Let's advance to another insightful learning. In Parshat Korach, the rebels approached Moshe with a complaint and accusation – that he and Aharon took all the positions of prominence and leadership for themselves. Moshe said, “No problem. Let's perform one small test. Each of you grab a firepan and light the Ketoret. We’ll see which one gets accepted.” The next morning, 253 people arrived, ready to offer the Ketoret, and they proceeded to do so. Immediately, the earth opened up to swallow the men, and a fire came forth and consumed the group together with their Ketoret. Immediately afterwards, Elazar was commanded to collect all their firepans:
אֵת מַחְתּוֹת הַחַטָּאִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּנַפְשֹׁתָם וְעָשׂוּ אֹתָם רִקֻּעֵי פַחִים צִפּוּי לַמִּזְבֵּחַ כִּי־הִקְרִיבוּם לִפְנֵי־ה' ִקְדָּשׁ וּ וְיִהְיוּ לְאוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ וַיִּקַּח אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן אֵת מַחְתּוֹת הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיבוּ הַשְּׂרֻפִים וַיְרַקְּעוּם צִפּוּי לַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃
These firepans of these sinners who paid with their souls, and make them into hammered sheets to overlay the altar, for they were brought in offering before Hashem and they were sanctified; and they shall be for a sign for Bnei Yisrael. Elazar took the bronze firepans, those that the fire victims brought and hammered them into a covering for the altar.
Rabbotai, never was a firepan made of bronze used to offer up the Ketoret, and here Moshe told 253 people to offer the Ketoret on that exact type of pan. And after they were all killed, Elazar made a covering, or coating, for the altar with these pans. Which מִזְבֵּחַ are we talking about? The מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת – the bronze altar. The Chizkuni says, until that point the bronze altar did not have a roof – a top covering. There was a shell, or walls, and its hollow middle was filled with earth upon which the sacrifice was placed: תַּעֲשֶׂה לִּי אֲדָמָה מִזְבַּח.
I want to ask you all a question. Is that how it’s usually done? We know that the animal used as part of a sin is killed, so people don’t later point to it and reflect on the sin. Bilaam’s donkey – was killed. The rock used to stone someone as part of sekila – is buried. Something that we don’t to remind us of a sin is disposed of, whether killed or buried. We get rid of it, so nobody should ever see it again. Here, 250 people challenged the Kehuna of Aharon, and what do we do with the pans they used for their sinful revolt? We create a coating for the altar? A roof for the altar? Does this make any sense? Every Korban would remind us of their horrific sin!
The Shem Mishmuel (Korach 5674) asks about Yaacov Avinu not being mentioned when Korach is introduced. The lineage stops at Levi because Yaacov asked not to be associated or mentioned with Korach: בְּסֹדָם אַל־תָּבֹא נַפְשִׁי בִּקְהָלָם אַל־תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִי. But he then asks a powerful question. How is that even remotely consistent with the Midrash that says זָהָב corresponds to Avraham, כֶּסֶף to Yitzchak, and נְחֹשֶׁת to Yaacov? Yaacov asked to have no connection and we go ahead and associate him directly with the מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, whose coating and roof were derived from Korach and company, and which reminds us of the group each day? We stop the one-time introduction at Levi and then end the story with a setup that leaves everyone looking at the altar and making that exact connection? Why did Moshe command Elazar that נְּחֹשֶׁת even be involved?!
