"And they gathered against Moshe and against Aharon and said to them, ‘It is too much for you! For the entire assembly is holy, and Hashem is among them; why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem?’” (Bemidbar 16:3)
Korah attacks Moshe with a strong claim – “The entire Jewish People experienced a direct connection with Hashem at Sinai, so why do we need you?” It seems from this argument that Korah’s sole concern was for the good of the Jewish People. However, the Ibn Ezra learns that Korah’s revolt took place directly after Aharon and his sons were appointed to replace the firstborns, who had lost their right to Priesthood as a result of their involvement in the sin of the Golden Calf.
The Ibn Ezra explains that the reason Korah rose up against Moshe was because he was a firstborn, as were the two hundred and fifty men who joined him, and although they disguised their arguments in honorable terms, in reality it was their own thirst for power that drove them to enter into a fight with Moshe and Aharon. From here we see that an outwardly righteous appearance does not necessarily mean the presence of righteousness, and although it is undoubtedly important to appear to be righteous, to actually be righteous is life’s goal! Our outward actions help us do this, as the Sefer Hachinuch writes, “One’s personality is molded by his external actions,” but we can never think that looking righteous is the goal, it is only the means to the goal.
The following story helps to emphasize this point.
Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe, once honored, in his home, R’ Elimelech Gavriel “Mike” Tress, the Administrative President of Agudas Yisrael of America, the man responsible for saving thousands of Jews during the Holocaust as well as having a major input in the Torah establishing its roots in America.
Upon hearing of the visit, some young students approached the Rebbe and brazenly asked him how he could honor a man who did not have a beard. “Surely the Rebbe knows the importance of having a beard,” they said. The Satmar Rebbe looked them in the eyes and said, “You’re right. When that man leaves this world, the Heavenly Court will say, ‘Jew, Jew, where was your beard?’ But when you leave this world, they will say, ‘Beard, beard, where was your Jew?’
