Korach was a wealthy man. So rich was he, we even have a Yiddish expression, “reich ve Korach,” used to describe anyone of magnificent wealth. The Bible tells us that Korach’s rebellion was put to an end by the earth swallowing up Korach, his supporters, and all of his wealth. Evidently, Korach was not only exceptionally rich; he was even able to take it all with him to the grave. We say, of course, “You can’t take it with you,” so what could the Torah mean to teach us by implying that Korach did? Rabbi Yitzhak claims that worms are as painful to the dead as are needles piercing the body of the living (Talmud Shabbat 152a). An unsettling implication of this Talmudic statement is that even a body which has lost its life may still be somewhat responsive and clinging to its soul. The Hasidim take this to mean that some individuals are so invested in their physical and material existence that, upon death, the soul has a hard time extracting itself from the body. Because this individual failed to cultivate a distinct life of the soul prior to death, the soul has a hard time distinguishing and separating itself after death. Korach, it seems, was such a person. B’Yedidut (w/friendship), Rabbi Mitch Levine
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 13:23:03 +0000
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