Korach - Israel is Forever

You're listening to the weekly para podcast with Ari Goldwag recorded with Hashem's never ending assistance in Raab Israel 5785 2025. This week's para is para's korak and I'd like to share with you a thought that has to do with the end of the para. It does relate to the beginning. In the beginning of the para we have the whole story with Korak his rebellion against Moshe and the description of how as a result of that 250 people lost their lives from trying to bring the katyas an incense offering. They were not the right people for that. Korak, all of his family, all those who decided or tried to fight with Mosher Rabenu to try to rest power away from him, they were lost. They fell into a an opening in the earth and they died. And the story continues and and and the people are upset at Moshe. He killed them. Who killed them? He killed them. It seems he created this miracle that occurred. They were not sure that it came from Hashem. Aaron has to be proven to be the right one. His staff is placed next to the other stabs of the Jewish people of the leaders. And his staff is the one that grows in a miraculous way. Almonds proim flowers and everyone sees the truth. But not before there's a terrible mafa, a loss of life. After that whole story, the the sukim tell us about the matanis of the kahuna, the gifts that are given to the priests and to the levim to the Levites. And it seems that the Torah is trying to stress for us that after all is said and done after the entire story. So Aaron is proven to be the one and the Tyra is giving him the gifts and we'll see more about the concept of the gifts of the Levim. What is the idea behind them? I'd like to read to you the theim it's inem this is speaking to all of the gifts the tithes of the of the holy offerings that am Israel is going to separate for Hashem. I've given it to you to your children, to your sons and daughters who are with you as an eternal statute. Now, the language of this Pik I'd like to just notice as we're about to read it, just take note here. It's a covenant and the language of the Pik is a covenant of salt. Eternal salt. You have to see what this word means. is eternal salt was the idea. It's it is to you in front of Hashem for you and your and your children your offspring with you. Rashi says we find that what's special about salt. What does it mean a a covenant of salt? And it's pointed out in the mortion that we find the word a covenant of salt elsewhere as well. It means a very strong covenant. Why? What's what is salt? Salt when you salt something when you salt meat let's say or you you let's say you pickle something which is with salt. So the result is that the thing lasts it doesn't it doesn't uh go bad. It doesn't rot. So the Pik is saying it's an eternal covenant that it will be there forever. Promises Aaron and his sons that they're going to remain kohanim priests and for all time they're going to have these gifts. One more I'd like to read. Interestingly, there's a promise to him. But the promise is also inclusive of another aspect which is that they will not get a piece of land. They won't have an inheritance in the land of Israel. Theim and the kohanim are separated out from the rest of Israel. They don't get a portion in the land of Israel. and understand that a portion of the land of Israel means Israel is the dream of amrael. It's the it's the place where we fulfill our purpose most perfectly. So it sounds like a bad thing. Uh you know the kohan and the priests the kohanam and the levim do not have any portion in Israel which sounds like they don't have a portion in the the inheritance of amusel. What does that mean? So Hashem says don't think that I am your portion. I am your inheritance amongst the people of Israel. So whereas it's true that whoever has a piece of Israel is promised a true connection, a true future. Whoever it says whoever has a portion in the land of Israel has a portion in the world to come. So that's an that's true but that's kind of a superficial I don't want to say superficial because it's also spiritual but it's more of an outer aspect of what the person will be for all time what they accomplish if their focus is on Israel the deeper focus is of course within Israel is in the in the mikdash in the in the haray on the temple mount inside of the holy of holies it's the kohhanim it's priests. It's also those who learn Torah. That's also Tyra. But it's there in Israel. Hashem says, "I am your portion. I am your portion in midst the children of Israel." So I want to point out the word ani as we'll see in the Bakai. We're going to read our Bakai together. Very deep idea, very deep piece in the Bakai. You know, as I read the para and as I thought about the para, I I wanted to kind of not focus so much on the story of Korak. The story of Korak is very challenging, very difficult, just utter destruction for a group of people. It's so sad. I want to focus more on the what the positive aspect that comes out of it. And we'll see that it's related to what seems to be a negative concept as well, which is when people who who aren't chosen to be that try to break through and be something that they're not. It's important to know that that concept is true and real. That people who try to be something that they're not, they get destroyed. But I want to focus on the people who are trying to be who they are, which is the levim and the kahanim. And what's the aspect of that? Where's the concept of that? And let's see that together like to read you from the bakai. Okay, there's a lot of stuff here. I don't know if we'll have enough time to get through all of it, but there's a lot of concepts here and we'll try to understand the depth of what's going on. It's very interesting when we have a covenant. What is a covenant? A covenant is like a deal. It's it's a Hashem says to Araminu, you're going to be special. I'm making a covenant with you. You're you're going to have to go through certain difficulties and challenges. 400 years in gullis and in exile your kids are going to be strangers in a strange land. They're going to be oppressed, but eventually they're going to come out and they're going to get Israel. There's bris kusa. So the the word brris is a covenant. It's a deal. It's a commitment. But the word is kusa which means cut. You cut a deal, right? We cut a deal. Hashem cuts a deal with Israel. So what is this language of cutting? That's what we're going to try to cut through here to try to understand. He says, right, the the the cutting that's going on here, it's also referred to as a a covenant of salt. What is a salt covenant? So he said from rashi that it means salts is something that helps helps things to last and not rot. But he says another thing has to do with cutting. Right? When you cut something is defined and it's clear. Let's say you you want to you want to make a border around your property. This is not what he says. I'm just kind of giving the idea. You want to make a border around your property. This is where my property ends. Don't plant anything here if you're my neighbor. So, what you do is you take salt and you salt the earth and you salt the earth all around the area that you want to remain your area. That spot wherever there is salt, it won't grow. Salt prevents things from growing. It it defines areas. We find that there we when we speak about a land that's not going to be lived in it's salty land says about what happens when we defy Hashem's will it becomes sulfur and brimstone and and salt salt the the earth is is burned nothing will grow there so salt is something that defines and limits So when you have a brisk, a bris melik, it means you have something that's defined and clear. You have a an absolute covenant that's clear and defined. These are the borders. These are the limitations. This is what it looks like. Stay within these bounds. Kabala. So he tells us based on a deeper idea called cababala which you've heard the word cababala but it means a deeper idea. But let's try to understand this. What does it mean when it says that it's an eternal salt covenant? He says something that sounds like rashi. He says that what causes the flesh to remain for it to not rot. It's salt. Okay. So, it's something that causes on one hand the the brisk crus is a is a well-defined clearly defined covenant and has limitations and it means there's going to be hard times. Maybe I mean has to go through hard times to get to the till you get to the good times. Think about what's happened over the last few weeks. We have to go through the hard times to get to the good times. And at the same time, that's what defines us. That's what keeps us. That's what allows the meat not to rot. Okay? And he says something interesting. He says, "How do you get salt?" The way that you get salt is you take salt water. It's called desalinization. You take the salt water from the sea and you put it out to dry. And as the water evaporates, what's left is the salt that was inside of the water. So what it means is if you want to look at salt, what is the root power, the root essence of salt? It's water and fire. Water is the salt water of the sea. And fire is the fire of the sun. So those two elements produce, and by the way, fire and water are obviously opposites, right? But they produce salt. Now bear with me. He says that when you have a covenant, so the covenant has two aspects. It has two things that define it. One is which is compassion. I have a relationship with you. Now I am in you know we we have a back and forth. There are things however there's miden there's the aspect of divine I don't want to say retribution that's not the right word here divine justice I would say there's justice there's definition here if you have a relationship with me so you can't violate the relationship you have to be careful if we are committed to each other that means to the exclusion of others a man marries a woman right that means we are here together it's me and you we have a special relationship ship and that comes with special privileges. But it also means that if you break through the borders, if you try to plant in the place where there's salt and the salt defines the borders, so you're going to end up in trouble. So you have you have two aspects of this covenant. And and by the way, think about it. Korakados, they tried to cross the border. They tried to plant in the place where there was salt and they were destroyed by that. So let's think about it in those terms as well. Says this covenant is the salt of the earth. Salt of the of the world, which means to say it's something that allows the world to continue to exist. Just like salt makes things not grow, it also makes things not rot. Okay? It allows the thing to remain because through this the world continues to exist and the defined limitations remain wherever you have salt on the earth. So then nothing will grow there. He brings the which I mentioned earlier. So it it's a place where nothing can grow but it also is a place which causes things to stay and not rot. So you have a concept the concept of salt is a dual concept. The so the same thing that causes things not to grow is the same thing that allows things to last and not not depreciate in in in their ability to stay. So you have the two concepts each the opposite of the other. The salt represents two opposite concepts. Inability for life to remain and the ability to keep life to keep things alive. [Music] And he says, and bear with me here, some of the concepts are a little bit uh maybe not as interesting. It's not clear exactly how they apply, but we'll see that they they really do have to do with us. They really do have to do with us very very much. He says we see within our para we have this concept of the matanis the gifts that are given to the to the levim and the gifts that are given to the kohanim. And in this in this process in this discussion so the uses two different languages when Hashem is speaking to Aaron he says vab which is more of a tough language right is the way that Hashem speaks to the men is the way Hashem speaks to the women who need more of a softer touch but receives both of these languages. There's a toughness which is the and there's the which is the the all of the laws all of the definition all of the gifts that are given to the kohanim the 24. So there it says spoke when it comes to the house of Ley the Levites so they get they get messer they get one/10enth their uses a language of interesting he says the aspect of the cohen as you already know which I guess he's explained elsewhere it's uh It's in paras. It says here in the notes it denotes the concept of the word has to do with the written law which is more clear and defined. Okay. And the concept of the theim the Levites I'm sorry. there are 24 books of the Torah and corresponding to that there are 24 mat there are 24 gifts that are given to them this aspect okay he goes through this as well but I want to I want to kind of skip a little bit here he says open the eyes of your heart open your hearts look how the says we point did this out earlier and here's where we get to the concept when it speaks about the concept of the the inheritance of the what does he get he doesn't get a piece of land but he gets Hashem as it were Hashem says I am ani I am he's speaking to Aaron and he's saying I am your portion I am your inheritance now the he points out often is something which has to do with when Hashem says I am Hashem it means Hashem is saying if you want to know if if it's going to don't mess with me almost like right it says it means Hashem is saying watch out usually that's what ani means but the word ani here is used as it's used as compassion We find elsewhere it's true is in the in the most difficult situation they can be in in Egypt. They're slaves. They're being oppressed terribly. And Hashem says, "Ani, I heard their call." That's what he says to Mosher Rabenu. So with what does it mean? I think what he what he's saying is that ordinarily midin means the the attribute of divine justice means that hey watch out this is what happens to Korak and this is what happens to all those who came with him they were finished they were they tried to cross the borders it was it was bad news for them ordinarily judgment can can be very difficult and and damaging and who can stand up to Hashem's judgment but this is amazing because we just went through an incredible time of judgment. We're still in a time of judgment. But throughout this war, the 12 days, it was so challenging. It was so difficult. I could tell you my own experience. Here we were in our house, all the kids were home. There was no school. Okay, a certain air of vacation, but at the same time, an air of fear. There could be a siren at a moment's notice. the phone is buzzing in the middle of the night, 5:00 in the morning, 3:00 in the morning, 1:00 in the morning, 7:00 in the morning, and and you run to your to your mama. You don't even know there's going to be missiles, ballistic missiles by the hundreds shot at us. It was a difficult time. Very difficult time. And coming out of that, there's still post trauma going on, but there's such a relief. There's such a relief. So we're inside of the den and we're seeing wow yes there were terrible things that happened yes there was destruction yes there were people who passed who were killed but at the same time so much rahim so much compassion so much light so many miracles and we come out the other end and we say how do we how do we merit this how do we merit this but it seems to me that amel today is a different is in a place than we were at the beginning of this October 7th war. We're in a different place. We've been inside of the of the den for so long. We've we've changed. I think that we've changed. I think that we've changed. Not all of the change can be seen so clearly on the surface, but there's so much going on behind the scenes. So much so much has changed wherever we are throughout the world. So much has changed. We've become different. The Lim are chosen because of their specialness. And I don't know if we'll have time so much to get into it, but I'll just give you a little preview of it. Talks about the fact that talks about the fact that when Jacob said, "Whatever I have, I'm going to give you a tenth." So that's what he said to as he was on his way to running away from Lavan. And he had 12 kids. Two of them we remove because there were already Bur Ruain Burkar. But then you have 10 left. And if you count backwards, so number 10 is Ley. That's what he says. Maybe I get the it could be I got didn't do it exactly right. If you count backwards, it's Ley. Maybe if we don't take off those two. Ley is is the micer of Amuse Israel. He's the one that's taken off. He's the one that's designated to be special to Hashem. There's a special bris. There's a special covenant that's made with Ley. Am Israel is the micer of the world. We've spoken about this not long ago. Am Israel is the thing that's designated to Hashem. Out of all of the nations, Israel is designated to Hashem from all the lands. It's the special place to serve Hashem. But when something is designated, what happens is there's a brisk cruso. There's a more defined and we've spoken about this before, but there's there's a more defined relationship. I know from speaking to people in Yes, I know that you guys were doing for us, that you were praying for us, and I know that you guys were out there and you were caring and you were feeling it. But at the same time, living in Israel and running to my mad is just not the same. Not the same when you're not here. I know because there was an attack on Earth Israel before Rashashana of this the beginning of this year of this Jewish year and I was not home and they were shooting at us and I know how it felt but my family was here and it felt it felt it was difficult but within the specialness within that thing there's a there's a deep there's a den there's a a a strong definition and and boundaries around it and don't mess with the boundaries. It's very it's very dangerous to but at the same time if you're inside of the boundaries there's a deep raim the same ani the same statement I am hashem which means watch out if you're inside of the boundaries so then the ani hashem is all compassion it's all love it's all I'm with you this is a real relationship here we are to stay inside of the boundaries. This is what it means. This is what it means to be the hashem. The inheritance of hem is also called the hashem is says to the to the as we quoted previously in the from the rahim anybody can be like the theim. It's not just shy bulvad. All of us can choose to enter into this covenant with hashem. And what the covenant looks like is a different type of relationship. You move to Israel, you feel you move to Israel. That's my son calling. You move to Isisel and it's a different feeling here. You could I mean if you if someone was visiting recently over the last two weeks, you know, you felt it. But it's a different type of relationship. And my sister was sharing with me that there's a book that she was reading to her kids. It was made for kids. And it's this girl talking to the to the ballistic missiles. Sounds crazy, but it was actually beautiful. And she's saying, "You can't touch me because we have Tyra and we have mitzvah and we have all this connection to Hashem and Hashem is protecting us from you." And it's true. And it's deeply true. If we're within the bounds of what it means to live in Isel, nothing could be better. That den is you have that combination which is what we kind of spoke about at the beginning with the salt has two aspects. It has the aspect of definition, but it also has the ability to be mim to give something a the ability to last. It shouldn't rot. Am Israel has the salt. We have a a covenant with Hashem, which is salt. a sold covenant, which means if we stay within the boundaries of what we're supposed to do, we have a promise. We're here forever. We're here in Israel forever. Israel lasts forever when we do what we're supposed to do. And when we get into a deeper place of connection is there's a deeper requirement of doing what's right. When we live in we have to be even more cognizant even more committed to the Tyra and the mitzvah as the Tyra says itself. We saw it in par the the can spit out its inhabitants if we don't act properly in if we aren't pure in our relationships. Interestingly, in our manto-woman relationships, which means to say that's salt. You have the dual aspect. You have the din and you have the raim inside of it. And you have the levim and you have the and each of them have an aspect of din with the raim inside of it. as he speaks about it at length as he continues and I'm out of time but what I take out of this and what I believe that we all need to take out of this is we need to know who we are we need to know about our covenant we need to know about our relationship with Hashem and that relationship is full of love that relationship is full of full of compassion miracles miracles that we can only say God is so great. He's done so much for us and he's protecting us and taking care of us. But that same that same compassion he's having on us is it obligates us to make sure that our relationship with him is proper and that our boundaries are proper and that our we're doing things right. Especially if we live here in Israel and especially if you want to be able to have that. I want to bless you and ask you to bless me. Hashem should help us that we should recognize the incredible rah and the incredible kindness. Hashem should help us to merit that kindness to be able to stay within the bounds of that which is right and that which is exactly who he wants us to be. Hashem should help us to see that dual aspect of the covenant of the salt. Thank you so much for listening. Have a wonderful shamus. This podcast was made possible through the gracious donations of listeners like you. For more podcasts like this, please visit www.rigoldwag.com or search on iTunes Arig Goldwag. [Music]