The Test of Honor for Heaven
“And Korach took…” Our Sages say that Korach “took himself” to the other side. He was not satisfied with the great spiritual elevation he had already been granted as a Levite, but desired even more honor and greatness.
The question is: Korach was a great man, wise and endowed with Divine inspiration (Ruach HaKodesh). How could he make such a grave mistake?
The Kedushat Levi explains that there are two kinds of servants of Hashem. There are those who serve Hashem in order to increase the honor of Heaven in the world. For them, it makes no difference who performs the mitzvah—whether they themselves or someone else. The essential thing is that the will of Hashem is fulfilled.
But there are also those in whose service of Hashem a subtle element of self-interest becomes mixed in. They truly want to do good, but they also want others to know that they are the ones who did it.
That was Korach’s mistake. He spoke in the name of holiness: “For the entire congregation, all of them are holy.” But deep in his heart there was a desire to occupy a position of greatness himself.
Moshe Rabbeinu teaches us the correct path. He was the greatest leader of all, and yet he was “very humble.” All he desired was to fulfill the will of the Creator.
May God show us this in the run-up to the upcoming elections in Israel: a truly content-driven, Pro Deo attitude!
