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Why did 250 gedolei Yisrael join Korach's rebellion against Moshe? They weren't questioning Moshe's nevuah but rather his understanding of leadership. Korach believed that once someone earns a Divine position, they own it and can redistribute roles, while Moshe maintained that all positions are functional appointments from Hashem (ה׳).
Rabbi Zweig addresses the fundamental question of how Korach and 250 gedolei Yisrael could challenge Moshe Rabbeinu when Hashem (ה׳) guaranteed at Har Sinai that the Jewish people would never question Moshe's prophecy. The answer lies in understanding that they weren't questioning whether Hashem spoke to Moshe, but rather what that communication meant in terms of ownership versus functionality. The shiur develops a crucial yesod about midas hadin versus midas harachamim. Originally, Hashem wanted to create the world with midas hadin, where people could earn their existence. However, this would eventually lead to created beings having independent reality equal to Hashem's, which is impossible. Therefore, Hashem created the world with midas harachamim, establishing a relationship where humans are connected to Him like breath from the body - not part of Him, but emanating from Him. This allows for eternal existence without creating a second god.
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Parshas Korach
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