This week’s parsha Korach, Bamidbar (Numbers) 16:1 – 18:32 follows the story of the spies’ lashon hara against the land and speaking against what the Most High had promised the people.  There is a connection between last week and this week.  Now we have three men, Korach, Datan and Aviram who are contesting and speaking against the leaders the Most High has chosen for the people.  In both cases individuals convinced others that what HaShem promised or was doing for the people was not in the peoples best interest and the chosen people were misusing their positions.  Serious charges to  bring against the Most High’s leaders and the Most High with serious consequences as will be seen.

The spies knew it would be a lot of hard work to conquer the land and have it come to be theirs as promised.  In the dessert all their physical needed where taken care of by the Creator.  Their focus was primarily on their spiritual needs and learning to be a people and to follow the derech chayim (way of life) ordered by the mitzvot (commandments).  As we come into this week’s story Korach is stating that the people and Moshe are spiritually at the same place with the most High so why are He and Aaron taking a place of honor above the people.  Since the mitzvot (physical actions connected to the commandments) are the same for all why need for the elite?   This is placing the physical connection to the Most High above all else.

Both the ten spies, as well as Korach, Datan and Aviram had imbalances in their spiritual walk before the Most High with serious consequences.   There is a need to have balance between our behavior, thoughts and speech.  It is a challenge to bring harmony between each and find the place that welcomes HaShem and honors him in our daily walk before Him with His People.

The Most High created each of us uniquely with strengths, weaknesses, talents, and gifts.  Part of our work is harnessing the strengths while building up the weakness so it does not become a liability.  We should use the strength, talents and gifts given us primarily.  The others we are standing with as a community will complement each other.  It does not give reason to ignore personal growth and become imbalanced in our mind, soul, personality, or habits.  If that occurs it there is a place where we can become trapped in our our thinking and not be aware of what HaShem is doing in our life, or the life of our community.

Moshe gave Korach, Datan and Aviram the night to reconsider their choice.  When the first consequences occurred he told the people, and even Datan and Aviram to stand away, giving the two men following Korach another chance to reconsider.  Datan and Aviram spoke out what would occur to them that they would not “go up”.  They were swallowed alive by the ground swell opening up. In case the 250 men offering the firepans would have said but it wouldn’t have happened to Aaron, Moshe had Aaron offer as well.   The men offering all believed their fire offering would be accepted.  The men  died offering their firepans and themselves before the Most High.  Their firepans were retrieved and beat into a covering for the altar as a physical reminder of the necessity of humility, emunah, (faith), bitachon (trust), and coming before the Most High’s altar was for whom HaShem called in the manner prescribed.

Even the manner the men died has been seen to reflect their personal imbalances.  Korach, Datan and Aviram considered the physical mitzvot fulfilled making all the same, not considering the inner motives, inner life that is different for each individual and their calling in this world.  Their deaths were very physical being swallowed up by the earth itself.  The 250 men challenging the spiritual necessity of Aaron being the High Priest who prepared offerings and copper firepans to bring before the altar were consumed by fire as they brought the firepans to make offering.  They themselves became the spiritual offering despite their sin.  The firepans became holy becoming part of the altar itself where the sacrifices would lay instead of on the earth.  They died becoming a spiritual sacrifice while bringing their gift and firepan to the altar.

When the whole people of Israel complained against Moshe and Aaron the firepan and inscense that were an instrument of death by the hand of HaShem became an instrument of life and healing by the Most High.  This was the third time Moshe came before the Creator.  This time it was not for ts’shuvah (repentance), but to stand in the gap with an incense offering stopping the plague which was to destroy all the people.  Aaron ran into the midst of the people and the plague stopped.  Some died, some recovered, some never became ill, the miracle was that the Most High accepted the Moshe’s direction and Aaron’s offering, emunah (faith), and bitachon (trust) on behalf of the people even while the people had been challenging their position and the honor HaShem had bestowed upon them.

The Most High knew the peoples’ heart and told Moshe to call leaders of the tribes, each having a staff.   Aaron’s flowered and fruited and was put in front of the Ark as a reminder or sign against being a rebellious people.  The people began to worry that coming before HaShem was being doomed  to die and that it was not safe to draw near.  At this point instruction was given for the Levites for the care of the Tabernacle, and the gifts for the Levites and Priests which would provide food for them without their having land to work.  Even the Levites would give a gift or tithe of what they received to the Priests. 

The people of Israel were coming to understand again the order that HaShem placed and that it was not frivolous.  It may not have human rationale behind it that we can understand, yet doing what is proscribed with a sincere and humble heart knowing each person has a place in God’s economy.  That the worth of a person does not come from what they are doing, but as a person co-created by the Most High and a couple.  A partnership between man and HaShem from the beginning. 

What can this bring to us today when we do not have a Mishkan, (tabernacle), or altar to bring sacrifices?  Today we can still strive to come into a balance between the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives.  Guarding mitzvot, mentally keeping HaShem before me always, Shiviti (Ps. 16:8), praying and striving to grow deeper in our walk of emunah (faith), and bitachon (trust) in the midst of all that life hands us and learning to say B”H (baruch HaShem), it is well, or Bless God all is good.  He is in control of all.

Even the people seeing the miracle of the Sea of Reeds, their needs met in the 40 years wandering in the desert, needed to continue learning this, how much more do we need to focus on what the Most High as done for us in our lives and trust His Character as evidenced through the relationship with the people of Israel through today in our own lives.  The story is not over.  It continues each day.  Our choice, emunah, bitachon and challenges bring us before the Most High where we may want to question HaShem’s direction in our lives.  May we learn from the beaten altar covering and the flowering, fruiting staff the place of leadership, godly order and the consequences of a rebellious spirit being spoken and acted out upon before the Most High.