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Why did Moshe proceed with the ketores test against Korach despite knowing he was right? Rashi (רש"י) reveals that Moshe's certainty about his own righteousness wasn't sufficient justification. He needed to foresee that Korach would actually die while his repentant children would survive—suggesting that being right doesn't automatically justify every course of action.
This shiur analyzes a profound Rashi (רש"י) on Parshas Korach that reveals a counterintuitive principle about the relationship between being right and taking action. The discussion begins with Korach's fatal miscalculation—he saw through prophecy that great descendants would emerge from him, including the prophet Shmuel who was equal to Moshe and Aharon, and twenty-four priestly divisions performing with Divine inspiration. This vision convinced Korach he couldn't die, leading him to challenge Moshe's authority through the ketores test. However, Korach 'didn't see correctly'—his children would survive through repentance after his own death, not because he himself would be spared. Rashi then makes a startling observation: 'Moshe saw correctly.' Unlike Korach, Moshe understood that the future greatness would come through Korach's repentant children, not through Korach's own survival. But this raises a fundamental question—why did Moshe need this prophetic insight at all? He already knew he was right because Hashem (ה׳) had commanded him to appoint Aharon as Kohen Gadol.
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Why does the Torah use "eicha" (how can it be) both for Moshe's lament and in Megillas Eicha? The shiur develops that disconnection from God creates existential paranoia - explaining why the Jewish people irrationally accused Moshe of plotting against them. The three weeks of mourning address this deeper spiritual death, not mere sin.
Why does Rashi mention the punishment of cherev (sword) for rejecting Torah when other violations carry more severe punishments? The shiur distinguishes between violating specific mitzvos and rejecting Hashem's fundamental authority established at Sinai. Complete denial of divine sovereignty constitutes mored b'malkus (rebellion against the king), which carries the unique punishment of cherev.
Parshas Korach
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