Written by Uriel Vahdey

Parashat Korach recounts a story of a man named Korach who stands up against Moshe and Aharon and asks: why do they lift themselves up over the rest of the Jews if the entire nation is holy? At first, one might believe that Korach is standing up for social justice and equality, but Chazal tells us that his reason wasn’t about fairness. Chazal explained that the root of Korach’s criticism was jealousy and pride. Instead of meaning to ask why all the Jews are not on the same level, his true intention stemmed from being angry that he did not get a higher position among the Leviyim himself. Instead of fighting for the truth, he was fighting for himself. He believed that he deserved to be lifted up, but his ego was the thing that drove him down into the earth. Sometimes you may say that things aren’t fair or question why one gets to be a leader, but those arguments often come from your ego. True greatness doesn’t come from trying to grab power; it comes from having humility and fighting for justice. To be great, you must serve and look up to great people like Moshe, who was the humblest man, or Aharo,n who always sought to create peace.