Korach son of Yitzhar son of Kohos son of son of Levi separated himself, with Dasan and Aviram, sons of Eliav, and Ohn son of Peles, sons of Reuven. They arose before Moshe... They gathered against Moshe and Aharon...
Rashi explains what it was that bothered Korach and which ultimately caused him to rise up against Moshe, saying as follows. What was it that Korach saw that led him to dispute with Moshe? He was jealous of the princely position of Elitzafan son of Uzziel; for Moshe had appointed him to be prince over the sons of Kohos, by word of Hashem. Korach said: My father, Yitzhar, was one of four brothers, as it says, 'The sons of Kohos; Amram, Yitzhar, Chevron and Uzziel'. The two sons of Amram [Kohos's firstborn] assumed greatness; Moshe is king and Aharon is High Priest. Who is fit to fill the next position in line of greatness, that of being prince over the descendants of Kohos? Is it not I, the son of Yitzhar [the second son of Kohos]? Yet Moshe appointed the son of Uzziel [the youngest son of Kohos] to be prince. Behold, I will dispute with him and nullify his words.
Rashi then continues on and relates how Korach approached Moshe when rising up against him. What did Korach do? He gathered together two hundred and fifty heads of courts... and clothed them in cloaks which were made entirely of blue wool. They came and stood before Moshe, and said to him, "A cloak which is entirely of blue wool, is it obligated to have tzitzis [i.e. the thread of blue wool which one is obligated to place upon the tzitzis] or is it exempt"? Moshe said to them, "It is obligated". They began to laugh at him, and said, "Is this possible? A cloak of any other type of cloth, one thread of blue wool exempts the cloak. This cloak, which is entirely of blue wool, should it not exempt itself"?
The Midrash (תנחומא אות א') tells us of another hypothetical question that Korach presented to Moshe. A house which is full of scriptural books, is it obligated to have a Mezuzah [which has only two passages of scripture] or is it exempt? Moshe said to them, "It is obligated". They began to laugh, "Is this possible? Two passages that are written in the Mezuzah exempt the house. This house, which holds all the two hundred and seventy-five passages of the Torah, should it not exempt itself"?
The Midrash concludes as follows, Korach thus said, "These are things about which you have not been commanded, rather you are inventing them by taking them out of your own heart".
We need to understand Korach's rationale in presenting these two abstract questions to Moshe, when all that truly bothered him was that Moshe appointed his younger cousin, Elitzaphan, as prince over the extended Kohos family.
When the Torah commanded us to place a thread of blue wool on the tzitzis, it tells us as follows.
ְ כֵלֶת: וְהָ יָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת
ְּתִ יל תּ עַל צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פּ וְנָתְ נוּ עַל צִיצִת הַכָּנָף פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת: וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת וּרְ אִיתֶ ם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְ תֶּם אֵת כָּל מִצְוֹת ה' וַעֲ שִיתֶ ם אֹתָם וכו' (במדבר ט"ו ל"ח-ל"ט)
- And they shall place upon the tzitzis of each corner a thread of blue wool. It shall constitute tzitzis for you, that you may see it and remember all the commandments of Hashem and perform them... This Passuk clearly alludes that the reason why Hashem commanded us to put on the thread of blue wool, was so that we would 'remember all the commandments of Hashem and perform them'.
When the Torah commanded us with the Mitzvah of Mezuzah, it says as follows.
(דברים י"א כ'-כ"א) וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ וּבִשְעָרֶיךָ: לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם וכו'
- And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates. In order to prolong your days and the days of your children ... This Passuk alludes that Hashem commanded us to place a Mezuzah on the doorpost, in order to protect us and our children, and prevent any harm or evil from befalling us.
Korach assumed that when Hashem commanded us to put one thread of blue wool on the Tzitzis, the intention was only that one must put on at least one thread of blue wool, but if one would put on more blue wool, how much greater it would be. The reason being; since the blue wool is there to help us 'remember all the commandments of Hashem', it only makes sense that the more blue wool that one would to put on his Tzitzis, the more it would remind him, and thus the more he would fulfill the Mitzvah. Similarly, Korach assumed that when Hashem commanded us to put a Mezuzah - which consists solely of two passages of scripture - on our doorposts in order to protect us, how much more of a protection, and thus fulfillment of the Mitzvah, would one have if he were to put the entire Torah in his home.
When Moshe stated that even a cloak which is entirely of blue wool is obligated to have a thread of blue wool on his Tzitzis, and even a house which is full of scriptural books is obligated to have a Mezuzah on the doorpost, he claimed that this proves that Moshe misunderstands the intended details of that which Hashem commands him. In view of this, Korach intended to convince his fellow Jews that regarding the appointment of Elitzaphan, as well, Moshe misunderstood Hashem's intention, for it was obviously much more appropriate for him, Korach, to be the prince over the sons of Kohos.
(זרע שמשון פרשתנו אות א)
