Parshat Korach: Overlooking the Possibilities
by Rabbi Lobel

(Numbers; Chapter 16, Verse 1) “And Korach, son of Yizhar, son of Kehas, son of Levi, separated himself.” Korach was about to challenge Moses' leadership. Rashi explains, Korach was jealous that Elizaphan the son of Uzziel, was appointed by Moses as the prince of the family of Kehas. Levi had three sons, Gershon, Kehas, and Merrari. Each of these families had their own special duties in the Tabernacle and needed a leader.

Kehas had four children, Amram, Yizhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Moses, the leader of Israel, and Aaron, the High Priest, were the sons of Amram. According to the rules of succession, Yizhar's oldest son, Korach, should have been granted leadership over the family of Kehas. Instead, upon G-d’s command, Moses appointed Elizaphan, son of Uzziel, the youngest son of Kehas. Korach, jealous that he’d been passed over, challenged Moses’ credibility as G-d’s representative.

After witnessing Moses’ leadership during the ten plagues, the splitting of the sea, and the revelation at Mt. Sinai, how did Korach have the audacity, the chutzpah, to challenge Moses?

Rashi (16:7) explains that Korach’s own eyes, visions of the future, fooled him. Korach had a vision that the great prophet, Samuel, and the twenty-four coalitions of priestly families who rotated their services in the Holy Temple, would all descend from him.

Moses had challenged Korach and his entire congregation – only one would survive. Based upon his vision, Korach believed he was certain to be victorious. However, Korach did not foresee that his sons would repent and that his lineage would survive G-d’s wrath.

Korach did not foresee all the possibilities; he never considered that his sons may choose to not follow in his footsteps, that they may repent. Korach was over-confident and with over-confidence comes the heightened risk of being very wrong.