Egalitarianism Leads to Baseless Hatred
(The following insight comes from the Be’er Moshe, the Ozharover Rebbe)
Korach came up with a complaint that has currency in every generation: “For the entire community is holy; so why do you elevate yourselves over the Congregation of Hashem?” (Bamidbar 16:3) The egalitarian refrain “Why are you any better than us” echoes throughout the history of leadership.
The Gemara says (Shabbos 119b) that Yerushalayim was destroyed only because they equated the katan (small) with the gadol (great). The Gemara marshals a pasuk, “And the nation will be like the Kohen...” (Yeshayahu 24:2) The Be’er Moshe asks that this statement seems to contradict another statement in the Gemara (Yoma 9b) that Yerushalayim was destroyed (in the time of the second Beis HaMikdash) because of baseless hatred (sinas chinam). If the prevailing attitude was that everyone was the same (gadol = katan), then on what basis did they have mutual resentment and hatred?
The Be’er Moshe answers that this question is based on a mistaken premise: It is not true that when you believe everyone is the same that there will not be baseless hatred. To the contrary: When there is a prevailing mindset that everyone is the same, that is when there will be sinas chinam. If everyone is the same “So, why are YOU the leader?”
Sinas chinam and egalitarianism are two sides of the same coin. Why are you the boss, the manhig, the rav, etc.? I am as good as you are! The Be’er Moshe brings an example: A person has a body. Every part of the body is important. But not all body parts are the same. Given a choice between losing a pinky and losing one’s heart, what would a person choose? The pinky, the finger, and even a leg are not limbs without which life cannot be sustained. However, a person cannot live without a heart or without a brain. We are all one body, and all body parts are working with one goal – to keep the person alive. But there are differences. There is a hierarchy of priority, of importance.
The same is true in Klal Yisrael. Klal Yisrael works because there are levels or categories. Someone who recognizes that there are levels and that there are people who are supposed to lead, realizes that there is a category called talmidei chachomim and there is a category called Kohanim. Not everyone is on the same level and therefore not everyone can be a leader. That is what the Gemara means in Shabbos 119b. The fact that they equated the katan with the gadol generated baseless hatred in Klal Yisrael.
The proof of the matter is the rallying cry of Korach’s rebellion: “For the entire nation is holy!” What happened because of that? There was machlokes. When people are willing to accept the idea that there are leaders and there are followers; people who are supposed to make the decisions and people who are supposed to accept the decisions, then society can function. Otherwise, the outcome is Parshas Korach. (R’ Frand)
