It is stated in our parashah: וֱיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן־יִצְהָר בֶּן־קְהָת בֶּן־לֱוִי “And Korach, son of Yitzhar, son of Kehas, son of Levi, took...” (Bamidbar 16:1).
Rashi explains: “Why does the Torah not mention ‘son of Yaakov’? Because Yaakov prayed concerning himself that his name should not be mentioned in connection with their dispute, as it says: ‘in their assembly may my honor not be mentioned.’” That is, when Yaakov Avinu blessed his sons, he requested mercy that his name not be associated with future disputes. This was a prophetic allusion to the rebellion of Korach. Therefore, Korach’s lineage is traced only as far as Levi and not to Yaakov.
What did Korach take?
The verse begins with the words וֱיִּקַּח קֹרַח “And Korach took,” but it does not tell us what he took. The commentators offer many explanations. Here we will explore one approach to this question in order to better understand Korach’s motivations and where he erred.
The omission of Yaakov from Korach’s lineage
Why was Yaakov Avinu so concerned that his name not be mentioned in connection with Korach, to the point of davening to Hakadosh Baruch Hu that his name not appear in the Torah as the forefather of Korach? After all, Yitzchak is mentioned as the father of Esav, and Avraham as the father of Yishmael!? It is impossible to erase the fact that Korach was among Yaakov’s descendants. What, then, was Yaakov seeking to accomplish through this request?
The Sfas Emes on Korach’s error
The Sfas Emes (5632/1872) opens with the Mishnah: ‘A dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will ultimately endure,’ the classic example being the disputes of Hillel and Shammai. He explains that Aharon HaKohen embodied the attribute of chesed (kindness), whereas the Leviim were distinguished by the attribute of din (justice, discipline). The world cannot endure through din alone; its existence requires a partnership between din and rachamim (mercy). Korach erred in thinking that, as a quintessential Levi, he could introduce din into the kehunah without chesed. But the kehunah is built upon chesed. This was Korach’s critical mistake.
The source of Korach’s identity
Let us examine Korach’s lineage and why the Torah traces him only to Levi and not to Yaakov. In my humble opinion, “And Korach took” means that he “took” his lineage. He took his identity from Levi rather than from Yaakov. Korach saw himself as the direct heir to the legacy of Levi. Levi was his role model and the source of his pride in lineage. It is similar to someone today who takes pride in being a descendant of a Rebbe or a great Torah leader. Korach magnified his connection to Levi and not to Yaakov.
Yaakov: symbol of integration
Yaakov Avinu embodied the attribute of tiferes (beauty, harmony), the harmonious balance between din and chesed. This balance is precisely what the kehunah requires. Aharon HaKohen possessed this balance; Korach did not. Korach drew from the attributes of Levi before Levi achieved complete teshuvah and transformed his character.
Levi’s teshuvah
In our sefer Chamudei Shai on Sefer Shemos, we cited an article by my revered father, zt’’l (of saintly memory), published in HaPardes, explaining why the tribe of Levi was exempt from labor in Egypt. Early in his life, Levi acted with din, strict judgment. He avenged Dinah’s honor and joined Shimon in killing the inhabitants of Shechem. Levi did not consult Yaakov, and together with Shimon he displayed jealousy toward Yosef. Yaakov’s rebuke was severe: “For in their anger they slew a man, and in their willfulness they uprooted an ox.”
Levi repented. He internalized Yaakov’s rebuke and transformed his character, becoming a complete tzaddik, in the spirit of the Sages teaching: “In the place where baalei teshuvah (penitents) stand, even completely righteous individuals cannot stand.’
Korach’s error in identifying himself as a son of Levi
Korach identified with Levi as Levi was before his teshuvah: a zealot without compromise. וֱיִּקַּח קֹרַח... בֶּן־לֱוִי “And Korach... son of Levi took”, he took his identity as a Levi and gloried in it. Even Moshe addresses him with, “Hear now, sons of Levi.” As a descendant of Kehas, Korach held prestigious responsibilities. He carried the holiest vessels, including the Aron Bris Hashem (the Ark of the Covenant) containing the Luchos (Tablets).
The secret of the connection between Yaakov and Korach
My revered father, zt’’l, cited a Midrash: “Before his passing, Yaakov instructed that Levi should not carry his coffin. Why? Because ‘He and his descendants will carry the Aron Bris Hashem.’” The tribe of Levi was destined for this sacred role. Even before the descent to Egypt, Levi had been set apart for Divine service. One may wonder why Yaakov emphasized this Levitic role rather than the kehunah (priesthood), which requires an even greater level of sanctity and avoidance of ritual impurity. The exalted status that Yaakov attached to carrying the Aron Bris Hashem may have inflated Korach’s sense of entitlement. As a member of the Kehas family responsible for carrying the Aron, Korach may have felt destined for leadership, for Yaakov himself had highlighted the supremacy of that role.
The message Yaakov conveyed to Korach
Yet Yaakov requested that his name not be mentioned as Korach’s ancestor. What message did Yaakov intend to convey? The answer is that Yaakov foresaw through ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration) that despite his sharp rebuke of Levi some of Levi’s descendants, such as Korach, would still go astray. He wanted the omission of his name to serve as a message for all generations: “Do not think that this is my path. Korach, why did you not follow my example? Why did you cling to Levi’s earlier traits, the very traits I criticized, instead of following his example after his complete teshuvah?” Yaakov continues to remind his descendants of the correct path of service to Hashem.
The legacy of the sons of Korach
The story does not end in tragedy, but in the hope of rectification. The sons of Korach repented. Eleven psalms of Tehillim are attributed to them, among them Tehillim 47, which is customarily recited seven times before the sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, since it contains the verse: “Elokim has ascended with a blast; Hashem, with the sound of the shofar.” How beautiful this custom is! The purpose of the sounding of the shofar is to awaken us to teshuvah, as the Rambam writes in Hilchos Teshuvah 3:4:
“Although the sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a Scriptural decree, it contains an allusion, as if to say: ‘Awake, sleepers, from your sleep! Arise, slumberers, from your slumber! Examine your deeds, return in teshuvah, and remember your Creator.’ These are the people who forget the truth amidst the vanities of time and spend all their years pursuing emptiness and futility, things that cannot her or save. Look to your souls, improve your ways and your deeds, and let each of you abandon his evil path and his improper thoughts...”
The sons of Korach symbolize precisely this awakening and transformation that the sounding of the shofar is meant to inspire within us. The psalm that follows (Tehillim 48), ‘A song, a psalm of the sons of Korach…’, is a fixed part of our prayers. It is the Shir shel Yom for Monday that the Leviim sang in the Beis HaMikdash. These songs composed by the sons of Korach praise and affirm faith in Hashem. Shmuel HaNavi (the prophet Samuel) was among Korach’s descendants. Rashi notes that in Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles), Korach’s lineage is traced all the way back to Yisrael (Yaakov): “...son of Aviasaf, son of Korach... son of Levi, son of Yisrael.”
Reflections on lineage and legacy
“Yisrael” is the name that reflects the perfected essence of Yaakov. We are “Bnei Yisrael.” This is our identity, bound to the lineage of our father Yisrael. Our faith is built upon, ‘Hear, O Yisrael,’ as the Gemara relates: ‘His sons said to him: ‘Hear O Yisrael (our father), Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One.’ They responded: ‘Just as there is only One in your heart, so too there is only One in our hearts’ (Pesachim 56a). Yaakov built and united us into a nation. He harmonized all the diverse attributes necessary for life. Korach, on the other hand, despite his sincerity, failed. But his sons repented and restored honor to Levi. They brought satisfaction to their father by identifying themselves as ‘the sons of Korach.’ Every Monday, we say in our davening, ‘Today is second day of the week, the day on which the Leviim would say (sing) in the Beis HaMikdash: ‘A song, a psalm of the sons of Korach: Great is Hashem and exceedingly praised in the city of our G-d, His holy mountain...’
On the second day of Creation, the phrase “ki tov” (“that it was good”) was not stated, because that day witnessed the emergence of division through the separation of the upper and lower waters. Korach embraced the discord associated with the second day. But his sons, through their repentance, rectified their father’s dispute. The entire psalm they composed revolves around the Beis HaMikdash. Through their song, they expressed the theme of unity and connection revealed in the Beis HaMikdash, the place of connection and Ahavas Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew).
