Why are there so many conflicts between people over elections?
“Korach, the son of Yitzhar, the son of Kehat, the son of Levi, took…”
The holy Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, explained that every machloket (dispute/argument) that is not “for the sake of Heaven” is ultimately not lasting. For nothing can truly endure except the truth of the Creator, blessed be He.
A person must know that the root of all conflicts in the world comes from the fact that someone wants his opinion to be heard and recognized. From this stem all disruption and damage.
Therefore it is written: “Korach took” — but it is not explained what he took. This teaches us that he “took himself,” meaning: he placed himself at the center of the conflict and no longer saw the truth before him.
For any person who has a personal interest (negi’ah) in a matter cannot see the truth clearly, even if he is a great scholar. This was the sin of Korach: he was carried away by his pursuit of honor.
As the Sages said: jealousy, desire, and the pursuit of honor remove a person from the world — not only from the physical world, but even from the world of truth.
Korach claimed: “The entire nation is holy.” At first glance this seems true, but he failed to distinguish between the different levels within Israel, and between Israel and the Kohanim.
For there is holiness that comes from actions, and there is holiness that comes from the choice of the Holy One, blessed be He. One who does not distinguish between these levels comes to great error.
Moshe Rabbeinu was extremely humble, more than all other people. Therefore he could serve as a pure channel to faithfully receive the word of Hashem. But Korach, because he did not rise above his ego, could not see the truth.
This is the core of the Chassidic explanation: all defects in the world stem from the “self” (ego), and all rectification comes through self-nullification (bitul).
Therefore the tzaddikim said that a person should imagine himself as dust and ashes, so that he can receive the light of the Infinite One.
This also explains the verse: “And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them.” The earth symbolizes ego and physicality. When a person exalts himself too much, he is ultimately “swallowed” by his own ego.
But the righteous person, who nullifies himself, remains eternally attached to the Holy One, blessed be He.
Additionally, in a Chassidic sense, one can explain that Korach thought that all abundance in the world should come equally to everyone, and he did not understand that Hashem assigns different levels and degrees.
This is also the meaning of Hashem’s choosing Aharon as a Kohen: not because of physical superiority, Heaven forbid, but because he was a pure vessel for the service of the Creator.
From here a great moral lesson is learned: do not chase after honor, for whoever runs after honor, honor flees from him. But whoever flees from honor, true heavenly honor comes to him.
As the Sages said: what is a machloket leshem shamayim (argument for the sake of Heaven)? This is the dispute between Hillel and Shammai, where each side could set aside their own opinion in order to seek the truth, not themselves.
But the machloket of Korach was entirely ego and the pursuit of honor, and therefore its end was total destruction.
May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us distance ourselves from conflict and ego, and serve Him in truth and complete self-nullification, Amen.
Shabbat Shalom!
