B"H
Monday, Sivan 28, 5782 / June 27, 2022
This Shabbat (in the Diaspora) we read Parshat Korach. In Pirkei Avot we will recite the fourth chapter. Wednesday and Thursday will be Rosh Chodesh of the New Hebrew month, Tammuz.
Parshat Korach begins with the story of the rebellion of Korach against Moshe and Aaron. Korach was a member of the tribe of Levi, and a cousin of Moshe and Aaron. Being jealous of Moshe's and Aaron's positions of leadership, he gathered 250 people, most of them his neighbors from the tribe of Reuben, and together they rebelled against Moshe and Aaron.
Korach claimed, "The entire congregation is holy and among them is G-d; Why then do you exalt yourselves above the congregation of G-d?" Moshe warned Korach that his uprising was not against him and Aaron but against G-d, Who appointed them to their positions.
When Korach didn't repent, Moshe told everyone to distance themselves from Korach and his people. The Torah tells us, "And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up and their households." Korach and the leaders of the revolt disappeared into the ground.
Our sages say that Korach was one of the wealthiest people. So why did he rebel against Moshe and Aaron? Because of jealousy! He was jealous of their leadership positions to which G-d appointed them. Korach used his wealth to gain power and argue to against Moshe and Aaron.
In the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Elazar HaKapor says: “Envy, lust and seeking honor drive a person from the world!” Korach’s envy and desire for honor, drove him, literally, out of this world…
King Solomon in Proverbs says, “Envy brings a rotting of the bones.” A person who is envious and jealous of others will always be frustrated and irritated. Happiness is a result of being satisfied and thankful for whatever we have. One needs to acknowledge and recognize the positive and good we have rather than being envious of the things we don’t have.
In the very beginning of the Torah, in Genesis we read about the disastrous effect of jealousy. Cain killed his brother, Abel, as a result of deep jealousy, when Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, while his was not.
The sages give the following parable to what envy can lead: Satan once told an envious person, “Ask me anything and you will be granted, but know that whatever you get, I will give your neighbor double!” Begrudging his neighbor, the double portion, he couldn’t bring himself to ask for anything good because his neighbor would then get double. When pressed on by Satan to make a request, he finally said, “Make me blind on one eye, so that my neighbor will be blind on both…”
Our sages say that jealousy which results in positive achievements is good. For example, jealousy of scholars, or of people who are very pious, which results in greater scholastic achievement or performing more good deeds, is a good quality.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY