This week is a double-header: A few words about Korach (there was no parsha sheet last week & Korach is the parsha sheet outside of Israel; & some thoughts about Chukat, too!).
Last week we saw that in addition to excellence in Torah knowledge, a dayan needs general knowledge, including in languages (Rambam, Sanhedrin 2). In Sanhedrin 2:7, the Rambam says: “And known by your tribes” – this teaches that the spirit of people must find them pleasant. “In what way will they be loved by others? When they possess a ‘good eye,’ a low spirit, they are good friends, and their speech and transactions with people are in a way that is pleasant.”
Chazal explain that the significance of Korach’s name is that he made a korcha (lit., a bald spot) in Israel (Sanhedrin 109b), as his people were swallowed up (Rashi ad loc.). The Maharsha explains that his name became korcha in that no one would use it, as “The name of the wicked will rot.” We will explore a different significance and a connection to a much later generation.
In parshas Korach, the kodoshim part given to the kohanim is referred to as a “covenant of salt,” thus providing an opportunity to explain:
This is the way we salt our meat
Korach came with two claims against Moshe (Bamidbar Rabba 18:3): Could a house full of holy books require a mezuza? Could a garment that was fully techelet (a shade of blue used in the strings of tzitzit) require tzitzit? Indeed there are two types of complaints that we have been dealing with, generation after generation, and they have broken Israel into splinters and caused discord.
