RITSS HIGH SCHOOL

PRESENTS A D`VAR TORAH

ON KORACH

By Rabbi Moshe Heigh

WHY DID MOSHE REPEAT THE ORDER TO CONDUCT AN INCENSE TEST?

     What were the underlying motives for the fatal uprising of Korach? Much can be said about this; we will explore a few remarks of the Ramban. In doing so, something startling will come to light. In the minds of some skeptics, even a fire from heaven, at the kohanim's installation ceremony, was not conclusive proof that Aharon deserved the high priesthood! We will now explore the Ramban; some comments will be added to help us comprehend his words.

     The Ramban is on 16:16. The commentators are wondering: if Moshe already told the rebels to be ready the next day with fire pans to participate in a test (16:6-7), why does he seem to give an identical order again in 16:16-17? Is this not repetitive? Incidentally, Moshe was directing them to prepare pans for burning incense. If their offering would be accepted by G-d, this would prove that their grievances were well-founded, and Moshe and Aharon did not deserve to be the leader and kohen gadol. Moshe did hint that only one person offering ketores - incense - would survive this test. Yes, Aharon Hakohen was the chosen individual to be progenitor of those serving in the holiest places and capacities, so only his ketores would be accepted. All the rest would perish. This is found in the end of Rashi on 16:6, in his explanation of 16:7.

     So why repeat the command to offer ketores? The Ramban examines the psukim carefully; the following is his analysis. At first, Moshe told the rebellious people to take fire pans; this only included Korach and his cohorts. That was also when Moshe indicated that this was a lethal undertaking, one which would cost them their lives if they did not back out of the rebellion immediately. [In truth, they were not being FORCED by Moshe's command to bring ketores. Moshe would never demand that people do something suicidal, the dreadful transgression of offering unauthorized ketores. Recall that the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, had died from this very sin (Shmini 10:2). The Chizkuni on 16:6 declares that MOSHE NEVER EXPECTED THEM TO TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE of attempting to burn this incense. Everyone knew full well what the consequences were! Rather, says the Chizkuni, since Korach and his comrades were maliciously challenging the leadership of Moshe, Aharon, and the tribe of Levi, Moshe "also came upon them with words of confrontation". In other words, the Chizkuni insists that Moshe did not require the ketores test, nor did he ever think the rebels would actually go through with it. He was merely responding to their attack with boldness. Of course, we know that they took his idea as realistic, and they were burned by Hashem (16:35).] Let us continue in the Ramban. When Moshe first advised Korach and his men to prepare for the next day's ketores test, he did not mention that Aharon would participate. Why? Ramban maintains that at this early stage of the dialogue, Moshe did not plan for Aharon to bring ketores as part of the experiment. This makes even more sense if you combine it with the Chizkuni we mentioned above. Since Moshe was not actually serious about the rebels offering ketores, which would be classified as unauthorized by Hashem, he did not even consider that Aharon be part of the entire activity. In response to Moshe's proposal that they burn incense the next day without Aharon joining them, Ramban says that the rebellious people were silent. They were not interested in this plan at all. They wanted Aharon, whose high priesthood they were challenging, to be there as well.

     Why did Korach and his friends insist on Aharon offering ketores with them? They figured that if Aharon were present, a fire would possibly descend from heaven and consume EVERYONE'S incense. This would happen in Aharon's merit, and it would burn their incense together with Aharon's. This, of course, would be a sign of divine endorsement for all these 250 men and Korach. Their ketores would be accepted by Hashem - a heavenly fire would surely consume it! Or, they figured, NO FIRE would descend, not for their incense, and not for Aharon's. Why not? They suspected that their ketores was unacceptable (and they were right); Hashem would not send a fire to accept it. To be consistent regarding the use of heavenly fire, they assumed, no fire at all would come down from heaven, so even Aharon's ketores would be left untouched. Consequently, he HAD to be with them, since they felt they would all be treated the same. The worst result would be that NONE of them, not even Aharon, would be favored. At best, the ketores contained in ALL their pans would be licked up by divine flames.

     On the other hand, says the Ramban, they refused to conduct this test without Aharon in attendance. In his absence, if a fire would NOT descend to accept the ketores of the rebels, everyone would conclude that G-d was not interested in their offering. Surely the Jewish people would believe that Aharon WAS the chosen kohen to serve Hashem, but not these 250 men. What firm basis would there be for this? A fire had once come down to accept Aharon's sacrifice. When was this? At Miluim, of course, the week-long induction ceremony through which the kohanim were ushered into their divine service. Please see Parshas Titzaveh, Tzav, and Shmini for details of Miluim. A heavenly fire lapped up Aharon's offering in Shmini 9:24, and there it says that Aharon received national acknowledgement. "All the nation saw and sang praise, and they fell on their faces" (ibid). It seems that everyone was overjoyed and impressed at that awesome moment. Or maybe not - was anyone skeptical about its implications?

     The Ramban declares that the traitors of today's parsha doubted the heavenly fire of Miluim could prove anything about AHARON. Perhaps Moshe should not have "chosen" his brother, Aharon, to be the kohen gadol from the beginning. OF COURSE, THE GRAVE ERROR WHICH PRECIPITATED THIS REBELLION WAS THE OUTRAGEOUS CONCLUSION THAT MOSHE MADE THESE DECISIONS ON HIS OWN. We know that Moshe was "trustworthy in Hashem's entire house" (Beha'aloscha 12:7), and was the most humble person on earth (ibid 12:3). Yet, the participants of Korach's uprising, out of their thirst for prestige and their desire to perform services not assigned them, accused Moshe of forming policies based on his own preferences. Thus, they claimed that the heavenly fire of that Mishkan inauguration, back in Nissan 1, 2449, would have descended for ANYONE chosen to do the divine service! This, says the Ramban, was the distorted attitude which prevailed among the rebellious parties. They insisted that Hashem would have accepted the Miluim offerings from any representative of the nation, since the heavenly fire had been in the merit of Bnai Yisroel's dedication in creating the Mishkan. They asserted that Moshe's "unauthorized selection" of Aharon as kohen gadol was the act which led to the fire from Hashem consuming his korbon.

     The Ramban develops the point further, but suffice it to say that these wicked individuals insisted on Aharon's participation in the incense experiment. That is why Moshe restated the order to bring incense in 16:16. Notice that back in 16:6, Aharon was NOT mentioned as a participant. In 16:16, however, Moshe included Aharon. As the Ramban shows, this was in response to Korach's demand that Aharon be there. If Aharon would be missing, and no fire would come to consume the ketores of the rebels, people would certainly honor Aharon as the high priest, at the exclusion of these 250 men and Korach. The Jewish people knew that the heavenly fire of Miluim had already proven Aharon's right to be kohen gadol, but the insurgents were determined to unravel that supernatural evidence. Of course, Hashem demonstrated that it was impossible to do this. Moshe did approve of Aharon bringing incense for the test, since he knew that Aharon was picked by Hashem Himself, and he would suffer no harm.

     This shows how far people sometimes go for the sake of honor. May it remind us that our task is to do the will of Hashem, not to pursue power and recognition.

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