Strength Comes From... Strength

Parshat Korach

by Rabbi Avi Billet

There is a certain irony to be found in the resolution to the plague that came about in the aftermath of the k’toret incident, when Korach’s followers all brought the incense with a strange fire and died. After some of the Israelites witnessed this devastation, they declared that Moshe and Aharon were destroying holy people, and these individuals were also smitten by a plague which only ended when Aharon, the High Priest, took some burning k’toret himself and preserved life through standing between the living and the dead – using the ingredients that not only killed so many people, but killed his older two sons as well.

Commentaries have different ways to describe this episode: Daat Zekenim suggest that what people viewed as a fatal drug could actually be an elixir of life. Rashbam clarifies this notion through noting that the k’toret which brings death to non-Kohanim preserves life when in the hands of the Kohanim. (Seems pretty ironic though, considering how Nadav and Avihu died – perhaps the culprit in their case was the strange fire, and not the k’toret.) Yosef B’khor Shor actually notes the Nadav and Avihu contradiction, and suggests that the episode here demonstrates Aharon’s superiority and greatness over his sons. Despite this possible advantage that Aharon had, B’khor Shor notes that anyone could rise to the level of being a Kohen, which is why the test of the staffs (17:16-24) needed to demonstrate which tribe had been chosen by God.

Most fascinating to me is the comment of Ibn Ezra, who notes that Aharon was told by Moshe to “place k’toret” and not to “place THE k’toret.” “V’hamaskil yavin,” – the wise person will discern and understand.

While I don’t think I understand the point Ibn Ezra is hinting at, I’ll take a stab at it.

17:11 – “Take k’toret.” 17:12 = “Aaron took, as Moshe had told him, and he ran to the middle of the assembled masses, where the plague had already begun to kill people. He offered THE incense to atone for the people.”

He did exactly as Moshe said – he took “k’toret” (no ‘the’), but in the end “the k’toret” brought atonement for the people.

The incense brought by Nadav and Avihu in Vayikra 10:1-2 is described as being “k’toret” (no “the”) as is the incense brought by the 250 firepan people in 16:7,17,18. However, when the whole episode is described in its conclusion, the spices they had brought are “the k’toret” (16:35)

And so I think we can suggest that the letter “heh” (meaning “the”) at the beginning of the word, teaches much about the role of the Kohen and the intention of the people.

It is understood that a non-kohen is not supposed to present the k’toret. This is hinted to in Bamidbar 3:10, and spelled out, of course, in the aftermath of the Korach episode in 17:5. But the ideal of “k’toret” – no matter if it is brought by the right person or the wrong person – is to bring it pure and simple. No one is “arriving,” no one is bringing “THE” k’toret. And anyone who thinks they have “arrived” are in the wrong. Unless the one(s) bringing it are designated by God to do so.

And perhaps this is the distinction between Aharon and all the others – his sons, and the Korach followers. Nadav and Avihu went on their own – they aimed to bring plain and simple k’toret. But because their fire ingredient was strange, they never got to complete their offering.

The Korach followers had proper intention! They did it right! But their improper ingredient was that they were non-kohanim. And they felt that after they brought their offering that they had “arrived.” Which is why their k’toret is described in the end as being “the k’toret” – albeit the kind that killed them.

Aharon, on the other hand, brings what he brings as a direct response to Moshe’s instruction. Bring k’toret. And he did exactly as Moshe said, with no higher intent, no personal motive for gain. As a result, his k’toret turned into “the k’toret” unbeknownst to his intention, because his was done completely correctly, with the correct fire, brought by the right person, and under the auspices of God’s most direct instruction as channeled through Moshe.

This is a very important lesson in awareness of self, one’s abilities, one’s destiny, and where a person takes life’s challenges. Certainly we should always be proud of our accomplishments. But we should never rest on our laurels, thinking that our diligence has brought us to the point where there is nothing more to do.

That attitude came back to haunt the IDF after the 6-Day war in the devastating fallbacks in the early days of the Yom Kippur War.

It was a great boon to the IDF after the incredible rescue at Entebbe, whose 40th anniversary was celebrated this week. But more recent IDF rules have handcuffed the IDF, holding them back from saving and protecting Jews in the manner they are best trained to serve.

May our people always remember that until the Messiah comes, there is work to be done. And we should never be satisfied with where we are, but always moving forward to improve our lot and the welfare of the good people of the world.