Parshas Korach 5777
QUESTION:
Why did Korach deserve such a strong punishment?
ANSWER:
When you do a favor to a fellow Jew, Hakadosh Baruch Hu rewards you, but suppose that fellow Jew is a very great tzaddik, you get much more reward.
Remember when Yisro, Yisro knew that there was a Mitzri, ish Mitzri hitzilunu, he saved us his daughters said, a Mitzri helped us out. So he said, invite him to eat; he didn't know who he was, but it states, because Yisro gave Moshe Rabbeinu bread to eat, Yisro was rewarded so greatly forever and ever. So if you do a kindliness to a great man, it's much more richly rewarded by Hashem. So let's say you have one dollar to give tzedaka, you can give it to a poor fellow on the street or give it to a poor ben Torah, ben Torah is much more important.
I once heard a man say, "Why give it to the ben Torah, you're partial to bnei torah?" The answer is,"Yes, we are partial to bnei Torah." Hakadosh Baruch Hu is partial to them. I remember there was a big argument against the Rosh Ha'yeshivas, at the time of the Vaad Hatzolo, when they were saving Jews from Europe, the Rosh Hayeshivas were bringing over bnei Torah. So a man told me, "Rosh Hayeshivas because they're partial to bnei Torah, they are bringing over bnei Torah."
So I said, "Whom else should they bring over? Certainly the bnei Torah they should bring over, if you have only a few visas to save lives, no question they're first, what's the question? Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants them."
Therefore if you start up with a nobody, you talk loshon hora on a plain nobody, it's wrong, it's a chet. But if you talk lashon hora on a tzaddik, vsonei tzaddik y'eshumu, if you hate a tzaddik you'll be held very very guilty. So if you want to talk loshon hora, of course it's best not to say anything, but choose bums, don't choose tzaddikim, don't choose frum Jews. Frum Jews are tzaddikim, ameich kulom tzaddikim, frum Jews are tzaddikim. Frum Jews are sacrificing for Torah, the cost of schar limud for their children. You can send them to public schools, they're laboring to pay huge amounts of money for tuition, so they deserve credit for that, ameich kulom tzaddikim, don't talk on Jews.
Therefore Korach started up with Moshe Rabbeinu, he was the very worst man to start up with. Had he been suspicious of a little fellow there, the son of the ish Mitzri, had he started up with him, it wouldn't be a mitzvah, but still he wouldn't be in the ground.
He started up with Moshe Rabbeinu, and he spoke against him, he was dan l'kaf chova, then it's a very great mistake.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
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Important Numbers
