How a Levite family feud uncovers the secret of mitzvah‑light
Opening Vignette
Picture a torchlit desert encampment at midnight.
Korach ben Itzhar, fists clenched, paces outside Moshe’s tent.
Moments ago he learned that leadership passed him by in favor of his younger cousin, Elitzafan ben Uziel.
The hurt feels personal—yet beneath the bruised ego pulses a larger question:
Does spiritual action make us all equal, or is there still room for a king?
Korach’s Grudge Ignites
Chazal trace the rebellion to a classic family dispute.
Kehos had four sons: Amram, Itzhar, Chevron, Uziel.
Amram’s children—Moshe and Aharon—held the crowns of melech and kohen gadol.
Logic said the next post should go to Korach, eldest of Itzhar.
Instead, Moshe appointed Elitzafan, youngest of Uziel.
“Enough!” Korach thundered. “Moshe, Aharon—the whole system is rigged!”
Months passed—then came the sin of the spies.
Their downfall flicked a switch Korach couldn’t ignore.
When the Desert Dream Collides with Dira B’Tachtonim
The spies longed to remain in Sinai’s purity—immersed in Torah, free of soil and sweat.
Moshe countered: “The goal is dira b’tachtonim: a dwelling for Hashem in the physical world.
Ha‑maaseh hu ha‑ikar; the deed is what counts.”
Korach pounced on that line:
“If action is everything, we’re all wrapping the same tefillin, Moshe.
Kulam kedoshim—every Jew is holy!
So why your throne and your priestly brother?”
“Mitzvos should shine—never sit damp in the dark.”
—The Rebbe
Yet Korach’s slogan hid a deeper motive.
He enjoyed Levi privileges; what chafed was Moshe’s kingship—a leader set infinitely above the people.
Accepting a rav is doable; one can aspire to his scholarship.
Accepting a king demands bitul atzmi, total self‑nullification. That Korach refused.
“Boker”: Turning Action into Daylight
Moshe replied: “Boker v’yoda Hashem es asher lo—At dawn, Hashem will show who is His.”
Dawn hints at the answer: action must glow like morning light.
A mitzvah done lazily still counts, but leaves the Divine dwelling dim.
Only when action is fused with kavanah does it blaze like sunrise, driving out darkness.
Moshe’s inner light dwarfs ours as the sun dwarfs a candle—yet that hierarchy channels life‑force to the nation.
Take‑Away Sparks
- I have a king.
Hispashtusa d’Moshe b’chol dara v’dara—in every generation a Moshe radiates beyond comparison. Blessings and shefa flow through him; my task is wholehearted kabolas ol. - My mitzvos must blaze.
Doing is non‑negotiable, but so is doing brightly. Before davening I’ll picture the Living King; before clicking “charity,” I’ll visualize the light unleashed.
Challenge of the Week
Pick one mitzvah—wrapping tefillin, lighting candles, giving tzedakah.
Spend 60 seconds kindling its kavanah until it glows.
Share your experience below or tag #MitzvahLight.
We’re in the month of Tammuz, when the Frierdiker Rebbe risked his life so every Jew could do a mitzvah and feel its inner fire. May our morning‑bright actions reveal the Essence of Hashem in the ultimate Redemption.
Good Shabbos!