Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Both Parashat Korach and our parasha contain an unusual name of the Almighty:

They [Moshe and Aharon] fell on their faces and said, “O G-d, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh (Elokei haruchot l’kol basar) if one man sins, shall You be angry with the whole congregation?” (Sefer Bamidbar 16:22)
 
Let the L-rd, the G-d of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who will go forth before them and come before them, who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the L-rd will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” (Sefer Bamidbar 27:16-17, these, and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
In Parashat Korach, Rashi (1040-1105) explains Elokei haruchot l’kol basar as, “He Who knows all thoughts…before You all thoughts are revealed,” and in our parasha, he suggests that just like Hashem knows the unique nature of each and every individual in the world, so, too, should He appoint a leader who will emulate Him in this regard and thereby be able to tolerate the idiosyncrasies of each member of the Jewish people. While both explanations present the concept of Hashem’s total knowledge of the innermost thoughts of humankind, the second one stresses the notion that Moshe’s forthcoming replacement must also have this quality, albeit, on the human level.
 
In his Torah commentary, Maor v’Shemesh, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi Epstein (1753-1825) raises a fundamental question regarding Moshe’s request concerning the nature of the leader Hashem should appoint following his impending demise:

It is fitting to focus quite clearly upon Moshe’s underlying reason for giving advice to the Holy One blessed be He regarding the need to appoint an individual over the congregation. Behold, He, may His Name be blessed, runs all the worlds, therefore, how is it possible for one born of a woman [that is, a mortal being] to give advice to the King of the Universe as to how He ought to lead His congregation? (This, and the following translations my own)
 
If we are to understand the rationale of Moshe’s appeal to the Almighty, Rav Epstein suggests we must focus upon the celebrated midrashic statement found in Talmud Bavli, Baba Batra 75a: “The Elders of that generation [who witnessed the transition from Moshe to Yehoshua, Rashi] declared: ‘Moshe’s face was like the face of the sun, and Yehoshua’s face was like the face of the moon.’” In simple terms, this means that Moshe was the earthly source of Torah, whereas Yehoshua, like the moon, reflected the Torah he had learned from Moshe. Rav Epstein maintains that this concept serves as a prologue to the second part of Moshe’s request concerning the future leader of the Jewish people, “who will lead them out and bring them in (asher yatze lifneihem v’asher yavo lifneihem).” The first Hebrew letters of this phrase have the gematria (numerical equivalent) of 87, the exact same numerical value of the Hebrew word, levanah (moon). In other words, Moshe requested that the next leader of klal Yisrael should be the human equivalent of the moon and, as such, reflect his [Moshe’s] Torah, rather than being another sun as he had been.
 
Rav Epstein asserts that Moshe entreated Hashem to choose a leader of this kind precisely because the Jewish people had complained against him time and time again, even though they recognized his unparalleled status as Hashem’s greatest prophet. Ironically, it was Moshe’s unique prominence that prevented our nation from properly following him:

But this matter is to be understood in this manner: Based upon the degree of intellectual achievement and holiness that Moshe had achieved, to the point that he had reached heights higher than all other created beings, and that he was the chosen one among all whom Hashem had formed and thereby went up to Heaven itself and acquired the Torah from a place that was exalted and loftier than anything in Creation, … the members of his generations were unable to [properly] apprehend his intellect…and, therefore, [often] erred in their interpretation of his statements. (This, and the following translations and brackets my own)
 
For Rav Epstein, since Moshe understood his people so profoundly, he realized that they needed a different kind of leader to replace him: “Someone whose intellect was congruent with theirs, and someone whom they would, therefore, be able to accept. [Crucially], such an individual would allow them to choose the proper manner of serving Hashem based upon their [normative] intellectual capabilities.” In the pasuk following Moshe’s request, we find that Hashem concurred with him: “The L-rd said to Moshe, ‘Take for yourself Yehoshua the son of Nun, a man of spirit, and you shall lay your hand upon him.’” (27:18)  As Sefer Yehoshua later attests, Yehoshua had, indeed, been the perfect choice: “And Yisrael served the L-rd all the days of Yehoshua, and all the days of the Elders that outlived Yehoshua, and who had known all the works of the L-rd, that He had done for Yisrael.” (24:31)
 
May the time come soon, and in our days, when we will once again have a leader who will be accepted by our entire nation and will teach us how to serve the Almighty with true heartfelt love and devotion. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Balak, King of Moab, is the namesake of our parasha. He believed that his country was existentially threatened by the fledgling Jewish nation and consequently sought to annihilate us before we could become any stronger. He, therefore, hired the infamous and powerful sorcerer, Bilam, to curse klal Yisrael in an attempt to achieve this malevolent goal.
 
In many ways, Bilam, rather than Balak, is the protagonist of our sidra, since his behavior and prophecies are its main focal points. Bilam was a complex person who, at various points in his life, was more than the unsavory individual depicted in our parasha. Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 106a gives us an insight into the evolution of his persona:

“And Bilam the son of Beor, the sorcerer...”  Sorcerer? He [Bilam] was a prophet! Rabbi Yochanan said: “At first he was a prophet (navi), and in the end, a sorcerer (kosame).” (Sefer Yehoshua 13:22, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Rashi (1040-1105) explains the phrase, “and in the end, a sorcerer,” as referring to the time period wherein Bilam committed himself to cursing b’nai Yisrael, “for at that time, prophecy was removed from him, and he henceforth became a [mere] sorcerer.” (Translation my own)  This helps us understand Bilam’s transition from navi to kosame; yet, what kind of navi was he? How did he compare to the prophets of our people and, in particular, Moshe Rabbeinu? Given his ignoble end, we might be tempted to assume his prophetic experiences were on a very low level. However, according to various midrashim, nothing could be further from the truth:

Bilam had three characteristics (middot) that Moshe lacked: He knew Who was speaking to him, he knew when the Holy One blessed be He was going to speak to him, and he could speak with Him whenever he so desired. (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 14:20)
 
There were three things that made Bilam greater than Moshe: He could look upon the Shechinah (Hashem’s Divine Presence), he could join himself to the Shechinah, and he could immediately open his eyes and speak [at will] with the Shechinah. (Midrash Aggadah 24:17, translations and underling my own)
 
Based upon the metrics of these midrashim, Bilam’s prophetic encounters with the Shechinah surpassed even those of Moshe Rabbeinu. While noting this, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (“the Rav,” 1903-1993) emphasizes three additional differences between their prophecies:

The prophecy of Balaam differs from that of Moses in the use of mellifluous language, metaphor, and panoramic vision of the end of days. Who can compare to Balaam in his polished and elegant speech? His words were even integrated into the Musaf prayer of Rosh Hashanah: He does not look at evil in Jacob and has seen no perversity in Israel; the Lord, his God, is with him, and he has the King’s friendship (23:21). When a Jew enters the synagogue each morning, he recites a verse of Balaam’s prophecy: How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! The wording of Balaam’s prophecy was majestic. (Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Bamidbar: with Commentary Based Upon the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Dr. Arnold Lustiger, editor, page 193, underlining my own)
 
Clearly, for the Rav, “the wording of Balaam’s prophecy was majestic,” and its vision inspiring. Notwithstanding, Bilam has been viewed as a reprehensible figure. Rav Soloveitchik suggests this is because he was not anchored to absolute principles and values:
​
What is more important — a disciplined life, ruled by ethical laws, or a foggy mystical experience, devoid of any impact of the religious norm? It is clear that the former is far better, even if the experience of God in such a life is more remote… Balaam was close to God and was still a satanic figure … The religious norm provides a fulcrum for one’s life. Such a fulcrum is to be greatly preferred to living one’s life in a subjective religious fog. (Lectures on Guide of the Perplexed, pp. 212-213)
 
Bilam emerges as a fractured being. Although he reached the highest heights of prophecy and mystical experience, he lived a completely undisciplined life devoid of both ethical laws and religious norms. Therefore, as great as his spiritual experiences truly were, they could not save him from being remembered for all time as a satanic figure and the personification of evil.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
One of the many topics presented in our parasha is the passing of Miriam:

The entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there. The congregation had no water; so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. (Sefer Bamidbar 20:1-2, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining my own)
 
The juxtaposition of the phrases “Miriam died there and was buried there,” and “the congregation had no water …,” is intriguing. Talmud Bavli, Ta’anit 9a suggests the following rationale for this linkage:

R. Jose the son of R. Judah says: “Three good leaders had arisen for Israel, namely. Moshe, Aharon and Miriam, and for their sake three good things were conferred [upon Israel], namely, the Well, the Pillar of Cloud and the Manna; the Well, for the merit of Miriam; the Pillar of Cloud for the merit of Aharon; the Manna for the merit of Moshe. When Miriam died the well disappeared, as it is said, And Miriam died there, and immediately follows [the verse], And there was no water for the congregation; and it returned for the merit of the [latter] two [that is, Moshes and Aharon].” (This, and all Talmud translations, The Soncino Talmud, underlining my own)

According to the Gemara, the well that accompanied the Jewish people throughout their 40 years of wandering in the dessert was b’zechut Miriam (in the merit of Miriam). Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself on this idea, therefore explains: “had no water: From here [we learn that] all forty years they had the well in Miriam’s merit.”
 
Two other major sources, however, unequivocally state that the well was not b’zechut Miriam but rather, b’zechut Avraham. The first dissenting view, also from Talmud Bavli, discusses three of Avraham’s actions that he performed for the wayfarers (that is, the angels) in the beginning of Parashat Vayera:
 
… the School of Ishmael taught likewise: As a reward for three things [done by Avraham] they [his descendants] obtained three things. Thus: As a reward for, “[and he took] butter and milk,” they received the manna; as a reward for, “And he stood by them, they received the pillar of cloud;” as a reward for, “let a little water, I pray you, be fetched,” they were granted Miriam’s well. (Talmud Bavli, Baba Metzia 86b)

The contradiction between this passage and Talmud Bavli Ta’a’nit 9a, was addressed by the Maharsha (Rabbeinu Shmuel Eliezer Ben-Yehudah Halevi Edels,1555-1631) in his interpretation of our passage:

One needs to be exact in their analysis: In the first chapter of Ta’a’nit our Sages said that the manna was in the merit of Moshe, the Well was in the merit of Miriam, and the Pillar of Cloud was in the merit of Aharon. From that source we have a fundamental contradiction: “Why was the Well called the Well of Miriam?” [if it was in Avraham’s merit?] One can answer this in the following manner: Based upon the merit of Avraham the Jewish people would have deserved all of these gifts for but a short period of time. Once, however, [Hashem added] the merits of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam [to these wonders and miracles,] the manna, the Pillar of Cloud, and the Well lasted for a very long time, namely, the 40 years [the Jewish people wandered in the desert]. Therefore, when Aharon passed away the Pillar of Cloud ceased, when Miriam died the Well departed, and when Moshe expired the manna was no more. (Translation and brackets my own)
 
According to the Maharsha, even though the well came into existence because of Avraham’s numerous acts of kindness toward the angels, it is forever known as the Well of Miriam, since it was on account of her merit that it remained with our people during their desert wanderings.
 
The second source in opposition to Talmud Bavli Ta’a’nit 9a is that of Midrash Bereishit Rabbah ‘48:10. Once again, the Well is viewed as having been created in Avraham’s merit:

“Please take now a small amount of water”: Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Simai: “The Holy One blessed be He said to Avraham: ‘You have said: “Please take now a small amount of water,’” I hereby swear to you that I will repay your children in the desert, in their habitation, and in the Messianic future [for your act of kindness]. Thus, the Torah states [in reference to the Well]: “Then Israel sang this song: Ascend, O’ well sing to it!” This was the case in the desert… (Translation and brackets my own)
 
The difference that obtains between this Midrashic source and our Talmudic passage in Talmud Bavli Ta’a’nit 9a is directly addressed by the Shem Mishmuel (Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain (1855–1926). He notes that the link between the well and Avraham Avinu was explicitly noted by Dovid HaMelech: “He opened a rock and water flowed; in the desert ran rivers. For He remembered His holy word with Avraham His servant.” (Sefer Tehillim 105:41-42)  Why, then, is the well linked to the merits of Miriam, rather than Avraham? The Shem Mishmuel suggests the following:

…the physical aspect and hardness of the rock [that traveled with our people in the desert] becoming softened and transformed into sponge-like matter, and like a pool of water, was a result of Avraham’s merit when he declared to the wayfarers to “Please take now a small amount of water and wash your feet” in order to purify them from the filth of idol worship … The rock, however, becoming a source that acted as a spring replete with flowing waters — this was b’zechut Miriam, since in her very nature she longed to connect to her Father in Heaven, from the earth to the celestial heights, just as a spring flows [from the depths of the earth to the surface] … (Translation and brackets my own)
 
According to the Shem Mishmuel, Miriam emerges as a spiritual giant with an indomitable will, wholly dedicated to serving the Master of the Universe. Hence, while Avraham’s zechut was the source of the rock’s physical transformation, Miriam’s zechut was responsible for its continuous flow of water throughout the 40 years of our people’s desert journey. It is, therefore, known until today as the Well of Miriam.
 
My rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993, known as “the Rav” by his students and followers) further expands upon the greatness of Miriam:

Miriam is responsible for the emergence of Moses as a leader and redeemer of his people. If not for her, he would never have been imbued with great passionate love for his poor brethren. She suggested to the princess that a Hebrew wet-nurse be employed for the infant, preventing Moses from disappearing in anonymity and ignorance. (Family Redeemed: Essays on Family Relationships, page 118)
 
For the Rav, Miriam was ultimately responsible for Moshe becoming Moshe Rabbeinu and the leader and redeemer of our people. As such, the Exodus did begin with Moshe, but rather, was a process that began before him: “The consummation, the full realization [of Yetziat Mitzrayim] happened through Moshe, but the Jewish consciousness, the Jewish emunah, the faith in the promise of Hakadosh Baruch Hu [regarding the redemption], was not just incidental.” (Unpublished public lecture on Parashat Shemot; December 30, 1980, this, and the following transcription my own)  It was Miriam who safeguarded the emunah of our people in her role as their leader prior to Moshe’s return from Midian. As the Rav states:

If not for her, perhaps, Yetziat Mitzrayim would not have taken place… So basically, after the people left Mitzrayim, the leader of the people was Moshe. Before they left from Mitzrayim, when Moshe was yet in Midian, during his long sojourn in Midian, the leader of the people was Miriam HaNaviah [Miriam the Prophetess].
 
May Miriam’s Torah leadership and bravery serve as beacons of truth to help bring the geulah shlaimah (the Final Redemption) soon and in our days. Then, as in the time of Miriam, the stirring words of Yeshayahu will be fulfilled: “And you shall draw water with joy from the fountains of the salvation.” (12:3) V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 








Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The namesake of our parasha is Korach. It is not surprising, therefore, that most meforshim focus the majority of their exegetical efforts on this rabble rouser and his sycophants, Datan, Aviram and On ben Pelet. In contrast, these same commentators are nearly silent regarding the identity of the additional “two hundred and fifty men m’bnai Yisrael, chieftains of the congregation, representatives of the assembly, men of repute” who joined Korach’s rebellion. (Sefer Bamidbar 16:2, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  While in a passing gloss, Rashi (1040-1105) suggests these were the 250 heads of the Sanhedrot, the majority of whom were from the tribe of Reuven (16:1), and Rabbeinu Chananel ben Chushiel (965-1050) asserts they were all Levi’im from Korach’s tribe (16:2), very little other identifying information is available in standard sources. Moreover, the true nature (mahut) of these individuals remains equally obscure. Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 110a teaches us that they were men of universal renown who knew when and how to add an extra month to the calendar and establish Rosh Chodesh in its proper time. Why, then, would such accomplished and respected individuals have joined Korach’s insurrection?
 
The Netziv (Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, 1816-1893) answers this question in his Torah commentary, Ha’amek Davar, on our pasukim:

One must know that the 250 men were gedolei Yisrael in every way, including their awe of Hashem. Their exclusion from the Kahunah — which, itself, brings cleaving to and love of Hashem — burned like a fire within them. This was not borne of a desire for power and honor, but rather the thorough-going longing to become holy and to approach this level [of spiritual heights reached by the Kohanim] through performance of the Avodah (service in the Mishkan). Moreover, they knew that what Hashem had spoken through Moshe was absolutely true, and they did not, G-d forbid, question the veracity of his [Moshe’s] words. The only matter which they doubted was their comprehension of the proper way to understand Hashem’s authentic will. Therefore, they engaged in these deeds of manifest martyrdom [that is, the rebellion and the prohibited act of bringing the incense] because of the unlimited amount of love they had for Hashem…and because of this, they felt forced to undertake the rebellion against Moshe and Aharon and break the bonds of acceptable behavior (lifrotz geder) … (This and the following translations and brackets my own)
 
Rav Herschel Schechter shlita has said that the Netziv was so creative, and his commentary so incisive, that he rivaled the Rishonim (Rabbinic masters of the 11th-15th centuries) in his analyses. This is surely the case in this trenchant presentation. In relatively few words, the Netziv has rescued the two hundred and fifty men m’bnai Yisrael from virtual obscurity and has revealed their true nature to us. In his view, these were spiritual giants who recognized the authenticity of Moshe’s prophecy, loved and honored Hashem and held Him in awe. As such, they sought to draw closer to Him through the incense service, even if it meant their imminent demise. Given the purity of their intentions, the Netziv maintains that, rather than being swallowed in the earthquake that engulfed Korach and his ilk, these gedolei Yisrael were punished by fire that went forth from the inner sanctum of the Kodesh Kedoshim (Holy of Holies). Though they were misguided in their approach, these 250 great men had, nonetheless, acted l’shame shamayim (in order to serve the Almighty).
 
If, as the Netziv notes, the two hundred and fifty men m’bnai Yisrael were the chasidei hador (the righteous ones of the generation), how could they have so easily been duped by the likes of Datan and Aviram, and the Machiavellian machinations of Korach? He suggests the following answer:
​
Regarding these men the text states: “A man who strays from the way of understanding will rest in the congregation of Gehenom.” (Sefer Mishle 21:16) …And the verse comes to teach us that even one who honestly holds Hashem in awe, yet errs and departs from all manner of logical thinking, will ultimately “rest in the congregation of Gehenom,” become an apikores and reject the Sages…and this is what happened to these 250 men, they erred and left the path of logic (she’ta’u m’derech hasechel) and were drawn into the breaches [of rebellion] of Datan and Aviram and thereby embarrassed and repudiated Moshe and Aharon.
 
According to this deep analysis, these righteous individuals failed because they permitted their desire to attain the spiritual heights reserved for Kohanim to overtake their logical understanding and commitment to Hashem’s mitzvot. Here, the Netziv teaches us a profound lesson: Even talmidei chachamim who are counted among the chasidei hador, who love and respect the Torah and hold Hashem in awe, may fall short in their service to the Almighty, if she’ta’u m’derech hasechel.
 
May the lessons and insights of our parasha help us to ensure our avodat Hashem is a product of both our hearts, and our minds. In this way, may we ever strive to serve Him in purity, and in truth. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.