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

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Discovering the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

בכורי כל אשר בארצם

"Blessed are You HaShem our God King of the Universe Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to take trumot and maasrot."

The end of this parsha contains numerous verses about the manner of taking truma and maser, and more specifically trumat maser. Trumat Maser highlights the hierarchy of the Kohanic rite over the Levite rite, for trumat maser involves giving truma to the Kohen even from the maser given to the Levite. Thus, we can see how this portion at the end of the parsha is a direct continuation from its beginning which deals with the conflict of Korach who wished to obliterate this hierarchy that puts the Kohanim at a higher status than the Levites.

One of the primary differences between the gift given to the Levites and the gift given to the Kohanim is that the gift given to the Levites is called 'a tithe' while the gift given to the Kohanim is called 'the first (gift)' - 'reshit', i.e truma, bikurim, or halla. Aside from the practical ramifications of this term, which means that one must first give the truma given to the Kohen before the maser given to the Levite, there are also spiritual implications to this terminology. It seems that the Torah wishes to teach us that we need to first address the 'first' aspect of things, i.e their origin or source, before we deal with their results or the various branches that stem from this source.

Ultimately, the search for the source of matters, brings one to search for HaShem the Source of All. By placing 'the origin' at the head of one's endeavors one also comes to put God at the head of one's consciousness. Indeed, the Kohanim are the class of Israel closest to the 'origin', i.e the Holy Presence of the Temple, in their unique service in the holiest parts of the Temple. In turn, the holiest gift given from the produce that grew in the Land of the Holy Presence is given to these Kohanim.

There is no doubt that Hebron and Maarat HaMachpela stand as the origins of our People's connection to this Land of the Holy Presence. Indeed, Hebron was a city designated for the Kohanim in the book of Joshua. Hebron is also unique by the fact that it is the only Kohanic city also designated as a Refuge City. The power of the Refuge Cities is linked to the life of the Kohen Gadol. In this way, the negligent murderer, is given aid to correct his ill behavior. The negligent murderer failed to truly realize the Godly origin of life, and therefore he did not take enough caution in protecting life. Therefore, this negligent murderer's cure lies through connecting to the origins of our People and our Land, the Kohen Gadol and the Refuge Cities, which stem from Hebron, the City of Patriarchal Clemency (see Vayakhel 5015 on this at length).

One of the locations in Hebron which seems to reflect the connection of the masses, coming from the 'four corners of the earth', to their origins, is the Field of Machpela. The Field of Machpela is a unique spot in Hebron where one can site the masses of Israel together, undivided by any walls or partitions, at our Unifying Roots of Hebron, City of our Common Origin.

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #224

"One day I lent 200 NIS to one friend. That very same day I received 200 NIS back on a loan I had given to another friend which had not been paid for numerous months (I don't usually merit to give loans to people, and I also don't have gemach for such a purpose)." 

Sources: Duties of the Heart - Shaar Habitachon, Shabat 31a and Smag's interpretation, See Igeret Habitachon

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