Parshat Korach: “Mamlekhet Kohanim V’Goy Kadosh, A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation”

BY: Jen Saibel

The following is based on a Dvar Torah by Rav Yair Kahn.

Parshat Korach is filled with drama and human emotion. At first glance, the parsha seems a bit too dramatic. The punishments given by God appear to be quite extreme – the earth swallowing up Korach and his followers and a plague killing 14,700 members of the nation are very severe. These punishments don’t seem to fit the crimes. The basis of Korach’s crime was his questioning of equality. This complaint appears to be legitimate – if the entire nation is holy, why then is there a hierarchical system that separates the kohanim from the rest of the people? 

The accusation of Bnei Yisrael towards Moshe is indeed harsh, but nonetheless does not seem quite so out of line. After witnessing so much death, the nation lashes out at their leaders in despair, exclaiming, “You murdered God’s people!” (17:6). This complaint is a normal, human reaction. Bnei Yisrael is wondering if there was really no other way besides mass murder to get God’s message across. 

These two sins do not seem deserving of such extreme punishments, so what exactly is going on? Why was God so angry that He wanted to “destroy them in an instant” (16:21 and 17:10)?

The basis of Korach’s rebellion, that of equality, attacks the priesthood and thereby alters the reality of the nation. If everyone is holy, no group of individuals should have an opportunity that others do not, like the priests serving in the Mishkan. Sefer Shemot (19:6) refers to the nation as a “Kingdom of Priests” so why should the nation be considered strangers who are not allowed to enter the Sanctuary?

However, it was Bnei Yisrael themselves whom had accepted the boundaries of the nation, including their lack of priesthood and inability to serve in the Temple. The building of the camp in the desert with its different areas for different tribes was the nation’s implicit accepting of these lines and limitations. In going along with Korach’s ideas, the nation broke down these barriers and was forced to live with no separation from God’s Presence. The Mishkan grew to include the entire camp.

There is no messing around the in presence of God. Natural human behavior is acceptable under normal circumstances but must come secondary to serving God in these extreme situations. Aharon and his sons were not allowed to mourn for Nadav and Avihu, as a Kohen Gadol cannot leave the Sanctuary even to attend the funeral of a close relative.  Their human needs and emotions were suppressed in order to serve God with perfection. After the rebellion, Bnei Yisrael were expected to act as though there were no separation between themselves and God. They needed to forgo their natural behavior and commit themselves completely to God. No emotional outbursts, like the one they uttered to Moshe and Aharon, were permitted.

After Moshe and Aharon stopped the plague, Bnei Yisrael declared “Everyone who approaches the Sanctuary of God dies; have we stopped dying?” (17:28). This was their realization that the breaking down of barriers had brought them too close to the Sanctuary of God. They were being punished for behaving in a way that was unacceptable in a setting with no boundaries between themselves and God. Though, at first, Korach’s argument of equality seems logical, Bnei Yisrael discover that sometimes divisions are necessary. A kingdom of priests and a holy nation (“Mamlekhet Kohanim V’Goy Kadosh”) can only achieve such a status if it has both sanctity and humanity. The hierarchical structure of the nation is the perfect way to attain this unique combination. 

At this point, the nation is ready for the re-introduction of the priesthood. A Sanctuary for God can be established in a human context, only if it and those who serve in it are separated from the mundane and human aspects of life. The members of the priesthood take on this role as the rest of the nation brings natural humanity into the mix, using the Mishkan as their guide and focus. Now, Bnei Yisrael appreciates the priesthood and recognizes its significance. They understand that in order to achieve the status of a kingdom of priests and a holy nation they must build a community based on the separation of roles and a sense of mutual respect.

Up until this point in Sefer Bamidbar, the nation has been in a downhill spiral, committing sin after sin and giving Moshe complaint after complaint. The new found appreciation of roles and of the institution of boundaries, along with the re-establishment of the priesthood, makes the end of Parshat Korach a turning point of Sefer Bamidbar and begins the rebuilding process of the nation.

Shabbat Shalom!