Reply To: Short & Sweet

Korach: The Right Man for the Job

What reasons did Korach give for why he should be Kohen Gadol instead of Ahron? He complained that all the honor and glory was going to Moshe and his family, and that Korach’s family should have been in line for the next open position.

However, there is one point Korach did not address. He made no argument that Ahron wasn’t fit for the job, or why he would make a better Kohen Gadol. Korach was apparently not concerned with who the best man for the job was. He just wanted it for himself.

Contrast this with the attitude of Moshe. In last weeks Parsha, Moshe receives a Nevuah that he will die in the desert, having failed to bring Bnei Yisroel to their destination. But Moshe was not perturbed-מי יתן כל עם ה׳ נביאים. Moshe wanted the best man to get the job, regardless of that was him or not.

This is a pretty easy way to gauge whether we are looking out for the greater good, or just in it for ourselves. If we find ourselves asking “who would do the best job”, we’re asking the right question. But when that becomes “why not me?”, we should check our motives.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום