Our Torah portion, Korach, recounts a series of miracles that occurred after Kor-ach and his assembly initiated a dispute over Aaron's priesthood. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed Korach and his followers. At that same moment, a fire came forth from G-d and consumed the 250 men who offered incense and sought to challenge Aaron's priesthood.
After these two great miracles, G-d per-formed yet another miracle. He com-manded all the tribal leaders to give Mo-ses their staffs, with each man's name written on his staff. Aaron's staff was added to them, and all the staffs were placed in the Tent of Meeting. The next day it was discovered that "Aaron's staff for the house of Levi had blossomed. It gave forth blossoms, sprouted buds, and produced ripe almonds. "
Were Two Miracles not Enough?
The question arises: why was there a need for this third miracle after the Jewish peo-ple had already witnessed the two super-natural miracles that occurred before-hand? After the earth swallowed Korach and all his followers, and Divine fire con-sumed those who offered the incense, was there still any doubt about G-d's choice of Aaron the Kohen?
Another matter requiring explanation is the process by which the almonds grew on Aaron's staff: blossoms, buds, and almonds. After all, almonds growing overnight on a cut staff was itself a mira-cle entirely beyond the natural order. Why was it necessary for a flower to bloom first, then a bud to emerge ("the fruit be-ginning to form as the flower falls off," as Rashi explains), and only afterward for almonds to grow? Why was it not enough for the almonds simply to appear directly from the staff?
Aaron was Worthy
The answer to both questions is one and the same: the first two miracles indeed proved that G-d had chosen Aaron as the High Priest.
The opening of the earth demonstrated "that G-d sent me [Moses] to do all these deeds." As Rashi explains, "that I did by Divine order: granting Aaron the high priesthood..."
When the 250 men offering incense stood alongside Aaron, and fire came forth from G-d and struck them but not him, this proved that Aaron was the man chosen by G-d for offering incense and serving as High Priest.
A Natural Result
Therefore, G-d commanded that the tribal staffs be gathered in the Tent of Meeting and performed the miracle of the staff. Here, a natural order of growth was dis-played: blossom, bud, and fruit. From this the Jewish people understood that Aa-ron's selection was also a natural result of his own worthiness. As G-d said before the miracle of the staff: "The staff of the man whom I will choose will blossom." This was G-d's own choice, not the result of Moses' request or anything similar.
The miracle of the staffs put an end to any further claims against the priesthood. G-d commanded the staffs be placed for safekeeping in the Temple as an eternal testimony that G-d's choice of Aaron and his descendants is permanent and everlasting, never to be changed.
(the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichot, volume 23)
