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Parshat Korach
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו 

Seeking the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

"ויקח קרח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי" 

"Bring peace, goodness and blessing, grace and kindness and compassion upon us and all Israel Your People... Blessed are You HaShem who blesses His People with peace."

We culminate all our requests in the Amida prayer with the request for peace, for as our Sages teach us, "HaShem did not find anything that contains more blessing than peace, as it says, 'HaShem will bless His People with peace'."

This week's parsha teaches us many lessons on the ways of controversy versus peace, one of these lessons already hinted to in the first words of the parsha, our title quote. Our Sages remark, why is Korah's lineage so elaborated far back even to Levi, but yet not to Levi's father, Yakov?

Our Sages answer that Yakov had already foresaw in his lifetime the conflict of Korah and thus prayed 'in their (Korah and his people) gathering my honor shall not unite'. This matter still needs further explanation: Yitzhar, Kehat, and Levi were all righteous figures, and even if they did not foresee this episode, why do they 'deserve' to be listed in the lineage of Korah?

One answer to this question is that indeed Korah had great spiritual potential as his lineage suggests, however he used this potential improperly for his own ego-centric purposes. If so, why is Yakov given the gift to foresee this episode and the opportunity to pray to be singled out?

Shaar Hahatzer, by R. David Shimon author of the 'Zuf Dvash', provides us with an answer to this question by saying that in truth all our Patriarchs, Yakov being one of them, were all especially careful not to be in anyway involved with conflict and controversy. He goes on further saying that Hebron too, 'the City of the Patriarchs', has this attribute of peace, as is also hinted in the numerical value of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yakov which is identical to 'Shalom BeHebron' (peace in Hebron) and 'Nezer HaShalom' (the crown of peace), 'for their will was that there be peace in Hebron, and therefore no conflict can prolong in the holy city of Hebron'.

The Land of Israel at large too has the attribute of peace, as we have shown in the past by explaining the verse "one People in the Land". Halachically speaking, one example of the peace inherent in this Land is the fact that Yehoshua, upon dividing the Land between the tribes, introduced 10 halachic enactments that prevent conflict between people, such as that 'an emerging spring all of the city's inhabitants have right to benefit from it'.  Although these enactments still hold in the Diaspora, the fact that Yehoshua instituted them upon dividing the Land and not before (as in the time of Moshe) highlights this Land's quality as the as the forerunner in the pursuit of peace.

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #75:

"Recently, a new kollel was formed to study at Maaras HaMachpela from midnight till 4 am. In the beginning stages the kollel studied outside, since there still was no military permit to occupy Maaras HaMachpela or one of its adjacent buildings. During that period, one donor offered to support the kollel continuously and asked that the kollel be called in the name of Asahel. Afterwards the military agreed to open (and protect) the tomb-site of Abner ben Ner adjacent to the Maara, an offer un-expected by all sides. So now, "Kollel Hatzot Asahel" studies at the "Tomb of Abner". In Shmuel II we learn that Abner killed Asahel in a civil-war between those aligned with David and those aligned with Saul and his descendant(s) and in turn Abner was also killed by Asahel's brother Yoav in (partial) context of avenging his brother's blood. It is in Hebron that Abner formed a treaty with David ending this civil war and bringing forth the United Kingdom of David, and it is in Hebron that names of these 'enemies' come together today in such beautiful harmony."      

Sources: Midrash Tanhua Korah, Shaar Hahatzer 380, Baba Kama 80b, Rambam Nezikei Mamon 5, 3, Hoshen Mihpat 274, 1 Rama