Author Topic: Video Study for Parasha Korach  (Read 4138 times)

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Offline muman613

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Video Study for Parasha Korach
« on: June 21, 2012, 03:51:47 PM »
This week we read the terrible events which occurred during the uprising which was caused by Korachs jealousy {according to some commentators}. Korach, who was a Levi and had the privileges associated with being a Levi {Carrying the utensils of the Holy Tabernacle} was not satisfied with his lot. He longed to be the leader of the Jewish people and through his wise-cracking questions was able to chip away at Moshes grip on power over the Children of Israel. Korach was a smart arse and was able to sway many people with his twisted reasoning.

Here are some short and some not-so-short videos on the topic of the revolt of Korach:

Rabbi Shafier talks about the roots of Korachs rebellion:



http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/11819

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2012, 03:57:14 PM »
Here is the animated 'G-dcast' version of the Parasha:


You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2012, 04:28:36 PM »
Rabbi Chaim Millers talk about the story of Korach:

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2012, 04:39:31 PM »
Rabbi Yakov Nagin gives a great talk on the Parasha:





"Any dispute which is for the sake of Heaven will ultimately endure, and one which is not for the sake of Heaven will not ultimately endure. What is a dispute for the sake of Heaven? This is a debate between Hillel and Shammai. What is a dispute not for the sake of Heaven? This is the dispute of Korach and his assembly."

Quote
http://www.torah.org/learning/pirkei-avos/chapter5-20.html

Our mishna chose Korach as the prime example of a debater not for Heaven's sake. We read in Numbers 16 of Korach's rebellion against Moses. His party platform was very noble: Why did Moses choose his brother Aaron as High Priest -- seemingly consolidating all the power within his own family? "The entire congregation is holy and in their midst is the L-rd. Why do you lord over the congregation of G-d?" (v. 3). Very inspiring words. Korach is clearly a man of the people who cares for the interests of others. He also proved an effective campaigner, rallying the people behind his noble cause.

The Sages tell us his true motive. Moses had earlier appointed (on G-d's instruction) Korach's cousin, Elitsafan ben Uziel, as head of Korach's extended family (the family descended from Kehas, second son of Levi). He was jealous, plain and simple, that he did not get the job himself. Yet all of a sudden he becomes grand proponent of democracy and equal rights -- and he champions the battle for his noble cause. (So noble you could puke.) Korach (as well as his cohorts) wanted a piece of the pie themselves. But when they didn't get it, all of a sudden they become big champions of the cause of the common man: why should *anyone* have power? The whole nation is holy, and just as a room full of sacred books should not require a mezuzah on the doorpost, neither should a nation of saints need Moses and Aaron lording over them.
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2012, 04:53:48 PM »
Rabbi Yehuda Moses presents a family view of the Parasha. I have heard about the Wife of Korach and the Wife of Ohn Ben Pellet {a possible cohort of Korach}. The wife of Ohn Ben Pellet was able to prevent her husband from getting involved with the shady Korach gang...



Quote
http://www.torah.org/learning/perceptions/5758/korach.html

However, another Midrash seems to indicate something quite different. Apparently Korach's wife was the catalyst for all that happened at the beginning of this week's parsha. After Korach returned from the purification ceremony that inaugurated the Levites into their Divine service, shaven bald (korach means "bald one") to the point of being unrecognizable, Korach's wife exclaimed:

"What happened to you?! I don't recognize you!"

Korach explained to his wife that Moshe had ordered the whole procedure, as well as the entire disgraceful episode of being lifted by Aharon and waved up and down.

"Then Moshe told me I was pure," Korach bemoaned, "but I feel anything but that!"

"No wonder," Korach's wife cried. "Moshe hates you, and he is trying to humiliate you!"

"But Moshe did the same thing to his own sons ..."

" ... What does he care," she finished. "As long as he can degrade you in the process!" (Midrash Aggadatah)

This was all Korach needed to hear. Korach may have been teetering between subjugation and rebellion, but it was his wife who pushed him in the direction of sedition. From that conversation, it was straight downhill until Korach would be swallowed up by the earth.

This is contrasted with Ohn ben Pellet's wife, who also played a role in her husband's involvement in the insurrection. However, instead of pushing her husband in Korach's direction she "dragged" him out of danger and saved his life. The next day, when Korach's messenger came to fetch Ohn to join in burning the Incense-Offering as Moshe had challenged them to do, Ohn's wife had already given him strong drink to make her husband sleep. Then she sat at the entrance of the tent with her daughter, each with uncovered hair.

The Midrash explains that when the messenger glimpsed these women with uncovered hair, he (and the others that had later been sent to bring Ohn as well) hastily made a retreat. It seems that even though they rebelled against Moshe, still, the messengers did not want to view a married woman's uncovered hair. As a result, Ohn was left safe-and sound at home while disaster brewed over yonder for his cohorts.

Ohn's wife's role in his salvation was not over yet. When the earth finally did split to swallow up Korach's followers, it continued to split in Ohn's direction as well. Soon, even the bed on which Ohn slept began to slide toward the abyss. It was only his wife, who prayed as she held on to the edge of his bed for dear life, that saved him from sliding into oblivion.

About these two wives, Shlomo HaMelech wrote:

"The wise among the women builds her house ..." this refers to Ohn ben Pellet's wife and daughter ... "But the evil woman demolishes it with her own hands" (Mishlei 9:1). This refers to Korach's wife, who ruined her husband and her household. (BaMidbar Rabbah 18:15)
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline GunsAndRosesFan

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2012, 05:23:40 PM »
very interesting
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Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2012, 05:23:57 PM »
Rabbi Richman discusses these issues of the Parasha in Rabbi Richmans classic style...

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2012, 05:26:35 PM »
very interesting

Thank you... Im so glad you enjoy the weekly Parasha videos... I will hopefully post more this evening when I get home..
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2012, 12:33:21 AM »
Rabbi Yitzak Ginsburg discusses the Chassidic dimension of the Torah including lessons from the Baal Shem Tov and Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.




You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2012, 12:52:23 AM »
The always interesting Rabbi Richman, of the Temple Institute, provides some understanding of what made Korach who he was...

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #10 on: June 22, 2012, 12:57:35 AM »
This one should be interesting: Rabbi Binyamin Kahanes drash on the Parasha:

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2012, 01:06:13 AM »
Moshes humility is an important part of this Parasha. In contrast to Korach who was full of arrogance. Rabbi Richman explores this dynamic:

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2012, 01:17:34 AM »
Here is one of my new favorite Rabbis video. Rabbi Pinchas Winston talks for a whopping 46 minutes on this Parasha.


You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2012, 02:05:19 AM »
Rabbi Hershel Finman gives a very, very short Torah idea...




You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2012, 02:13:34 AM »
. Here is the Sacramento Chabad Rabbi.... I wish I could remember his name because I believe I have met him over several Shabbatons which he attended with my local Chabad Rabbi.



From Chabad in Wimbledon...

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2012, 02:26:44 AM »
Rabbi Avraham Ariel Trugman talks about the Parasha:

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2012, 02:39:37 AM »
From Naaleh Rabbi David gives a short talk {well its just a clip} from Parasha Korach...

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #17 on: June 22, 2012, 02:48:30 AM »
And now for the Haftorah for Parasha Korach (1 Samuel 11:14-12:22)



Here Haftorahman does the Haftorah:

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #18 on: June 22, 2012, 12:16:48 PM »
And here is Rabbi Shlomo Katzs video on the Parasha:

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Video Study for Parasha Korach
« Reply #19 on: June 22, 2012, 06:30:47 PM »
From Rabbi Shlomo Katz column at Torah.org:

http://www.torah.org/learning/hamaayan/5772/korach.html

Parshas Korach
A Time for Faith
Volume 26, No. 34

Sponsored by Nathan and Rikki Lewin on the yahrzeit of his grandfather Harav Aharon ben Harav Nosson Lewin z”l Hy”d (the Reisher Rav)

Dr. and Mrs. Irving Katz on the yahrzeit of his mother Sarah bat Yitzchak Hakohen a”h


In this week’s parashah, we read of Korach’s rebellion. What was Korach, who our Sages say was a wise man, thinking, and what brought about his downfall?

R’ Yitzchak Leib Kirzner z”l (1951-1992; mashgiach ruchani of Yeshivat Rabbeinu Yaakov Yosef in Edison, N.J.) explains: We were taught as children--indeed, midrashim state--that Korach made a mockery of various laws. He argued, for example, that a techeilet-colored garment should not need tzitzit for, if one string of techeilet is sufficient for an otherwise white garment, certainly a garment that is entirely techeilet should not need tzitzit! He also argued that a house full of sifrei Torah should not need a mezuzah for, if one small scroll is sufficient for a house with no Torah scrolls in it, certainly a house full of sifrei Torah should not need a mezuzah!

However, writes R’ Kirzner, we should not fool ourselves. The generation that received the Torah is referred to by our Sages as the “dor de’ah” / “the Generation of Knowledge,” and it is not conceivable that mere mockery would have won anyone over to Korach’s cause. Rather, Korach must have been preaching a philosophy in which his mockery played only a supporting role.

R’ Kirzner explains: Korach preached that one must understand everything that he does. He argued that Hashem gave us the Torah to teach us to differentiate between good and bad, and that a mitzvah that seems illogical does not help us accomplish that goal. Therefore, Korach argued, such a mitzvah is not binding. Korach was partially correct, insofar as there is nothing wrong with wanting to understand. However, one cannot always understand what he wants to understand. Korach’s downfall came from his lack of emunah peshutah / simple faith to sustain him when his intellect failed him. (Ma’oz La’tam, Vol.2, p.163)

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“As for Aharon, what is he that you protest against him?” (16:11)

R’ Yehuda He’chassid z”l (Germany; died 1217) writes: Just as one must be humble in the face of those who insult him, so he should cause his family members, friends and students to not answer his detractors in a harsh manner. How so? If someone is being cursed or insulted and his family members, his friends, or his students want to answer in kind or to hit those who are making verbal attacks, he should not permit it. To the contrary, he should prevent it. Thus we read (Iyov 31:31), “Or, if the people of my household did not say, ‘If only we could get his flesh, we would never be sated’.” [Iyov is saying that he is blameless, for he never let his family members exact retribution against his detractors.] We read likewise (Shmuel II 16:11), “David then said to Avishai and all his servants, ‘. . . Let him be; let him curse, for Hashem has told him to’.”

At the same time, those who hear [insults against another] should feel pained and should answer [gently] if they are able to. Thus we read (in our verse), “As for Aharon, what is he that you protest against him?!”

However, the one who was insulted should not allow anyone to become angry on his behalf. No one should take any action until consulting with a person who does not lose his temper. (Sefer Chassidim §§ 650-651)

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“They fell on their faces and said, ‘O G-d, G-d of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You will be angry with the entire assembly?’” (16:22)

Rashi quotes the Midrash Tanchuma: “Whereupon G-d replied, ‘You have spoken well! I know and shall make known who has sinned and who has not sinned’.”

What does this mean? asks R’ David Halevi z”l (known as the “Taz” after his work Turei Zahav ; 1586-1667). Did Moshe best G-d in an argument and change G-d’s mind?

No! he explains. Rather, Rashi’s comment should be understood as follows: The Mishnah (Avot 4:5) teaches, “Rabbi Yochanan ben Beroka said, ‘If one desecrates the Name of Heaven in secret – the Heavenly Court will exact punishment from him in public. Unintentional and intentional – both are alike regarding the desecration of the Name’.” What does this mean? Does G-d really punish for an unintentional sin just like an intentional sin?

The Taz explains: The second half of the Mishnah is answering a question one might ask on the first half of the Mishnah. If one who desecrated G-d’s Name in secret is punished in public, won’t that cause a further desecration of G-d’s Name, for it will appear that an innocent man has been punished? Therefore, if one desecrates G-d’s Name in private, G-d forces him to commit the same “sin” again in public – except that it is not really a sin because it was not voluntary. Then, G-d punishes the sinner for the first sin (the private one) while everyone assumes, wrongly, that he is being punished for the second sin (the public one).

Returning to our verse and Rashi’s comment, the Taz explains: Hashem knew that thousands of Bnei Yisrael had supported Korach in their hearts. But no one else knew that, and if Hashem had punished those silent sympathizers, the rest of the nation would have said, “Shall one man sin, and You will be angry with the entire assembly?” When Moshe pointed out this potential desecration of G-d’s Name, Hashem answered, “You have spoken well! There will be no desecration of G-d’s Name, for I know who sinned, and it is My way to make known who has sinned and who has not sinned.”

When did Hashem make known who the Korach-sympathizers were? In the verse (17:6), “The entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael complained on the morrow against Moshe and Aharon, saying, ‘You have killed the people of Hashem’!” (Divrei David)

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“Aharon took [a pan with coals and incense] as Moshe had spoken and ran to the midst of the congregation, and behold! the plague had begun among the people. He placed the incense and provided atonement for the people. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was checked.” (17:12-13)

Why did the offering of ketoret / incense stop the plague? R’ Moshe Isserles z”l (1520-1572; Krakow, Poland; known as “Rema”) explains:

The ketoret consisted of eleven spices, of which four are mentioned in the Torah, and three other ingredients, for a total of 14. The number four represents the four camps of Bnei Yisrael. Eleven represents all of the tribes except Levi and Yehuda, both of whom had a special status. Fourteen represents the eleven tribes plus kohanim, levi'im and the tribe of Yehuda. When the ketoret was burnt on the altar, a miracle occurred and the smoke did not disperse. Instead, it rose straight up, which represents the good deeds of Bnei Yisrael rising Heavenward and also represents the unity of the Jewish People. Along these lines, our Sages say that the ketoret contained one foul-smelling herb, symbolizing that the Jewish People are not a complete unit unless even the sinners are included.

The Gemara teaches that the kohanim would talk while crushing the spices for the ketoret because “kol” / sound improves the spices. This cannot be taken literally, Rema writes. Rather, the crushing of the spices represents the suffering of Bnei Yisrael in exile, which strengthens the “kol Yaakov” / the sound of Torah.

In light of all this, we can understand why the ketoret would cause the plague to end, i.e., because ketoret represents all that is good about the Jewish People--their unity, their good deeds, and their adherence to Torah and Torah study, even in the midst of exile. We also can see why Aharon, of all people, was the one to check the progress of the plague, since he was the one who constantly pursued unity between friends, between spouses, and among the Jewish People in general. Korach and his cohorts pursued the opposite and therefore were punished through ketoret. (Torat Ha’olah, II ch. 36)

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Letters from our Sages

The letter below was written by R’ Aharon Lewin z”l Hy”d (born 1879; killed in the Holocaust 6 Tammuz 5701/1941), rabbi of Rzeszow / Reisha, Poland and a member of the Polish Sejm / parliament.

Regarding the question from a community that always had an official chazzan and now the position is vacant, and the position of shochet also is vacant--they have found a shochet who knows how to sing, and the leaders of the community want to merge the two positions so that the shochet also will be the chazzan. However, some people object and don’t want the two positions to be held by one person.

My entire life, I have lived among Torah scholars, and I have never heard anyone question this practice [of the two positions being held by one person]. To the contrary, go see what the populace is doing; in the overwhelming majority of small towns, which cannot afford a chazzan, the shochet is also the chazzan, and no one objects. However, now that I have dwelt on it, I see that one can find some support for their objection in the Zohar (Parashat Nasso [124a]): “‘He shall slaughter the bull before Hashem’ [Vaykira 1:5] – Someone else, and not the kohen. The kohen should not awaken the Attribute of Justice in order not to damage the place [the Attribute of Kindness] to which he is connected.” This implies that a kohen is not permitted to slaughter a sacrificial offering. Similarly, the chazzan should not be a shochet, for the chazzan is in place of a kohen, just as prayer is in place of the daily sacrificial offerings. This is why a chazzan is called a “karov” [related to korban] and the poems he recites are called “kerovot.” Therefore, just as a kohen should not be the one who slaughters the sacrifice, so it is with the chazzan who stands in his place. . .

However, after further analysis, it appears that one should not worry about this. First, our Talmud does not hold like this Zohar, for the Gemara merely says that a non-kohen is permitted to slaughter a sacrifice, but a kohen also is allowed to do so. . . From the Gemara (Yoma 25b) it seems that only occasionally did a non-kohen slaughter the korban, but usually it was a kohen. . . The latter is in fact preferable. Furthermore, even according to the Zohar, the comparison of a chazzan to a kohen is not to be taken literally, for then we would require a chazzan to have all of the qualifications of a kohen, which obviously is not the case. . .

Therefore, regarding our question, there is no doubt that a shochet may be the official chazzan of the town. Even so, it would be pleasing and a glorification to have separate individuals in these positions, just as the Temple service was divided among as many people as possible, for that is an honor to Heaven . . . But, if for some reason, the heads of the community wish to combine the two positions, and to fill them with one person, there is no basis to stop them--this seems clear and plain to me. (Avnei Cheifetz, ch.4)

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You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14