Bamidbar 16:1 “ויקח קרח”
“And Korach took.” Korach was at one point a great man. He was very wise, and had Ruach Hakodesh. How could it be that in a short time he could become one who was kofer in the Torah from shomayim?
Korach was indeed a very wise man, and he became blinded completely from this concept. He decided that he was above all of this, for he was from Shevet Levi, and they did not sin with the Eigel. Thus, he remained on the madreigah of Matan Torah, and he himself could be the Kohen Gadol, he did not need an אמצעי, an intermediary. Not only was he a Levi, but he was from those who carried the Aron, and was thus on a truly elevated level of ruchniyos. He carried the Torah Hakdoshah which was עוז, and thus he was certainly עוז. He therefore did not need to be second or third fiddle to Moshe Rabbeinu, for he had no need for an אמצעי. He was patently wrong. Although he did not sin with the eigel, it still had a profound effect upon him, and he lost his elevated status.
The Zohar Hakodosh asks regarding Yehoshua, that he was not even with the rest of Klal Yisroel when they sinned with the Eigel, as he was waiting at the mountain for Moshe Rabbeinu to come back down. Yet we see that he too was lowered. Why? The Zohar Hakodosh answers that although he himself did not sin, he was part of the Tzibur of Klal Yisroel, and when they were lowered, he was lowered with them. If Yehoshua was lowered, then certainly Shevet Levi was lowered. Korach didn’t see that, as he was consumed with jealousy of Moshe Rabbeinu. He could not lower himself before Moshe Rabbeinu, and thus Moshe Rabbeinu could not be his אמצעי, something that he needed. This was the downfall of Korach.
While in this world, everything needs to go through an אמצעי. An אמצעי is that which is similar to two very distinct things, and being that the אמצעי has an aspect of each thing, it can connect the two. Moshe Rabbeinu was the אמצעי which connected Klal Yisroel to Hakodosh Baruch Hu. Hakodosh Baruch Hu spoke through the גרון, the throat, of Moshe Rabbeinu – a direct connection to Hakodosh Baruch Hu. By Korach seeking to disconnect himself from Moshe Rabbeinu, he was ultimately disconnecting himself from Hakodosh Baruch Hu. When there is no אמצעי, there is no way to connect.
Shabbos Kodesh is an אמצעי to all the days of the week. It is on Shabbos Kodesh that all the Brachah and goodness comes down to this world. It comes down for Shabbos Kodesh, and through the אמצעי of Shabbos Kodesh, it is infused into all the days of the week. The Zohar Hakodosh tells us that Korach came to argue on Shabbos Kodesh. This means that he did not agree with the concept of an אמצעי; he thought that there was no need for one. He did not believe in Shabbos Kodesh being an אמצעי. In truth, Shabbos Kodesh is more that an אמצעי for the days of the week, for it is also an אמצעי to connect to Hakodosh Baruch Hu. Shabbos Kodesh, we receive a Neshama Yeseira from Above. This Neshama Yeseira gives us the great opportunity to connect to the Ribbono Shel Olam.
May we be Zoche to utilize this holy day of Shabbos Kodesh to truly come close to Hakodosh Baruch Hu.
