(2009/5769)

The episode of Korach’s rebellion takes place immediately after Parashat Shelach, showing a relationship between the two Parashiot. Parashat Shelach, beginning with the story of the Meraglim, later describes Mitzvot such as Tzitzit. How does this explain the power struggle between Korach, Korach's rebellion, and Mosheh and Aharon? Perhaps Parashat Shelach could represent a cause for Korah's rebellion.

In order to solve this problem one must analyze at the motivation for Korach’s rebellion by looking at the Machloket (dispute) between Ibn Ezra and Ramban, from which all other views of this subject originate:

Because Korach’s Rebellion seems so out of place, Ibn Ezra holds the opinion that Korach’s rebellion did not take place after Parashat Shelach as it is written in the Torah. He applies the principle of “Ein Mukdam UMiuchar BaTorah,” that the Torah in this instance is not presented in chronologically order; The main motivation for rebellion was that the firstborns were angered that Mosheh appointed the Kohanim to take over the firstborn's job to work in the Mishkan. The uprising didn’t take place after Shelach, but it occurred earlier to describe an earlier event in Parashat Korach.

Ramban, however, does not claim “Ein Mukdam UMiuchar BaTorah” here. He insists that the rebellion actually took place in the order that the Torah states. He explains that in Shelach Hashem brings a severe punishment to the spies, bringing death and plague, causing bitterness of the dissatisfied, who until now did not dare to rebel against Mosheh and Aharon. With the bitterness from the Meraglim's punishment, the dissatisfied people took action to settle their lingering bitterness from before.

Similarly, Chasidic thought agrees that the sin of the spies and the resulting punishment caused the rebellion. However, the opinion differs in the reason of the rebellion's motivation. The spies did not want to enter the Land of Israel because they preferred the exclusively spiritual life of the Midbar to a life of dealing with physical concerns in Eretz Yisrael. The Meraglim's downfall sent a message to Bnei Yisrael that Judaism has great value in physical action over exclusively spiritual pursuits. Reacting from this, Korach tries to explain to Mosheh, “I can appreciate you are more spiritual and holier than us, but since the Torah makes physical action the priority, how are you any better than us? Aren’t our actions are the same?”

Korach’s mistake was that the Torah does not demand action alone, but deeds that shine with inspiration and spiritual enlightenment. The opposite extremes of the Meraglim's mistakes and those of Korach teach that one must follow healthy equilibrium: Unlike the Meraglim, one should not shy away from physical life; on the other hand, Judaism’s emphasis on action must never lead to a life of meaningless ritual, void of spirituality. One must follow the physical demands of the Torah while elevating them with spiritual enlightenment.