This week’s Parsha begins with the words וַיִּקַח קֹרַח גּוֹ׳ "And Korach took”. The Alter Rebbe points out in Likkutei Torah at the beginning of this week’s Chassidishe Parsha: “We need to understand what is the crux of this argument of Korach and his people against Moshe and Aharon?”
Also, in what way is this argument relevant to Aharon’s ‘Kehunah’ as Rashi clarifies that that “Korach argued if a ‘Tallis’ is made completely of Techeiles should it really be obligated to have Tzitzis? When he was answered that a blue wool garment is obligated with Tzitzis they started to laugh...
In Chassidus it is explained that Korach was in fact very smart and saw that in the future the ‘Leviim’ were going to become ‘Kohanim’ because in the future when Moshiach comes the virtue of ‘Gevurah’ will become apparent.
Due to the [current] remit of the ‘Kohanim’ to serve Hashem, in these days the virtue of ‘Chessed’ is more apparent. Therefore, the service in the Beis Hamikdosh is carried out by the Kohanim who stem from and represent the attribute of ‘Chessed’. Whereas in the future era, when the virtue of the attribute of ‘Gevurah’ will be revealed as the predominant one, then the ‘Leviim’ who stem from and represent ‘Gevurah’ will become the ‘Kohanim’ [of the future] and [consequently] those who [will] serve in the Beis Hamikdosh.
That is going to be the case in the future era. [however] Korach sought to have it that way already [then], in the desert - that the ‘Leviim’ become the ‘Kohanim’.
Korach’s Perspective on the Present and Future
We can add another perspective here. According with that which the Rambam writes that ‘Olom Haboh’ - the world to come is not called by this name ‘World to come’ because it is yet to come in the future in another time; [on the contrary] it comes [right now but concealed] as a result of our efforts in Avodah in this world - ‘Olom Hazeh’.
From this it is understood that the revelations of the future have already come into existence now immediately [following the [moment in] time of the Avodah. Therefore, Korach thought that already then when they were still in the Midbor the virtue of the ‘Leviim’ should manifest in a revealed way.
The Rebbe Maharash and the Reward for Mitzvos
Particularly is this in line with the adage of the Rebbe Maharash (who is known for saying ‘Lechatchilah Ariber’) on the words of the Mishneh ‘S’char Mitzvah Mitzvah’ that as soon as one performs a Mitzvah, he already has all the reward that he will get in the future.
Yet all this reward has been put away for him in a box. He is also given the key to this box.
And this is what Korach wanted. He wanted to reveal the virtue of the ‘Gevuros’ of the future; that the ‘Leviim’ will be ‘Kohanim’.
The Symbolism of the Talis and Techeiles
Now following on from this we should also be able to understand Korach’s argument ‘that a Talis made completely out of blue wool should be exempt from Tzitzis. A Talis symbolises the ‘Makifim’ - encompassing Divine lights. [This principle is illustrated in Halochaso that] just as a Talis completely encompasses its wearer or at least his head and most of his being, and even [if] there is a little bit of his person which is not completely encompassed within the Talis it is still considered in Torah and Halocho to be [an entity] encompassed [with]in the Talis. Furthermore, since the Torah establishes the very existence of the world, therefore, it follows that, if Torah says he is fully encompassed then that is the Truth and the entire person is [thus] encompassed by the Talis.
This is especially so taking into consideration the way all this is reflected in the spiritual dimension, whereby a Talis symbolises the King’s Cloak. Therefore, wearing the Talis becomes a statement of ‘accepting the yoke of heaven’, which is accepted with a person’s entire being. Techeiles, of which our sages of blessed memory say: ‘Techeiles is like the colour of the sea’ and the sea is similar to the colour of the sky, and the sky alludes to the supernal ‘Throne of glory’ which so to speak is the seat of Hashem’s very essence and His very being Blessed be He, so, Techeiles [in this context] has a resultant logic which is that a Talis which is entirely made of blue wool is representative of the highest spiritual symbolism.
