Some people may read particular episodes in the Torah and think, ‘How did these people act in such a way? I wouldn’t have made such mistakes.’ This erroneous thinking is an outcome of misunderstanding what occurred. R' Dessler writes that the sins told by the Torah as having been committed by the righteous biblical figures can’t be understood plainly as actual sins. They are considered sins only by the pristinely strict standards that are even smaller than microscopic.
The following are some instances where this is revealed to us.
- The Gemara tells us if we think Dovid sinned with Bas Sheva, we are mistaken. Other examples include Reuven in the incident with Bilhah and the sons of Shmuel concerning taking bribery and perverting justice.
- When Rav Ashi asked Menashe why he worshipped Avoda Zara if he was so learned, he replied, ‘If you were living when I was alive, you would have lifted up the bottom of your garment and ran after me.’
- In reference to the ԁԔԀԕԁԕԕԁ, it says ԑԀԆԕԐ ԑԄ ԄԀ, it was evil in the ears of Hashem. That is, it was evil in the ears of Hashem, but if we were around at that time, it would seem proper to us.
- The noble intentions of the Meraglim are shown to us in the words ԄԄ ԀԔԄԕ ԕԐԔԕ Ԅ ԄԄԄ, we shall surely ascend…, where the end letters spell Ԅ-ԕ-Ԅ-Ԑ. In a similar vein, the first letters of ԕԕԓԁԐ ԄԕԐ ԕ ԄԄ ԄԄԕ, a land that devours its inhabitants… spell Ԅ-ԕ-Ԅ-Ԑ. Indeed, the Meraglim are called ԐԕԓԐ which is a term connoting importance, as they were honorable.
This can be understood with the following analogy. A gas attendant reads in the newspaper that his gas company is debating whether to invest a billion dollars. Upon reading this, he thinks to himself they surely should not invest. In the end, they invest and lose their money. Although he was correct, he was correct on his level as he doesn’t know that for months the company had been doing extensive, rigorous research and hiring people to see if the investment was worth it. Can he honestly judge his company in regard to that?!
When we look at the story of Korach, we may think ‘How wicked!’ When the Chozeh of Lublin (1745-1815) would begin his shiur on Parshas Korach, he would start by saying, ‘My holy grandfather Korach.’
The Igra D’Pirka writes that in the Zohar and Midrashim the greatness of Korach is magnified, that he was great in wisdom. Temporarily he made a mistake in a slight sin. The Arizal comments that in the future Korach will be elevated above (ԔԑԄ ԐԔԄԄԄ ԄԔԄԄԄ). The end letters of ԐԔԄԔ ԄԕԔԔ ԓԔԕԑ, a righteous man will flourish like a date palm, spell ԔԑԄ.
The allusion in ԐԔԄԔ ԄԕԔԔ ԓԔԕԑ hints to that he acted ԓԔԕ ԓԔԕԐ, as he wanted to bring the ԔԕԔԕԐ ԄԔԕԑ, the Geula. At that time the Leviyim will be like Kohanim, as it says ԓԔԕԑ ԁԐԔ ԕԄԄԕԐԕ ԕԄԄԄԐԕ, the Kohanim, the Levites, descendants of Tzadok…. Korach’s claim was that in the future we will all be equal as it says in the future Hashem will make a circle for tzadikim where Hashem will sit among them in the middle. In a circle, everyone is at equal distance from the center, Hashem, since every radius in a circle has the same measurement. Korach wanted that time to be now. Therefore, Korach said ԄԐ ԄԄ ԄԔԔԄ ԄԄԕ ԑԔԓԐԕ ԕԁԔԕԔԕ Ԅ', the entire assembly is holy and Hashem is among them — that Hashem is equally distant from each person.
The Divrei Yoel tells us that really Korach was a great and holy man who served Hashem and had Ruach Hakodesh. This is just as we see in Rashi who says Korach saw a great chain of descendants emerging from him — Shmuel who was as important as Moshe and Aharon together, would descend from him…The Arizal writes that Korach saw what will be in the future, that he will be a Kohen in the future. Korach thought to bring that time of the ԄԔԕԔԕ ԄԔԕԑ in his days. This was Korach’s mistake.
The Divrei Yoel continues that the Yitov Lev heard from his grandfather, the Yismach Moshe (1759-1841), that it was his third time in this world. The first time was in the Dor Hamidbar. He mentioned that all the ԔԐԓԐ ԓԐԄԔԔԕԐ, heads of the courts stood on the side of Korach and only the ordinary people were with Moshe. The Yitov Lev asked which side the Yismach Moshe stood on. His reply: Neither side — not with Korach or Moshe — as he was anodyne. When the Yitov Lev then asked, ‘How is it possible to be against Moshe?’ He answered, ‘You didn’t know Korach. If you did, you wouldn’t ask such a question. Korach was a holy man who was a true tzadik but he just made a mistake.’
Let us conclude with the following account. There was once a tzadik who would say tashlich alone. Once a man stealthily followed him and while the tzadik was reciting tashlich, he realized this person was there. The man said, ‘I want to take the sins of the Rebbe,’ as a tzadik’s sins are another’s Mitzvos.