וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, אֶל-אַהֲרֹן, אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וּבֵית-אָבִיךָ אִתָּךְ, תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת-עֲוֺן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ;
וְאַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ, תִּשְׂאוּ אֶת-עֲוֺן כְּהֻנַּתְכֶם
The Holy One said to Aaron: You and your sons and the ancestral house under your charge shall bear any guilt connected with the sanctuary; you and your sons alone shall bear any guilt connected with your priesthood. (Bamidbar 18:1)
Good afternoon! This week’s Torah portion, Korach, is all about strife, conflict, jealousy, power struggles and dramatic showdowns, and surprisingly, it’s not describing Congress or the Knesset. Korach, a relative of Moshe and Aharon, challenges their position of leadership, proposing that all of Israel is equally qualified for authority. Korach is probably not really interested in democracy, just getting the power for himself, but he’s soon enough put in his place (deep in the earth, unfortunately.)
After two chapters recounting Korach and the subsequent power struggle, the portion finishes with chapter 18, which details the tithes due to the priests and Levites, who are the tribe of religious service responsible for the portable sanctuary and its vessels. Yet before listing the privileges of the priests and Levites (such as eating from the tithes brought by the rest of the nation), the Torah sets out their responsibilities, as in the verse quoted above. Verse 18:1 begins a short section of warnings to Aharon, the High Priest, that he is responsible for keeping the Levites and the rest of the people away from the holy areas of the Sanctuary (Mishkan), lest they die like Korach and his gang.
One could read these verses of warning as simply delimiting the authority of Aharon and the priests- they and they alone are allowed in the Mishkan- but you can also read these verses in the context of the ones that follow, listing the benefits and privileges of the Kohanim (priests) and Levites. What’s notable is that the verses spelling out their responsibilities come clearly and explicitly before the section describing their privileges. I think the Torah is making clear that they are given a leadership role for the service of others and receive the tithes only to allow them to do that.
Judaism sees leadership- really, any worthy role or profession- as responsibility, accountability, and service, not perks and profit. That’s what Korach never understood, or, for that matter, those who have acted like Korach in every age. The spirit of Korach is not just strife, but misplaced values: he put his personal desires before that of the people’s needs. That’s just not what we’re here on Earth to do.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Neal's Weekly Commentary 
Alice Leidner said
Hi Neal,
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