How Could Korach Challenge Moshe Rabbeinu?

Title: How Could Korach Challenge Moshe Rabbeinu?

Description:

In this fascinating shiur, Rav Kalatsky explores one of the most perplexing questions in Parshas Korach: if the entire Jewish nation witnessed Hashem appoint Moshe Rabbeinu at Har Sinai, how could Korach convince anyone to question his authority? Through the insights of the Rambam, Ramban, and Chazal, Rav Kalatsky uncovers the deeper meaning behind Korach’s rebellion and reveals timeless lessons about faith, leadership, human nature, and the power of perception. This engaging analysis offers a fresh perspective on a story we thought we knew and leaves listeners with a greater appreciation for the enduring truth of Matan Torah.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:03

You know the most difficult what's most difficult to understand regarding Korah. Although he had the wealth, he had the pedigree, he had the charisma, and he had what it took to launch this mutiny against Moshe Rabenu to usurp his authority, and as we said, as the Ramban explains, that the Jews themselves mentally were not in a good place. Because here they hear that they're gonna perish over 40 years, and this is the first time Moshe Rabinu did not go too bad for them, so therefore they were vulnerable to this type of kind of influence. But the obvious difficulty is at Sinai, Hashem says to Moshe Rubinu, Bakhoya Mingal. And as the Ramam at length explains that Mosheb his credibility to be the prophet of Hashem, to be Hashem's spokesman, is not based upon the miracles which he performed, because the miracles he performed would not be sufficient basis because somebody could say he would winky. He was a greater sorcerer than even the Egyptians, and he was able to fool you. So therefore, the only way we know that Moshe Beinu, his word is the word of Hashem, is because we actually heard Hashem saying to Moshe Beinu, Moshe, Leich Emulem Kafla Kachah. We heard Hashem openly saying, Moshe, go tell him such and such. And therefore, we know that Moshe is the credible spokesman of Hashem. So even the future, although we don't hear it any longer, but factually, Hashem openly chose Moshe Bainu before every Jew who prophesies in the wake state at Sinai that Moshe Banu is a spokesman. And therefore, Bekoya Midbolam, your credibility and who you are will never be questioned. They will always believe in you to be my spokesman. So if that is the case, how did Korah nearly succeed, if not for the miracle of the earth opening its mouth and swallowing up him and his community? Hashem gave him a guarantee, Bhoya Mindebolam, they will believe in you forever. Whenever he would, if he would give a braha, the bracha always was effective. So there was, and when he would say a person should live long years, he would say, for whatever reason, you should live until the age of 101. 101, not 120, 101. And there was this person in Vilno that he was must have been in his early 90s, and he fell ill, and he was in this sick bed. They called the doctor. Doctor says, just a question of hours before he passes away. So immediately they summon the Khevar Khatisha, the people who attend to the barrel needs of a person, and they get a million and they start saying whatever they say, the various crokeman till him. They start praying, and whatever it is, they say Vidu with him. And he says to them, You people, you're wasting your time. I have a broker from the Volgone, I'm gonna live to 101. I'm not dying so fast. This is gonna pass. They said, What are you talking about? According to the doctor's evaluation, you only have a few hours to live. We have to do away if he's telling you wasting your time. And sure enough, within a few hours or a day, he recovered. And he passed away at the injured 101. Because the villa gonna give him a broker, you live until 101. Hashem says, Bokoya miner, they're gonna always believe in you in your credibility that you're my spokesman. So if that's the case, what's going on over here? Seems to be, if not for the miracle of the earth opening its mouth, swallowing up Korakh and his community, he would have succeeded. It took on like wildfire. So, what's the Bokoyamino Holo? That's the question I asked in the past. And it's an obvious question. So, what I attempted to say in the past, that somebody could have full credibility, full credibility, but a human being, as a human being, do we God create a human being, a person could go into a state of denial or to go in a state mindset that it's not relevant. For whatever reason, it's not relevant. Because if you because I bring up certain points, and although factually it can be proven, can be proven, it's irrefutable fact that Moshe is God's spokesman, but it does make a difference. I it's like person's, I hear what you're saying, but because of the conflicts of interest that a person has, a person's able to put something on the back burner and behave as if it doesn't exist, whatever fact that may be. Korak was able, because of his wealth, because of his pedigree, because of his personality, because of his charisma, to somehow present the case in such a cogent, overwhelming way that the past didn't mean anything. Bukhay Minalola means that if you want to prove that Moshe Abeinu is my spokesman, it's irrefutable proof. Does it make a difference? That's a different discussion. People, it doesn't make a difference. We hear what you're saying, we know that, but but why did you take it for your brother? Why is your your nephews? Why your your your whatever it may be. You took to old, you took to old kitten caboodle there. It's all nepotism. We say Mark tells us in uh Brauchos that if a person has some kind of fallout with someone else, you should not try to appease him at the time of his anger. When he's at when if he's still angry, he doesn't have the capacity to appreciate and to forgive you. Or if a person, God forbid, is sitting shiva and he's grieving, it's not a time to make amends with a person. Why? Because he doesn't have the emotional capacity to be able to deal with whatever it is, and he's totally blocked at the time. There's a question Odom Harisha was told there was nobody more perfectly from the very inception of his being, as perfect as Odom. His level of clarity, his purity, and he was told you can eat from any any tree of the garden. One tree don't eat. Tree of knowledge. And if you eat, you eat, you'll be you will die. And somehow, he ate, you couldn't have had greater clarity. He was in a spiritual setting, he was not tainted yet, and somehow he justified eating. But God said, Don't eat, don't eat. So if he says don't eat, how do you eat? Knowing at a level of understanding how wrong it is to eat. How do you cross that line? So the Gemorah in Sanhedrin says, when Odam ate of the tree eight das Minhoyo, at that moment he was a heretic. He was a heretic. Because of he had certain conflicts of interest, at that moment he was able to suppress the fact that God told him at that moment, God didn't exist in his life, didn't exist, and because he didn't exist, therefore, he was able somehow in his own way to justify to be able to eat up the tree of knowledge. So I'm just saying, because Korak understood and he read, he felt the pulse of the Jews with her at this moment, and plus he knew who he was and he knew his capacity in terms of being an influencer, he understood this the moment that he's able to topple Moshe Beinu. So Bakaya meet alone means there'll be irrefutable proof that you are my spokesman. Does it make a difference? That's a whole different that's another discussion, doesn't make a difference. Korak says it doesn't make a difference because factually he took everything himself. He left all you people out, and all you people are holy, and you should have also been party to take a share of what all this is about. You're not permitted to say things unless you meet certain prerequisites, otherwise, it's classified as Loshanara. A person had a good relationship with the person, and somehow you feel, and he was your best friend, and you feel for some reason that you were betrayed, or he did something which is unforgivable, regardless of all the good that he did for you in your life, because at that moment you only see the negative, you don't see the positive. All the positives blocked out at that moment, but because even as good as it was, the friendship was based upon a relationship, and you never know what the quality of that relationship is. This could say, you know, me all long, it wasn't what I thought it was. When we saw Hashem presented himself in terms of his relationship with Moders Sinai, it's not what I thought. It was irrefutable. Fact cannot be in any way denied. That is reality. So we're dealing with reality. So Kidaba Taiva Vakaro Tisa Otomina Holdon. When a person has envy or has desire, he justifies many things. Because initially, even when it was wrong, it's only wrong because I understand it's wrong. But at this moment, it's okay. So you minimize the wrong. That's what the kinema envy and desire and honor does to a person. It topples the apple cart. That's the difference.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

Why wouldn't the existence of Korak's challenge be identified by yet a third party to say to undermine used to authority because Hashem said that he wouldn't be challenged, and here he is being challenged? Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

We find by the miracle the ten spies come back with these Amish supports. They say it's a land that devours its inhabitants. God wants to destroy us. There's no way we could counter the land. And what does Yeshua Khaled say? They counter it immediately. They said, what they're saying isn't correct, it's wrong. We will devour like bread. The divine protection, whatever's protected, is no longer there. We will topple them. There's not a question. So they did rise to the occasion. Yeshua caliph rose to the occasion. They counted whatever these ten people were saying. Fat factually fell on deaf ears. The people they went after the ten, they ignored Yeshua Khalif. So here also, you say the same thing. I mean, somebody. Aaron couldn't speak because Aaron is party, because he was chosen to be whatever. I mean, Yeshua, maybe he'd say also. Yeshua, you know, he's the protege of Moshe Abeinu. See, he can't he can't speak. Of course, here he's coming to defend Moshe Abeinu. So all these people who actually would defend Moshe, their words wouldn't resonate with the people. So who would who whose words would resonate? Everybody else, other than the closest group, they were on the fence. They themselves were it wasn't so simple. What Korak was saying was totally wrong. As they said, even though Hashem said, Bukhayamin al Daulam, that your position as my embassy is irrefutable, but nevertheless they said, but we we have we have we have a question. Why did you take the whole the whole the whole pie?

SPEAKER_01 12:33

That's not my question, Rabbah. That's it. I'm sorry, that's not my question.

SPEAKER_02 12:38

Even if all that kind of community are destroyed and they go down into the ground, the people came with a claim against Moshe Beinu. Why did you why did you destroy them? Why did you have to be so extreme? Why did you have to be so harsh? You could have taught us a lesson to establish who you are without destroying them to that degree. So we will see they came with a claim against Moshe Bainum. Sashem said, you know, something this is really too much. They're talking at a turn too much. I will destroy them again. We get to the that point in the parsha. And that's the whole story with what with he took he told every prince to take his staff and put it into the holy of holies. And whichever staff blossoms, that'll be an indication that he was chosen to prove it. And that staff is always there in the Holy of Holies. That ever anybody ever questions this issue, who who Aron is or whatever it is, the fact is before their eyes that this is the reality, you know, they say in English 40 days after hearing that the Asiers at Nibros, Mosha Baidu, according to calculations, seemingly late, all of a sudden, even though the ones who initiate the egg were the Aero Rabble, were the rabble, as is proven from the words of the Posuk, but still, if you are who you are and were meant to have a relationship based on who you are, and you just said Nazabin Nishma after seeing the Kris Yamsuf, after seeing after the templates in Egypt, how could you even be drawn in to this because of the Aircraft? You put it should have been strong enough. Right? How does it happen? But you understand? Being a human being, we have our vulnerabilities, we have our blind spots, we have whatever we have. And unless you're really rooted deeply at a certain level, you can actually you could be actually you could be convinced, at least momentarily convinced, for the moment. After you think about it, you'll get back to to to your understanding of the mistake you made. But on the moment, you don't have that deep, the deep roots that you you can't be shaken. Everybody can be shaken. And he said to them with the set of Lukos, you know, Hashem says to really be fully reinstated, we have to build a Mishkan. Mostly Mishgan Shakati Bisokh. There's gonna be a medium that through that medium we're gonna have a relationship. So they said to Mosher Bainu, and who's gonna oversee the building of the Mishkan? So he says, Bitsal Benura Bekhul Matiyuda. My great nephew, he's gonna be the one. Right away when he said that, there were murmurings. So they said, sure, he's the king, his brother's the high priest, his nephews are their assistants, and now he takes his great nephew to oversee the building at Mishka. Like, what about the rest of us? Yeah, these are the murmurings. Could you imagine? They were to be destroyed. Moshe Beno spends 120 days in heaven, finally comes back with the Lukashneas with the second set of tablets, they're reinstated, he's raiding it a holiness, and said, Moshe Banu, writer with murmuring nepotism. Already then, forget about Korach. So Moshe Banu responded, he says, to be qualified, you have to have a level of understanding of creation and a level of divine intervention. With anything less than that, you can't you're not qualified. But they said, Oh, Moshe, we understand. Moshe Bain had to answer their their doubts. He had to leave alleviate whatever the basis of the question. What's in the question? Moshe Ban has credibility. What kind of business is this? All of a sudden, nepotism. This way back then. He's coming down with Lukas Schneos, the second segment of tablets. I just delivered you a billion-dollar cash shares check. And now you ask me now, by the way, uh who's gonna have uh a say in how we spend this money? After without me giving to you, you'd have nothing. Now you ask me how who's gonna who's gonna have a say? And if I say I, why? What kind of question is that? But that that's where the Jews were at. So this seed of question of Moshe's credibility on a on a reality level, on a conceptual level, abstract level, yes, he's that. But on the actual application of it, it's not so simple. Address the tofu. An evil person, bad person, should treats him with kid gloves. Questions why is he deserving? See it said that maybe he had done something good in his life, and he has to be compensated for that. As a result of that, something that has unlimited value has to be paid off in this world, therefore, he's treated specially. Which that's the most obvious answer. VHT al Derecha Pikodon. Sometimes it's really he's a custodian. The Russia is a custodian. What does that mean? Achitalo, Kelly's work, Ben Tzadik, Yeroidlo. Ultimately, do we know what's coming down the pike? He may have a descendant who's a tsadik, and having this background of material wealth or status is go is integral for the future because that tzadik is only the custodian holding it for the tzadik to eventually come about. Where do we find something similar to this? During the famine in Egypt, all the wealth of the world came to Egypt. Egypt was the height of civilization, it was the most powerful country in the world. When Yosef had stored away all this wealth, what did the Egyptians believe? All this was for them, but they didn't realize they're only the custodians because when the Jews were going to leave Egypt, they stripped Egypt of everything they had. We said the mitzvah to take from your neighbors, that was their personal wealth. The chariots that were bedecked with gold and diamonds, that was the wealth of Egypt. That was part of the wealth of Egypt. That wasn't the populace. That wasn't the wealth of the populace. So they believed all along all this, what we have is for us. They didn't realize they're only holding for the Jews when they're gonna leave no Jew less left with less than 10 pack animals laden with with gold, with gold and diamonds. Okay? The same thing. The Russia, why do we know what's coming down the pike? Maybe he's gonna have this because he's gonna have a son, the future is a tzadik, or whatever it may be. This status that he has now is integral to the future. But even that he's able, why doesn't the Shem take him out? The answer is of course he's supposed to have a son. You know, during the Holocaust, many tzadikim, chassidim people devout, they they perished. But some people survived. Relatively speaking, a remnant survived. So why did they survive? Why did they survive? Were they holier, were they more devout? Why were they deserving to survive? The answer is it had nothing to do with what they were deserving. Everybody in life has a mission. The survivors, if they were meant to have a child or a family who were unique in what their purpose is, they have to live. So they didn't survive because of the worthiness, because they were more tzadig or more devout, had nothing to do with it. Because God has his plan for every person. Does anybody know the plan? What's going to be? You don't know the plan, but God knows the plan. So therefore, it has nothing to do with the worthiness of the person, but rather what is the value and the objective of that person's life into the future. If it's not the first generation, maybe the third generation. You never know. Hashem prepares, and the tsarik is cloaked in what the Russian prepared. The nations of the world and the history of the world was Haman of Russia. What happened after Homan was hanged, and the story of Perm finishes? Mordechai was appointed to be the viceroy of the Persian Empire. And it says that Hashem had given the home of Homon to Esther, and Esther gave it to Mordechai. Mordechai took over the home, the mansion, and all the prestige to a degree of Homan was transferred to Mordechai. So the morale says exactly what the Hovislaw was saying here. Hashem sometimes has, he amassed all that wealth, that a significant part of that prestige and that honor was transferred to Mordechai. Mordechai did nothing. It became known he was the Esther was his niece. Automatically, he's sitting in the driver's seat. He's way up there. But how but why that why did that pre-exist? Mordecai. Because Homund was able to amass what he amassed. Mordecai went into the what went into a certain position of what Homan created. So that's an Inyan lesson for Lichnos. He allows the Khote to gather, amass wealth, fortunes, whatever it is. Los Toph of Nahabucame. To give to the better one, the one who stands a good step before Hashem. That's the understanding. That's Russia Vitovlo. Sometimes wealth is ultimately Hashem gives a person enough rope to hang himself. Through that, he will self-destruct. He will go into the oblivion only because he's been compensated. Because Hashem wants that he should have not a niota, a trace of anything that he should be deserving of the most extreme level of punishment. Komoshikosov, Osh Shovel, the bull of the Rosov. Sometimes wealth is kept in check for its owner to be to his detriment. That would be to his detriment. You know, a person is wealthy, he can afford a certain certain lifestyle, and becomes a glutton. And because he's a glutton, he abuses his health and ultimately puts himself in jeopardy. And ultimately he dies the most gruesome death because of what the wealth did to him. He became a glutton, he became a hedonist, he became a drug addict, he became a who knows what. He became a dishonest person, and ultimately he's gonna be put in prison to die in prison. But what was all the background? The background was because Hashem provided him with certain opportunities or positive value, and that he dug his own grave. This is interesting. We don't have to talk about having a son. Does anybody know that a person's able to do shuva? Maybe this person's chuva at the age of 50 years old. And because of that, Hashem didn't take him out sooner because ultimately this person's new shuba. What do we find by Yisro? Yesrah was what was a high priest of idolatry. Ultimately, Yisrael, because of his his exposure to Moshe Bainu, and after the splitting of the sea and the victory of Amolek, what happened? He abandoned all his glory to become to convert, to become a Jew. But you say, if he's such a purveyor of idolatry and all that, Hashem should take him out. Do you know what the end of the story is? Yesra. The Gmar tells us in quotes apostle in Sanhedrin that his grandchildren they sat in the Lishkasagozis, they were members of the of the Sanhedrin Gadolden Yushalaim. That's who Yesra was. Because he fled, because when he heard of the final solution of the bondage which was presented by Bilam, he openly protested. He fled. And in the merit of fleeing, ultimately his children merited to be members of the San Edgeon. We're talking about a thousand years later. So do we know God's God's calculations and God's Hejbonos? We have no idea. But what happened after that in the chuva? Therefore, Hashem provided many things from Nashid. Ultimately he should come back. Four generations will be in the position of kingship. A tzadik who goes without questioning God, Yeshud Kha Al-Kisi Yisrael, excuse me, Ashrid Bonavakrov. Fortune are his children which follow him. Even though themselves they may not be such good children. Even assimilated. But why? Why is Hashem allowing it to happen? Everybody has choice in life. So God provided for them in the merit of the antecedent, but ultimately it was their choice. So that day they chose to go off the cliff. That was their choice. Now, this posak is an important posik because somebody always used to bring up this posik, somebody related to Alvin. I was a youth and I became aged. I've never seen a tzadik that was abandoned, and his children sought out bread, had no livelihood. See, how many tzadikim? Their children were bereft and had difficult lives and they didn't have what to eat. So what's Dava talking about? He was talking about if the predecess, if the antecedent had worthiness, and the child or the grandchild was meant to receive, he will receive. He's not speaking about Ebizadik. The children are they're not abandoned. If they're supposed to receive, they will receive. Hashem doesn't abandon anyone. The other person, the reason why he has his predicament, because that's his challenge in life. But if the schhus, if there's merit, and you're meant to benefit from that merit, that grandchild will merit from that, from that, from that, will benefit from that merit. That's what David's speaking. He's speaking about something very specific. He's not speaking every tzadik, his grandchild's not going to be abandoned. He's not abandoned. That's his predicament. Abandonments you're supposed to have, and God turns his back on you. God, that's not called God turning his back on them. Back is when you're supposed to receive, and he doesn't deliver what he should give you. That's called abandonment. Okay, let's see Daldocha.