The Passuk says Vayikach Korach - and Korach took. The Midrash (Midrash Rabba) writes that it doesn't say that Korach argued, that Korach spoke, it says that Korach took. What did Korach take? The Midrash answers that he took nothing, his heart took him, that he followed his heart's inclination. So we must translate the Passuk slightly differently. Vayikach and he (Korach's heart) took - Korach. Korach was not his own boss, he didn't have control over his Yetzer Hara, rather, the Yetzer Hara had control over him.
There is an amazing parable from the Rosh Yeshiva of Novardok, known as the Alter (the elder) of Novardok, told over by Rabbi Yankel Galinsky.
A man decided to rob a bank. He dressed up as a policeman, took a gun and walked into a bank. He walked up to the cashier, took out his gun and demanded all the money. The cashier started emptying out the safe.
Suddenly, he felt a gun on his forehead and a voice telling him to drop the gun and hands up.
He turned around and saw a plain clothes policeman with a gun. The officer took out a pair of handcuffs, handcuffed one of the guy's hands to his own and headed out toward the Police station.
It was quite a scene watching the two walking down the street. Suddenly. "What? You? Under arrest?!" It was his neighbor and he didn't know that he was a undercover Policeman. The neighbor looks towards them and sees his neighbor handcuffed to a Police officer. He starts thinking to himself, how sad, everyone thought he was a nice honest guy, but, they were mistaken. What an embarrassment for his wife and kids.
Thinking fast and not having much choice the plain clothes officer greets his neighbor, tells him what's his job and tells him the story. He just arrested the guy dressed up as a Policeman for trying to rob a bank.
His neighbor was so impressed. He thought that he was just a normal nice guy and now he sees he's a hero, a Police officer that is servicing the Community.
The thief was so angry and decided at least to get a sweet revenge. He turned to the neighbor and said, "Don't believe your neighbor. Can't you see that I'm wearing the Police uniform and he's handcuffed to me."
The neighbor looks from one to the other trying to work out who's telling the truth. Yes, the Policeman in uniform is right and his neighbor must be under arrest. What a tragedy.
The plain clothes officer starts thinking what to answer and replies, "look, you don't know who's telling the truth. There's only one way to know who's the boss here. Let's see who has the keys to open the handcuffs." And he takes out the keys from his pocket.
The lesson is so obvious. Who's the boss? Ourselves or our bad inclinations? The answer is the one who has the keys, the one that is in control. Do we control our inclinations or do our inclinations control us? Vayikach Korach, Korach never took because he wasn't in control, his heart took him!
Korach captivated his audience. The Midrash writes what was Korach's speech. (Midrash Tehilim 1) There was a widow who had to support her two orphan daughters.
She had a field. She needed to plow the field. She took her ox and donkey put them together and started plowing. Moshe came over and told her that an ox and donkey must not plow together on the same plow (Devarim 22 - 10). Without any other alternative, the poor widow made her two daughters pull the plow instead.
She wanted to sow an assortment of seeds but Moshe told her that its not allowed, its Kilayim (Vayikra 19 - 19). So all she could plant was wheat.
When it came to harvest time, Moshe Rabbeinu came to her and told her that he has to give the poor and leave the crop at the end of the field (Pei'ah), whatever falls down from the harvest (leket) and whatever they forgot to harvest (Shikcha).
After giving all that away she took the leftovers to the process into flour. Moshe told her that she needs to give 2% to the Kohen, 10% Maaser Rishon to the Levi and 10% Maaser Sheni.
The poor woman saw that she won't be able to support her family from a field so she decided to sell the field and buy some sheep. But, Moshe Rabbeinu came and demanded a share in the wool (Reishis Hagez). She decided to slaughter the sheep and the Kohanim came demanding their share. (the Zero'a lechayim and the Keiva - the part of the animal that has to be given to the Kohanim.)
She was so disturbed that she said that the whole sheep is Cherem - forbidden. Moshe replied that if so it all goes to the Kohanim. The widow was left crying without anything.
Korach told his audience how cruel Moshe was. The poor widow was left with nothing. Whatever she tried to do, Moshe took everything away.
Everyone was inspired by Korach's story. It was time to make revolution against Moshe. Now let's take a look. Question one. The Jews were in the desert. Were there any fields there? Question two. All the requirements of giving away from the field only started applying in Eretz Yisrael. So what's going on? But that's the power of a good story. Everyone was blown away. That is why we have the Mitzva on Pesach night about telling over the story of going out of Egypt. A good story takes us out of our presence into a different world, a different time.
Question three. The Gemarah writes that Korach was the wealthiest Jew in the desert. He found the treasures of Pharaoh. He had three hundred mules just carrying the keys to all the treasure boxes. Why didn't Korach just take a small bag of gold coins and give it to the poor widow? Why didn't of the people listening raise some money? The Jews were so wealthy from all the treasures they got after the Egyptians drowned.
It’s easy to give a lecture, it’s not too difficult to convince people that someone is at fault, but that a person should understand that he himself is at fault, that he should do something himself, that is already a completely different story.
But are we any different? We aren't as wealthy as Korach. But we all have our talents and our potential. Do we use all of them, do we really utilize any of them to the maximum or even half way? Before we criticize Korach, let us check to see if we are any better? Maybe this is also included in the Mitzva of 'Velo siheye kekorach vechol adosoi' - and one must not be like Korach and his following.
