Lessons from Parshas Korach: Overcoming Limitations and Transforming Our Nature

This week on the Weekly Parshah Podcast. A rebellion in the wilderness, a mutiny is launched by one individual with some other cohorts and rabble-rousers. They gang up upon the Jewish people's leader. God creates a phenomenon, squashes this rebellion, ultimately backing and solidifying Maestro Abbeinu and Aaron Hakoen's leadership, and then further giving of some mitzvos, some further solidifying of Aaron Hakoen's role and delineating a certain hierarchy that is in Jewish society. This Parshah gives us a unique opportunity to touch on aya'sai'id, a foundational insight about a topic that is a rather pressing matter, something that Revy, ruchem and Revolvo would talk about quite frequently. I hope that we would have the opportunity to speak about it here on the podcast And this week, b'roch Hashem. The opportunity has presented itself, so let us get right to it And then, with the Almighty's help, we will conclude with a clarification about labels, about the Torah's perspective, about being given a diagnosis, about someone who is hyperactive, somebody who has anxiety. What would perhaps be the Torah's initial, perhaps Hashkhafa on that? So, without further ado, welcome in to the Weekly Parshah Podcast. I hope that you know the story by now, but in case you don't, there's a man and his name is Korach, and there's a Parshah and it's named after him And what happens in the Parshah is that he creates a rebellion. He brings a mob, he Kalu, that they gather around Moshe Rabbeinu. They try to overthrow him as the leader. He feels wronged, like he was next in line to be crowned as a certain at a certain capacity of a leader of Kalu, israel. He felt overlooked, he felt like he was wronged And something that was rightfully his was taken from him. Therefore, we must fight back. We must take what is rightfully ours, and the first thing that pops to anyone's head about Parshah's Korach is undoubtedly the idea of Machlokas and how brutal it can be and the punishments that come along with it. God forbid One's normal Hava Amina of the Parshah. But you really think about Korach as he was a man who was kind of crazy, a Russia, a keifer, a denier of Hashem and Moshe Rabbeinu, somebody who just sought power for himself, like someone who was filed to run for president, and puts his own quest for honor in front of the people and he paints it in the form of good intentions, peace, happiness and love. Someone who is up to no good Korach, a big Russia, right. But the actual words and many of the Mamar-i-Khazal paint a totally different picture. There are kamah v'kama, countless proofs That Korach indeed had righteous intentions. Korach did, after all, see the Almighty and the fire and the smoke on that mountain named Harsina. Korach was actually a no-sayer, only carried Hashem's ark. Korach as a cousin of Moshe Rabbeinu. But perhaps more than anything is an open Mishnah in Pyrrhekovos That, in describing and searching for the difference between those that fight for the sake of truth, those that start on Machlikes for the sake of heaven, and the opposite group, those that just fight for the sake of fighting, those that fight Shalay-l-Lishmah the examples given are Hila-l-L-Shammayon, the good team, and Korach and Adoso. Korach and his fellow henchmen in the negative, those that just sought to bring Machlokis to the nation, people that just wanted more covid, more honor. But the only difference that is named in Pyrrhekovos That describes what separates Hillel and Shammai and Korach and Adasso, is that Korach was fighting Shololishma. That's it. And Rabbi Ruchem wants to know what do you mean? That's it. He's a Russia, he's a terrible person. The only difference between Hillel and Shammai and Korach and Adasso is the feeling, is the emotions, are the motives, the Shololishma aspect. That is all that separates between Korach and Hillel. And Rabbi Ruchem concludes, and this is the first point, that our study of Chumash often gets stuck in first gear. We often learn the weekly parshah the same way that we have when we were young kids, still with our training wheels on, and a very rudimentary and elementary way. When it comes to other topics of Chahma other sifforum, hakadoshim, gemara and Rambam, topics that perhaps are only touched by a mature head, well then of course we know and have a new approach and a deeper understanding of what's going on. But when it comes to the Chumash, where many of us studied it when we were younger in fifth grade, fourth grade, perhaps even younger than that and whatever we spoke about at the Shabbat's table and God forbid, sometimes we never learned the weekly parshah with a mature head again. Korach is just always going to be this off-the-derich individual who wanted things for himself, like a child who somebody stole his scooter and when crying to his mother. We must elevate our thinking. We must understand that Korach were a black hat. He had a frack on. Korach was somebody that only wanted more kadoosha. He did see the Almighty at Harsinai. He is a cousin of Moisey Rabbeinu. He just wanted more kadoosha, and the Mishnah testifies to this. The only difference between Hillel and Kyraach was that one was a fighting, that was Lishmah, and one was not Lishmah, it was Shololishmah. Korach was a big tzadik. Korach was a righteous individual At least he started out like that. But because of he fought, he argued, he engaged in disputation, shololishmah With the wrong intentions. It led him to some dark places and eventually he paid the price. It can be a tough avoda, but it is well worth one's while when he wipes his brain of a lot of the plans and understandings of the weekly parshah that he has developed and internalized from his youth. Every year anew to read the parshah and say, whoa, what's gonna happen? Who is Korach? How could he do this? He's a hush of a person. Clearly what is going on and then get into the commentary and from there The parshah sings an entirely different tune and new pearls of wisdom sprout forth. And that brings us to the second idea, and an idea that is larger than life and it sits here in a rashi right underneath our noses, and it holds a very valuable lesson When one actually gets into the story of Korach and him attacking Moshe and the leadership role that Moshe was our melech. It's so cool, it's so impressive to watch how tastefully Moshe calms this mob. Because there's something weird in the world that you know, when there is a mob and a machlokas and everyone's jumping on the bandwagon, you have fire the rabbi or yeah, that's bad, or whatever it is that this mob is murmuring and yelling about with their pitchforks. There's something so seductive and enticing about joining the mob, but Moshe not fighting back, not pushing back, but just delaying. Let's do things tomorrow, let's have some sort of event to show who's really in charge, not getting involved in this machlokas. and it's actually a pretty cool diuk, an inference in the Mishnah, that the difference between Hillel and Shamai. And it says then the fight between Korach and not Moshe. But it's actually Korach and his co -conspirators, moshe was totally not involved in this machlokas, as we see from that Mishnah. And here's the puzzle Right at the beginning of our parasha, vayishma, moshe Vayipalopanov, after Korach has just launched his his words of attack, moshe falls onto his face. Zohar actually tells us he said Tachanun, that's what it means to fall onto one's face, vayedabelokayrachakolaadasei-laymor. And Moshe spoke to Korach and to his other gathering partners, laymor, saying Boiker v'yoida ha-shem es-asherlo. In the morning, god will make known to who he is with Ve es ha-khodoishv'i-kriv'e-love, es-asheryev'char, bo-yakriv'e-love, and whoever is really in charge, whoever's sacrifice will be accepted, then ha-shem will have chosen that individual. in this standoff And Rashi finds an interesting word is used in our Pusuk And pushing off Korach. He says we'll do it tomorrow, but instead of using the regular word of mochar, the regular word of tomorrow, let's have this standoff and feud. The Pusuk says ve al-kola-daseo-laymor Boiker in the morning, and to explain Moshe's choice words, rashi brings an unbelievable medrish, that's Rashi Umidzhrashu. On the word Bok'er Amar lohae moshah. Moshah was telling them a very subtle message Gevulos chilek haqadish bar'ekhu be'olamo boundaries that Almighty has set up in His world. Yecholim atem lahapuch Bok'er lo'arev. Is it possible for one to flip-flop, to change the morning into evening? K'en tuchlu levatel eszu. Similarly, is it possible to have the ability to nullify that which has been done? Aron Ha'koen has been selected. You're gunning for a stellar that is currently held by Aron Ha'koen and the Medjers there says that Moshah was telling about Aron and how, aron's position of going to the lefai priest. It was like the morning and it would be physically impossible to change that, the same way you can't change morning into evening. The Medjers brings proof from a poshuk Sh'in'a'emar. As the poshuk says v'aihi e'ra v'aihi vok'er v'ayavdael, and got separated. K'ach v'ayavdael aharon lahak tisho. The same separating between morning and evening was also attributed to the separating of Aron Ha'koen, to his K'edusha Kohen-filled role, and it would be impossible for you to take it from him and become the Kohen. And just as a sidebar, you do see here that Korach was not only gunning for Moshah's position, but he also wanted the high priest, aron Ha'koen's position, to capture all the more holiness. We see something absolutely astonishing here. We see that a person's position, his gifts, his inborn talents, those parts of a person that have been gifted from high above by the Almighty down to a person, they are so baked into a person, so unchangeable that it's like trying to change the morning into evening. The same v'ayavdael that you have been gifted these gifts to become a Kohen of Aron Ha'koen's stature is the same v'ayavdael to v'aihi e'ra v'aihi vok'er. The Medrish is informing us that the appointment of Aron as a Kohen Godol was a creation More different from the creation of day and night And people. When Hashem places us a person into a specific position of authority of Godless, hashem molds the person to fit the position. It is literally impossible to change the mold of the different requirements of what you need to get that job done, to change that Godless role. It's the hardware of a person. So, korach, give up, you have no shot, was Moshe Rabbenu's subtle tip to him. Revolva brings this idea, kamavakamapam, in many, many times Now. I've recently become a huge fan of the Shiyurim and the kachma, of another one of Revolva's tamidim, namely Rabbi Lawrence Kellerman and unbelievable kacham, talmudkacham and Godol, and he used Revolva's idea here this Medrish, this Rashi, this Pusuk to really bring clarity about the topic of labels, of different medos, different things that are baked into a person and how to know what is a part of him and what is something that is changeable and something that is not. You see, there are two different aspects to a person's character. There are something called medos and then there are something called netios. The Gammar talks about this in different places and rather many, many times, in the way that Rev Kellerman, based on these Gammaras, explained the difference between the two of them is that medos, well, some are good and some are bad. Some are like kindness and giving tov a good meda. You live life with Zarezos, with alacrity a good meda And there are others, bad medos, anger and jealousy. Tyva lost Midos, the difference Some are morally good and some are amoral, some are bad, some are really. They take a person down And Mido says the Gamora are changeable and they must be changed because they are the prerequisite to Torah. Midos are the way that we give and take, have a masa umaton with the Abishtar and with other people. Midos makes ourselves into proper vessels for the Torah to work its powers inside of us. Midos is very much how we live our lives as Jews And perhaps to have Torah without Midos one would have nothing. Tyra im dericharitz. It's imperative that we have good Midos But netios, but the hardware of a person. Those aren't necessarily good or bad, they just are. They are certain things that we are, we like to enjoy, not good or bad. Certain things that we are pulled to, not good or bad Hyperactivity, rev Kellerman suggested. Some are people are born with a little bit more energy, a little bit more. They like to move, more than the average individual. It's not a good Mido or bad per se, it just is. It's part of his hardware. Some people are more emotional, they are more into the singing and dancing. Part of Yiddish kait, more acidic, a netia, while others they like Yiddish kai, more cold, more like I call the Litvach. They perhaps enjoy more, just sit and to study the Tyra or just to contemplate, to think, and it's not so high up on their levels of importance to have the singing and the dancing and their Yiddish kait, a netia, something that's just how you were hardwired from birth. And Khazal tell us G'moran Shabbos, that one who is born under the mazel of ma'adim will invariably spload blood. There are certain times or things that perhaps could lead to a person having an inborn netia towards something. He cannot change this innate characteristic, but he can, says Rev-Kelerman, says Rev-Voba, channel it into a specific occupation. If a person has a netia towards blood, god forbid, or perhaps not God forbid, it's just how he is, he's born like that. Well, be a shokhait, be a mohel, do something productive, channel this netia, Channel this hyperactivity that you are inborn with towards exciting Simcha Tyra, a job that takes somebody that has hyperactivity to get the job done. A netia, it is not about changing it, but about channeling it, a realization that there are software and hardware to a person That when he does understand what his netios are, he's pulled towards blood, like this individual that is cited in the Gemara. But he can not only God forbid fall off and become a murderer, but actually elevate himself to a spot that he has relied upon for our carbon paisach. Relied upon to provide meat for a sea um. Relied upon to bring a young child into the bris the covenant with the Almighty, the bris of Avramavino. That's how he's spilling blood. Ain lacha, channeling netia gedoylamizu, and there's a science and there's a real avaita that we need to be involved in. It's a khokhmah of trying to figure out is this a midah and is it good? So I should double down on it? Or is this a midah and it's bad and I can't change it and I have the free will to get rid of it? Or is it part of my hardware, part of my makeup? I am antsy, i am someone that is hyperactive And therefore ripping that out of a person would be like ripping the hardware out of a computer and it would just malfunction. It would be left with nothing. The goal to clarify Is this a midah Or is it an Atea? And if it's not necessarily good or bad, that's the dead giveaway. That is an Atea, because they just are, and step two is to channel that for good things. If you're someone that really likes order, somebody that really likes Seder, well then, that just is. As long as it's not getting in the way and inhibiting Avaita Sashayam, well then, i imagine it could be channeled and used for consistent, daily, timely Torah learning or Da'van-ing, or organizing of one's schedule and organizing of one's mind. It's an Atea, just is, and trying to change. That would be like what Kayrach was trying to do and change what Aaron Hakowin had been hardwired to do, what role he was hardwired into. It would be like Vayavdel, it would be like trying to change between Vayi Arab, vayi Baikar, changing the morning into night. Chazal, they tell us in Barat Shisrabah that when Shmuel Anavi came to anoint Da'van-an-Malach, the greatest king, perhaps one of the greatest leaders of the Jewish people, shmuel was concerned because Da'van had a certain rudy complexion, certain redness Chazal tell us, red hair, and it looked like Asav and it was indicative of a natural tendency, of a thirst for blood. Perhaps that's not fitting to become the next king. And then Chazal say that Shmuel saw his fine-looking eyes and that signified that, yes, blood would be spilled by the hands of the great Da'van-an-Malach, but it would only be with the consent of the Sanhedrin, through the eyes, as they are called of the nation. The Sanhedrin are the Aeneiim. Da'van-an-malach, yes, killed, but channeled it to kill for righteousness, for truth and for the Almighty. This is a perfect and classic example of an Atea channeled perfectly immaculately. And every single person is born with immutable tendencies And the question is how you channel them. This idea gave me a lot of peace. It's very helpful to know that. Number one any Meeda struggle, if it is something that actually gets one into trouble frequently and it's something that is just inherently raw, it is malleable, fixable. We have Bahira to change it And a good Meeda. One should be excited about it and double down and promote it and build it inside of himself. That free will. There is a very heartening, exciting new insight, but perhaps even more helpful, more exciting, is this Netea of art. There are parts of a person that one cannot change And if you do, you will just ruin your hardware and take out the motherboard from your DNA of how Hashem created you. But the acceptance and the knowledge that this is how I've been born, it is not bad, this is something that I've been gifted, to channel it in the right direction for my Avidis Hashem. But that clarity, it can be calming and it can be exciting, relieving and encouraging. So in 2023, when it certainly feels like there's a common practice or a fad to label people or diagnose individuals and kind of lock them into, this is how life is. Number one, the Torah. It seems like the approach would be that if it's an inherently bad thing, if it traps a person, well then it's changeable, it's a mida. Midos are flexible and can be altered. If it's good definitely Our diagnosis of something good one can move that, promote that and build that And this can be done. It really can be. The gadolim have often educated and told people with enough hard work, one can fix and rewire one's brain. With enough professional therapy, with enough personal, i don't know meditating, learning, studying Masihashah shahram Maybe it's whatever the gadolim would educate in the personal scenario with medication, but it can always work to mold and to change an inborn gifted, even if it is inborn mida, because it's a mida And midos can be changed, edited and substituted. It's exciting to know that a person has that hope that midos can change with enough hard work and determination And a whole lot of siyatah deshmaya. But what about natios? What about natia? something that is unable to be changed And then it does get a person into trouble. It does make Yiddish skyd hard, and he has been wired in a way that is maybe too hyperactive and it's not enjoyable so much. It might feel like a very lonely place, the earth of Kellemann, and he remembered his great-great-grandmother and just so happens that we also have the same great-great-grandmother who had a natia that was blocking her, impeding her from becoming the mother of Kalei Israel. It was literally impossible. Yet something happened, and it gives us hope. Her name was Sara Imeno. She was supposed to be the mother of Kalei Israel, yet the natia, the baked in part of her life, her DNA, was that she did not have a womb, she could not give birth, she was infertile. What happens now? in a natia? Someone's mazel impedes them from proper avaitasashem, or perhaps mothering the future generation of Kalei Israel. What did she do? What did she do? She prayed and she prayed and she prayed. You see, kalei Israel has such a close relationship with the Almighty. Something is very, very unique and special about the Am Hanivkhah's relationship with the Creator of the world, sara Imeno. with enough prayer, with enough tefila, with enough bikesh koro evashem, lechol korov, god is close to anyone who calls him, inasmuch as that it is Lechol asher, yekrooho ve'em. As you cry out, you pray with truth, tati, i need you. Then miracles happen. She gave birth without a womb, without the ability to give birth. She gave birth. I don't know if she got a womb and then gave birth or just she gave birth. It doesn't matter how, because we work as Jews differently. Miracles are not unlikely. Miracles happen daily for Jewish people. Ain't a mazali Yisrael. There are no omens for the Jewish people. We change, we can wiggle out of them, create new mazal. It sounds like Crazy. Things happen when a person has heart-felt tefilos to the Almighty. So, while every person is born with certain immutable tendencies and, if God forbid, he's trying to channel them in the right direction, but something keeps getting in the way as DNA keeps messing up. It sounds like with enough His shahdlus, some intense trying, maybe it means therapy. You talk to your rabbis, you figure out what is the right. His shahdlus, what should I be doing? But then a caravashem l'chol, caravacholashere kruu v'emes, a crying of shmina estres, a praying, a storming the heavens. Ha'shem, i need your help. Then miracles happen, mazal changes, natios flip-flop and peace and success is had. This is what we're of. Kellehmun gave over and a sheer and this insight can be so empowering. There is so much hope. There is so much work to be done and so much praying to be had. So now back at the ranch, let's ask what could Korach have done? After all, tu chlu v'atil ezhu Sh'nem v'e every viker v'yavdil kach v'yavdil an'lak diishay. There was no shot. Korach never had a chance that he was going to be the high priest, like Aaron Akhoin. What could he have done? And after all, we have just come to this conclusion that Korach was in it For Ruchnius. He wanted to be a bigard saddik. How could he have reached such a level? Perhaps we can infer an answer that he should have prayed a person if he wants more connection. Perhaps, no, not perhaps Tafila is always the answer. Don't launch a mutiny, a rebellion and a revolt. Open up your sitter, open up your tehillim and pray and pray and pray with tears. We all have different midos and different netios. Midos can be changed, worked on and at times even eradicated, and netios are part of us. They're part of what makes us us, your fingerprint. It cannot be changed. And when a person clarifies that, that this is a part of my avaidas ha'shem, let me then channel that, let me bring my excitement, hyperactivity, into my. Avaidas ha'shem to be the greatest camp counselor and the greatest promoter of Torah and public speaker and mover and shaker that the world has ever seen. And if this netia should get in the way, then you do your shtadlas, you do what you need to do and how ha'shem set up the world to get the help to put in the work, but then you pray and you pray, and you pray, and you pray and you pray, because that is the way that miracles happen, friends, there is lots of hope, there is lots of excitement and there is lots to be done. I hope we will do some thinking, we will clarify what is a mida and what is a netia And we will eradicate the bad midos, build up the good midos, channel the good netios, that hard wire DNA that we have, and then pray and pray, and pray that they almighty remove the tough netios and that we all have Yeshua's, the salvation's, the non-miraculous, often occurring miraculous salvation's, and a lot of us are looking forward to.