20 Jun PARASHAT KORAH: ELEVATING OURSELVES

We read in Parashat
Korah of the group
assembled by
Korah to challenge
Moshe’s authority.
They accused Moshe of nepotism, that
he unfairly granted the exclusive post
of Kohen Gadol to his brother, Aharon.
Moshe responded by inviting Korah and
his cohorts to offer Ketoret (incense)
together with Aharon in the courtyard
of the Mishkan the following day, and
Hashem would accept the offering of the
person chosen to be the Kohen Gadol.
Tragically, all the rebels perished after
offering the incense, whereas Aharon, of
course, survived, proving that he was the
one chosen by G-d to serve in this special
role.
Two leading figures of Korah’s revolt,
Datan and Abiram, refused to come and
participate in this Ketoret offering. When
Moshe sent messengers to summon them,
they brazenly responded, “Lo Na’aleh”
– literally, “We will not go up” (16:12).
They were later devoured by the ground.

Ibn Ezra (Rav Abraham Ibn Ezra,
Spain, 1089-1167), explaining the
phrase “Lo Na’aleh,” suggests that
the Mishkan was perhaps erected in a
location that was higher than the rest
of the camp. Datan and Abiram thus
replied, “Lo Na’aleh” – that they would
not climb to the Mishkan to participate
in the offering of the Ketoret.
However, Ibn Ezra then offers a second
interpretation, writing, “One who goes
to the service of G-d, or to the chosen
site, is called ‘ascending’.” According
to this explanation, the term “Na’aleh”
is used here allegorically, not literally.
Going to the Mishkan to perform a
religious act is called “ascent,” and
thus Datan and Abiram said that they
refused to “go up” – meaning, to bring
an offering to G-d.
Another expression of this idea is the
term “Oleh” used in reference to a
person called to recite the Berachot
over the reading of the Sefer Torah in

the synagogue. In
ancient times, the
place where the
Hazan stood and
where the Torah
reading took place
was actually lower
than the rest of
the sanctuary.
Nevertheless, the
person invited to
recite the Berachot
is called an “Oleh”
– “one who goes
up” – because
performing a Misva is always to be
regarded as an experience of elevation,
an opportunity to lift ourselves and
become higher.
We should relish and enthusiastically
seize every opportunity we are given
to perform a Misva, because each
one elevates us and brings us higher.
We might at times be reluctant to
perform a Misva because it entails

too much time and effort, it requires a
sacrifice, or we just do not think that
this particular Misva is important. Ibn
Ezra’s brief remark should remind us
that every Misva we perform, even if
it does not initially seem that valuable
or significant, lifts us up and makes us
greater. Let us, then, embrace every
Misva opportunity that we are given,
so that we can continually elevate
ourselves to greater heights, each day
of our lives.