a explains the profound difference between the pure innocence of the generation that left Egypt and the generation of the children who sought luxuries, revealing the immense danger of lacking faith in tzaddikim.
Korach's central claim was against the difficulty of fulfilling the mitzvos. He argued: "Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation (Kahal) of Hashem?" The mitzvos you give us are too difficult; we demand easier mitzvos. The Hebrew word "Kahal" (congregation) is composed of the exact same letters as "Kalah" (easy), hinting at Korach's demand for easier mitzvos. The word "Kalah" shares the same numerical value (gematria) as "Sukkah" and "Matzah," and also corresponds to the holy Divine Names of A"V (72) and Sa"G (63). Korach argued that the spiritual intellect (mochin) of the new generation was not like the intellect of Moshe Rabbeinu and the generation that left Egypt.
The Pure Innocence of the Generation of Knowledge
Regarding the generation that left Egypt, the verse states: "I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in an unsown land." How could a normal person with ten children walk into the desert? There is barely enough food for one person, so how could one take an entire nation of hundreds of thousands of people, each with children and infants born that very day, into the barren wasteland?
However, the Jewish people of that time were the "Generation of Knowledge." There never was, nor will there ever be, a generation like this. They closed their eyes and followed Moshe Rabbeinu into the desert, without asking any questions. They did not care that there would be no water or food. Moshe said to go to the desert—so they went. This was absolute innocence, profound devotion, and immense faith in the tzaddik.
They went out into the deserts even before they saw the Manna, before they saw Miriam's Well; they simply walked with blind faith. Regarding this generation, which is referred to as having the "souls of Leah" (representing the hidden, higher spiritual realms), the holy Zohar states that there never was and never will be another like it.
The Generation of Luxuries and Korach's Claim
However, Korach looked at the next generation, the children. The children were no longer required to have the same self-sacrifice (mesiras nefesh) as their parents, who threw everything away and ran after Moshe with their eyes closed. The new generation grew up in luxury; they drank sweet water from Miriam's Well and ate the Manna, which contained every taste in the world.
Korach argued that this generation was seeking luxuries; they wanted "cakes and popsicles," and if they did not get what they wanted, they might abandon their faith and stray into foreign fields. Therefore, Korach came to Moshe Rabbeinu and asked him: "Are you capable of leading this new generation? This pampered generation that needs wafers with honey?"
Moshe Rabbeinu did not remain silent and answered him: "It is too much for you (Rav lachem), sons of Levi." What lies behind the words "Rav lachem"? The word "Rav" conceals tremendous secrets. It includes the Divine Name of A"V (72) and the Name of Ko"L (130), which together equal the numerical value of the word "Rav" (202).
Through this, Moshe Rabbeinu was telling Korach: "I possess all the spiritual levels. I understand the younger generation, I understand the new generation, I understand everything." Korach and the spies claimed that Moshe Rabbeinu belonged only to the upper worlds, to the aspect of "Leah," and could not descend to the lower levels of the new generation, to the aspect of "Rachel" (representing the revealed, lower spiritual realms). But Moshe proved to them that he encompasses all forms of leadership.
The Letter Kuf and the Power of a Woman
Korach's struggle was not merely an ideological debate, but a tremendous spiritual danger. Korach's name begins with the Hebrew letter Kuf. According to the holy Zohar, the letter Kuf is the letter with which Gehenna (Hell) was created. Korach did not just fall into Gehenna; rather, he drew Gehenna to himself until he himself became Gehenna. His words were words of the fire of dispute and destruction.
Here, the immense power of a woman is revealed, for better or for worse. Regarding this, King Solomon says: "The wisest of women builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her hands." The wife of On ben Peles saved him. When she saw that he was being dragged into the dispute, she told him to take a bottle of wine and go to sleep. She put him to sleep, thereby preventing him from joining Korach's congregation. When his friends came to call him, she stood at the entrance of the tent and chased everyone away, thus saving his life.
In contrast, Korach's wife was worse than he was. She fanned the flames, spoke evil against Moshe Rabbeinu, and made a mockery of every holy thing. The Midrash says that when Korach's wife descended into Gehenna, she was so filled with the fire of dispute that she created an entirely new Gehenna. From here we learn the immense danger of lacking faith in tzaddikim, and how crucial it is to cling to truth and pure innocence.
Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 61
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