Parshat Ba’midbar 5769

Rabbi Ari Kahn

The Danger of Holiness

As the Parsha and the new book "B'midbar" ("Numbers")

open, Moshe is instructed to take a census of the males aged
twenty and above, all those who are fit for military service.

‫במדבר פרק א‬
‫(א) וַיְדַבֵר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶה בְמִדְבַר סִינַי בְאֹהֶל מועֵד בְאֶחָד לַחֹדֶש הַשֵנִי בַשָנָה‬
‫ (ב) שְאו אֶת רֹאש כָל עֲדַת בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל‬:‫הַשֵנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר‬
‫ (ג) מִבֶן עֶשְרִים‬:‫לְמִשְפְחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְמִסְפַר שֵמות כָל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְלֹתָם‬
)‫ (ד‬:‫שָנָה וָמַעְלָה כָל יֹצֵא צָבָא בְיִשְרָאֵל תִפְקְדו אֹתָם לְצִבְאֹתָם אתָה וְאהֲרֹן‬
:‫וְאִתְכֶם יִהְיו אִיש אִיש לַמַטֶה אִיש רֹאש לְבֵית אֲבֹתָיו הוא‬
1. And God spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in
the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second
month, in the second year after they came out from the
land of Egypt, saying, 2. Take a census of all the
congregation of the People of Israel, by families, by the
house of their fathers, according to the number of
names, every male by their polls; 3. From twenty years
old and upward, all who are able to go forth to war in
Israel; you and Aharon shall count them by their armies.
4. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe;
every one chief of the house of his fathers. B’midbar
1:1-4

A Different Counting
In the fourth chapter of B'midbar, another group is counted -
a group that was excluded from the earlier census: the
Levites. The range of the census is markedly different; the
Levites are counted from the age of 30, and not 20 as were
all other men.

‫במדבר פרק ד‬
‫ (ב) נָשֹא אֶת רֹאש בְנֵי קְהָת מִתוךְ בְנֵי‬:‫(א) וַיְדַבֵר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶה וְאֶל אהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר‬
‫ (ג) מִבֶן שְלֹשִים שָנָה וָמַעְלָה וְעַד בֶן חֲמִשִים‬:‫לֵוִי לְמִשְפְחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם‬
:‫שָנָה כָל בָא לַצָבָא לַעֲשות מְלָאכָה בְאֹהֶל מועֵד‬
1. And God spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying, 2.
Take a census of the sons of Kehat from among the sons
 of Levi, after their families, by the house of their
fathers, 3. From thirty years old and upward even until
fifty years old, all who enter into the army, to do the
work in the Tent of Meeting. B'midbar 4:1-3

The difference is more than simply ten years, more than a

mere mathematical percentage of lifespan. In terms of
experience, maturity, perspective, the gap between a 20-
year-old and a 30-year-old is extreme. Apparently, the task
reserved for the Levi’im was a solemn one, a weighty one,
requiring insight, maturity and levelheaded thinking.

‫במדבר פרק ד‬
:‫(ד) זֹאת עֲבֹדַת בְנֵי קְהָת בְאֹהֶל מועֵד קֹדֶש הַקֳדָשִים‬
4. This shall be the service of the sons of Kehat in the
Tent of Meeting, the most holy things; B’midbar 4:4

Indeed, the work of the Levi’im involved the holiest item in

the Mishkan – the Ark. The next verse contains instructions
regarding the covering of the Ark:

‫במדבר פרק ד‬
‫(ה) ובָא אהֲרֹן ובָנָיו בִנְסֹעַ הַמַחֲנֶה וְהורִדו אֵת פָרֹכֶת הַמָסָךְ וְכִסו בָה אֵת‬
:‫אֲרֹן הָעֵדֻת‬
5. And when the camp sets forward, Aharon shall come,
and his sons, and they shall take down the covering
veil, and cover the Ark of Testimony with it.

The Burden of the Kehat family

The particular family entrusted to carry the Ark was the
family of Kehat. This chore was fraught with danger:

‫במדבר פרק ד‬
‫(טו) וְכִלָה אהֲרֹן ובָנָיו לְכַסֹת אֶת הַקֹדֶש וְאֶת כָל כְלֵי הַקֹדֶש בִנְסֹעַ הַמַחֲנֶה‬
‫וְאחֲרֵי כֵן יָבֹאו בְנֵי קְהָת לָשֵאת וְלֹא יִגְעו אֶל הַקֹדֶש וָמֵתו אֵלֶה מַשָא בְנֵי‬
:‫קְהָת בְאֹהֶל מועֵד‬
15. And when Aharon and his sons have finished
covering the sanctuary, and all the utensils of the
sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the
sons of Kehat shall come to carry it; but they shall not
 touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the
burden of the sons of Kehat in the Tent of Meeting.

These instructions sound ominous: “lest they die”, “they

shall not touch any holy thing”, “the burden of the sons of
Kehat”. God adds an additional comment, designed to save
the family of Kehat from this precarious situation:

‫במדבר פרק ד‬
‫ (יח) אל תַכְרִיתו אֶת שֵבֶט מִשְפְחֹת‬:‫(יז) וַיְדַבֵר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶה וְאֶל אהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר‬
‫ (יט) וְזֹאת עֲשו לָהֶם וְחָיו וְלֹא יָמֻתו בְגִשְתָם אֶת קֹדֶש‬:‫הַקְהָתִי מִתוךְ הַלְוִיִם‬
)‫ (כ‬:‫הַקֳדָשִים אהֲרֹן ובָנָיו יָבֹאו וְשָמו אותָם אִיש אִיש עַל עֲבֹדָתו וְאֶל מַשָאו‬
‫ פ‬:‫וְלֹא יָבֹאו לִרְאות כְבַלַע אֶת הַקֹדֶש וָמֵתו‬
17. And God spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying, 18.
Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kehatites
from among the Levites; 19. But thus do to them, that
they may live, and not die, when they approach the
most holy things; Aharon and his sons shall go in, and
appoint them each to his service and to his burden; 20.
But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are
covered, lest they die. B'midbar 4:17-20

This last line contains a word whose meaning is unclear:

k’vala. The translation offered here is based upon Rashi's1
explanation of this word as "to cover". Literally rendered, the
word k'vala means "as it is swallowed". The Ramban offers a
mystical explanation: The holiness was so overwhelming that
it was beyond the capacity of human perception: anyone
who beheld it would be "swallowed up", consumed or
subsumed by holiness.2

1
It is likewise explained by Targum Unkelus and R’ Avraham Ibn Ezra.
‫רש"י על במדבר פרק ד פסוק כ‬
‫ לתוך נרתק שלו כמו שפירשתי למעלה בפרשה זו ופרשו עליו בגד פלוני וכסו אותו במכסה‬- ‫(כ) ולא יבאו לראות כבלע את הקדש‬
:‫פלונית ובלוע שלו הוא כסויו‬
2
See Ramban 4:20
‫רמב"ן על במדבר פרק ד פסוק כ‬
‫ כי בעבור היות כבוד יושב הכרובים שם הוזהרו הלוים שלא יהרסו לראות את ה' עד שיורידו הכהנים‬,‫אבל ע"ד האמת טעם הכתוב‬
‫ ויהיה כבלע את הקדש כפשוטו והמשכיל‬,‫ וישוב אל מקומו הראשון לקדש הקדשים‬,‫ כי אז תראה הכבוד בחביון עזו‬,‫את הפרכת‬
:‫יבין‬
The mission of the sons of Kehat was such that their lives
were in peril every time they performed their assigned task;
such is the price for proximity to holiness.

The core of this holiness was encapsulated in the Ark which

housed the Tablets of Testimony, the Word of God, inscribed
and transcribed by God. As the Ramban describes it, the
holiness of Sinai was transferred to the Mishkan.3 At Sinai,
the epicenter of holiness was the Decalogue, the Ten
Statements uttered by God. In the Mishkan, these same
words were to be found on the Tablets in the Ark. The
medium had shifted, but the holiness was the same.

At Sinai, the words were accompanied by sounds and lights,

thunder and lightning. The entire mountain was holy, and no
man or beast was permitted to touch the mountain – any
infringement on this holy space would result in death. That
same holiness now resided in the Mishkan, and the
consequences of violating that holiness remained
unchanged. Moving the Ark posed a supreme challenge: it
must be done with the utmost respect and care.

Man’s Orientation to Holiness

Holiness fascinates and terrifies man. We are drawn toward
it, despite the danger, yet we are frightened – frightened of
knowledge which obligates, scared of truth which could be
life-altering. We are terrified by the intensity. And we are
scared of the possible consequences - death. Nonetheless,
as if pulled by a magnet, we find holiness irresistible. This
was true during the Revelation at Sinai, and it is true today.
At Sinai, the text reflects both the attraction and the terror
felt by the people: The mountain had to be fenced off, and
the people severely warned and carefully prepared in order
to keep them from breaking through the barriers and
attempting to approach the unapproachable. On the other
hand, the Israelites recoiled at the mountain, afraid to hear

3
See Ramban Sh’mot 25:2
‫רמב"ן שמות פרק כה‬
.‫ שיהיה הכבוד אשר שכן על הר סיני שוכן עליו בנסתר‬,‫וסוד המשכן הוא‬
the Word of God directly – afraid of death, of being
consumed by the holiness.

‫שמות פרק כ‬
‫(טו) וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקולֹת וְאֶת הַלַפִידִם וְאֵת קול הַשֹפָר וְאֶת הָהָר עָשֵן‬
‫(טז) וַיֹאמְרו אֶל מֹשֶה דַבֵר אתָה עִמָנו‬:‫וַיַרְא הָעָם וַיָנֻעו וַיַעַמְדו מֵרָחֹק‬
‫(יז) וַיֹאמֶר מֹשֶה אֶל הָעָם אל תִירָאו‬:‫וְנִשְמָעָה וְאל יְדַבֵר עִמָנו אֱלֹהִים פֶן נָמות‬
‫כִי לְבַעֲבור נַסות אֶתְכֶם בָא הָאֱלֹהִים ובַעֲבור תִהְיֶה יִרְאתו עַל פְנֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִי‬
‫ (יח) וַיַעֲמֹד הָעָם מֵרָחֹק ומֹשֶה נִגַש אֶל הָעֲרָפֶל אֲשֶר שָם‬:‫תֶחֱטָאו‬
‫ פ‬:‫הָאֱלֹהִים‬
15. And all the people saw the thunder and the lightning,
and the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking;
and when the people saw it, they were shaken, and stood
far away.16. And they said to Moshe, Speak with us, and
we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
17. And Moshe said to the people, 'Fear not; for God has
come to test you, and that his fear may be before your
faces, that you sin not.' 18. And the people stood far
away, and Moshe drew near to the thick darkness where
God was. Sh’mot 20:15-18

Yet we are told that there were individuals who felt

comfortable. They ate and drank in the midst of this singular
revelation of holiness; they looked on unabashedly,
luxuriously, and saw what should have remained unseen.

‫שמות פרק כד‬

‫ (י) וַיִרְאו אֵת‬:‫(ט) וַיַעַל מֹשֶה וְאהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוא וְשִבְעִים מִזִקְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל‬
:‫אֱלֹהֵי יִשְרָאֵל וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְמַעֲשֵה לִבְנַת הַסַפִיר וכְעֶצֶם הַשָמַיִם לָטֹהַר‬
:‫(יא) וְאֶל אֲצִילֵי בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל לֹא שָלַח יָדו וַיֶחֱזו אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹאכְלו וַיִשְתו‬
‫ס‬
9. Then Moshe, and Aharon, Nadav, and Avihu, and
seventy of the elders of Israel went up; 10. And they saw
the God of Israel; and there was under His feet a kind of
paved work of a sapphire stone, like the very heaven for
clearness. 11. And upon the nobles of the People of Israel
he laid not his hand; also they saw God, and ate and
drank.

These mutually exclusive, contradictory feelings coexist

within man. In fact, in comments on the verse that discusses
‫‪the perils of the Kehatites' task, the Midrash identifies both‬‬
‫‪sides.‬‬

‫במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה א אל תכריתו‬

‫א"ר אלעזר בן פדת בשם ר' יוסי בן זמרא בשעה שהיו ישראל נוסעין היו שני ניצוצין‬
‫של אש יוצאין מתוך שני בדיו של ארון כדי לפגוע שונאיהם ומניין שכן משה אומר‬
‫לישראל מה אתם מתייראין מן בני ענק וכי קשים הם מאותן שהיו באים כנגדנו והיה‬
‫הארון שורפן וכן הוא אומר (דברים ט) וידעת היום כי ה' אלהיך הוא העובר לפניך וגו'‬
‫מכאן אתה דורש שהיו ב' ניצוצין מקדמין לפניהם אמר להם הוא ישמידם והוא יכניעם‬
‫לפניך‬
‫‪R. Eleazar b. Pedat, in the name of R. Yose b. Zimra,‬‬
‫‪said: When Israel were on their journeys, two sparks of‬‬
‫‪fire would emerge from the two staves of the ark to‬‬
‫?‪strike their enemies. Whence do you know this‬‬
‫‪Because Moshe in effect asks Israel: 'Why should you‬‬
‫‪be afraid of the sons of Anak? Are they harder to‬‬
‫‪conquer than those who came against us and were‬‬
‫‪burned by the Ark?' And so he says to them: 'Know‬‬
‫‪therefore this day, that The Almighty, Your God is He‬‬
‫‪who goes over before you as a devouring fire' (Devarim‬‬
‫‪9, 3). From this you may infer that two sparks advanced‬‬
‫‪before them, and so he said to them: 'He will destroy‬‬
‫‪them, and He will bring them down before you (ib.)'.‬‬
‫‪B'midbar Rabbah 5:1‬‬

‫‪The Midrash describes a power emanating from the Holy Ark‬‬

‫‪which is reminiscent of Sinai; the Midrash continues and tells‬‬
‫‪how this power also burned those who carried the Ark.‬‬

‫במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה א אל תכריתו‬

‫וכיון שהיו הניצוצין יוצאין היתה האש שפה בטעוני הארון והיו נשרפים ומתמעטין‬
‫ומנין שהיו שבט קהת ממועט …אלא כשם שאמר ר"א בן פדת בשם ר"י בן זמרא מתוך‬
‫שהיתה האש יוצאת ושפה בטועני הארון היו מתמעטין והיו כל א' וא' רצין זה נוטל את‬
‫השלחן וזה נוטל את המנורה וזה נוטל את המזבחות ובורחים מן הארון מפני שהיה‬
‫מזיקן והיה הארון כאלו מתבזה והיה הקב"ה כועס עליהם ושוב היו מתכלין אמר‬
‫הקב"ה למשה מה אני הורג בני קהת אם יטענו הרי מתמעטין ואם לא יטענו הרי כעס‬
‫עליהם א"ל הקב"ה למשה ולאהרן עשו להם תקנה לבני קהת כדי שלא יכרתו מן העולם‬
‫שלא יהו מניחין ובורחין אל תכריתו את שבט וגו' אלא יבא אהרן ובניו ושמו אותן איש‬
‫איש על עבודתו ואל משאו כדי שלא יוכלו להתחלף מעבודה לעבודה וממשא למשא‬
‫הה"ד (במדבר ד) וזאת עשו להם וחיו וגו'‬
‫‪Now when the sparks came out the fire grazed those‬‬
‫‪that bore the ark and so they were burned and reduced‬‬
 in numbers. How do you know that the tribe of Kehat
suffered depletion? You find that three families carried
all the vessels of the Tabernacle. Gershon carried all the
woven articles: the curtains, the veil of the screen, and
the hangings. The family of Kehat carried the Ark, the
Table, the Menora, the Altars, and the vessels of the
Sanctuary. Merari carried the boards, the bars, the
pillars, and the sockets. … Why was it so? As R. Eleazar
b. Pedath said in the name of R. Jose b. Zimra: Their
numbers were depleted because the fire came out and
grazed those that carried the Ark. In consequence
everybody would run elsewhere; one would take the
Table, another would take the Menora, and a third
would take the Altars, and they would all flee from the
Ark because it inflicted damage upon them, and so it
seemed as though the Ark was being slighted,
whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry
with them and they were again consumed. B'midbar
Rabbah 5:1

They were frightened, they were burned, their numbers

depleted. Their quandary was clear: How can they carry the
Ark? The task is far too dangerous. How can they not carry
the Ark? Rejecting an opportunity for holiness proved equally
dangerous. And yet, the Midrash tells us of their desire,
despite the danger, to embrace and carry the Ark:

‫במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה א אל תכריתו‬

‫רבי שמואל בר נחמן אמר ח"ו לא היו בני קהת מניחין את הארון ורצין לשלחן ומנורה‬
‫אלא אע"פ שמתמעטין היו נותנין נפשם על הארון ואם כן למה היה מזהיר עליהם אל‬
‫תכריתו את שבט וגו' אלא מפני שהיו יודעין שכל מי שטוען בארון שכרו מרובה והיו‬
‫מניחין את השלחן והמנורה והמזבחות וכולן רצין לארון ליטול שכר ומתוך כך היה זה‬
‫מריב ואומר אני טוען כאן וזה מריב ואומר אני טוען כאן ומתוך כך היו נוהגין בקלות‬
‫ראש והיתה השכינה פוגעת בהם אמר האלהים למשה עשה להם תקנה כדי שלא יתכלו‬
‫מן העולם אל תכריתו וגו' אלא יסדרו אותם על עבודתם ועל משאם שלא יריבו זה עם‬
‫זה עשה להם משה תקנה אלא שהיו מריבין זה כנגד זה זה אומר אני טוען בארון וזה‬
‫אומר לאו אלא אני טוען ולא היה יודע אחד מהו קבוע לו מהו משאו אמר הקב"ה והיו‬
‫אהרן ובניו נכנסין ונותנים לכל אחד ואחד טעונו שנאמר ואהרן ובניו יבאו ושמו אותם‬
.'‫וגו‬
R. Samuel b. Nahmani said: Heaven forfend! The sons
of Kehat did not abandon the Ark and run to the Table
 and the Menora. On the contrary, even though their
numbers dwindled they gave their lives for the Ark, and
the only reason why He warned them, CUT YE NOT OFF
THE TRIBE, etc., is because they knew that whoever
carried the Ark would have great reward in store for
him, and so they left the Table, the Menora, and the
Altars and they all ran to the Ark in order to obtain
reward. In consequence quarrelling would break out;
one would insist and say, ' I am going to carry it here,’
and another would insist and say, ' I am going to carry
it here.’ As a result they would behave irreverently, and
the Shechina would strike them. The Holy One, blessed
be He, therefore said to Moshe: 'Make some provision to
safeguard them so that they may not be exterminated
from the world; CUT NOT OFF, etc., but let them be
arranged properly in their service and in their burden so
that they may not quarrel with each other. So Moshe
instituted a measure for their protection. However, they
still quarrelled with each other, one saying, ‘I shall carry
the Ark’ and another saying, ' No, I shall carry it,’ and
no one knew what was definitely his duty or what was
his burden. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore
said: ‘Then let Aharon and his sons go in and assign to
each one his burden ‘; as it says: AHARON AND HIS
SONS SHALL GO IN, AND APPOINT THEM, etc. B'midbar
Rabbah 5:1

The Midrash records a disagreement among the Rabbis.

Apparently, the point of debate goes beyond the precise
historical accounting of what transpired in the Mishkan; the
rabbis debated the meaning and necessity of this
"additional" verse to protect the sons of Kehat, "Do not cut
off the tribe of the families of the Kehatites from among the
Levites." Both rabbinic opinions express authentic human
feelings and reactions to holiness, even holiness fraught with
danger: On the one hand, a desire to run away, and on the
other hand a desire to embrace the task with disregard for
personal safety.
Nonchalance
Embracing holiness, while perhaps preferable to running
away, holds its own dangers: Familiarity with the holy may
erode the awe which should accompany every moment
spent in the proximity of something holy. The Midrash
laments the implications of such nonchalance:

‫במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה ד ד"א אל‬

‫ד"א אל תכריתו וגו' מה כתיב למעלה וידבר ה' אל משה ואל אהרן אמר ר' לוי מה עסקו‬
‫של אהרן נזכר כאן אלא שהוא נותן רמז לבני קהת ואומר להם תנו דעתכם שלא לנהוג‬
‫בקלות ראש ולהכנס אצל הארון אם נהגתם בו בקלות ראש למדו מבני אהרן אמר בני‬
‫אהרן בשביל שנכנסו שלא ברשות מה כתיב בהן (ויקרא י) ותצא אש מלפני ה' ותאכל‬
‫אותם אף אתם תנו דעתכם שלא יגיע לכם כשם שהגיע לבני אהרן‬
"And God spoke unto Moshe and unto Aharon"
(B'Midbar 4, 17). Why, asked R. Levi, should Aharon be
mentioned here? Because He gives a hint to the sons of
Kehat, saying to them in effect: ‘Take good heed not to
be irreverent when you enter the place where the Ark
is; for if you would behave with irreverence towards it,
take a lesson from the sons of Aharon. The sons of
Aharon,’ said He, ‘entered without permission, and what
does Scripture state concerning them? And there came
forth fire from before God, and devoured them (Vayikra
10, 2). Take note, therefore, in your turn, lest what
befell them befall you! 'B'midbar Rabbah 5:4

The sons of Kehat are warned not to suffer the same fate as
the sons of Aharon: Every detail of their task must be
performed with precise adherence to the rules set by God.
Approximation of the rules, deviance from those rules, taking
the rules lightly or failing to treat the task with the
appropriate seriousness would result in death. Both the
nature and the messenger of this warning offer a very
painful reminder of how even the slightest infraction can
end. The case of the sons of Aharon was all too familiar to
the generation of Kehatites receiving this warning, but did
not end there. There is an archetypical episode which
occurred in the Beit Hamikdash, recorded in the Mishna and
Talmud: Two kohanim, rushing to perform divine service,
jostled for position and one fell and broke his foot:
 ‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא דף כב עמוד א‬
‫משנה‪ .‬בראשונה‪ ,‬כל מי שרוצה לתרום את המזבח ‪ -‬תורם‪ .‬ובזמן שהן מרובין ‪ -‬רצין‬
‫ועולין בכבש‪ ,‬כל הקודם את חבירו בארבע אמות ‪ -‬זכה‪ .‬ואם היו שניהן שוין ‪ -‬הממונה‬
‫אומר להן‪ :‬הצביעו‪ .‬ומה הן מוציאין ‪ -‬אחת או שתים‪ .‬ואין מוציאין אגודל במקדש‪.‬‬
‫מעשה שהיו שניהם שוין ורצין ועולין בכבש‪ ,‬ודחף אחד מהן את חבירו ונפל ונשברה‬
‫רגלו‪ .‬וכיון שראו בית דין שבאין לידי סכנה ‪ -‬התקינו שלא יהו תורמין את המזבח אלא‬
‫בפייס‪ .‬ארבע פייסות היו שם‪ ,‬וזה הפייס הראשון‪.‬‬
‫‪Mishnah. Originally whosoever desired to remove [the‬‬
‫‪ashes from] the Altar did so. If they were many, they‬‬
‫‪would run and mount the ramp [of the Altar] and he‬‬
‫‪that came first within four cubits obtained the‬‬
‫‪privilege… It once happened that two were even as‬‬
‫‪they ran to mount the ramp. One of them pushed his‬‬
‫‪fellow who fell and broke his leg. When the court saw‬‬
‫‪that they incurred danger, they ordained that the Altar‬‬
‫;‪be cleared only by casting lots. There were four lots‬‬
‫‪this is the first. Mishna, Talmud Bavli Yoma 22a‬‬

‫‪The kohanim in this episode seem to suffer from sort of‬‬

‫‪tunnel vision. They lose sight of the larger picture, and in‬‬
‫‪their zeal and their eagerness to perform the exalted, holy‬‬
‫‪task, the kohanim push and shove so that they can merit this‬‬
‫‪opportunity to serve God.4 And if that story isn’t bad enough,‬‬
‫‪the Talmud cites an even more disturbing episode - a tale so‬‬
‫‪horrific that it leads inexorably to the destruction of the‬‬
‫‪Temple:‬‬

‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא דף כג עמוד א‬

‫תָנו רַבָנָן‪ ,‬מַעֲשֶה בִשְנֵי כֹהֲנִים שֶהָיו שְנֵיהֶם שָוִים וְרָצִים‪ ,‬וְעולִים בַכֶבֶש‪,‬‬
‫קָדַם אֶחָד מֵהֶם לְתוךְ ארְבַע אמות שֶל חֲבֵרו‪ ,‬נָטַל סַכִין וְתָקַע לו בְלִבו‪ .‬עָמַד‬
‫רַבִי צָדוק עַל מַעֲלות הָאולָם (בהר הבית) וְאמַר‪ ,‬אחֵינו בֵית יִשְרָאֵל‪ ,‬שְמָעו‪ .‬הֲרֵי‬
‫הוא אומֵר‪( ,‬דברים כא) "כִי יִמָצֵא חָלָל בָאֲדָמָה‪ ,‬וְיָצְאו זְקֵנֶיךָ וְשֹפְטֶיךָ"‪ .‬אנו‪,‬‬
‫עַל מִי לְהָבִיא עֶגְלָה [עֲרופָה]? עַל הָעִיר? או עַל הָעֲזָרות? גָעו כָל הָעָם בִבְכִיָה‪.‬‬
‫בָא אבִיו שֶל תִינוק‪ ,‬ומְצָאו כְשֶהוא מְפַרְפֵר‪ ,‬וְאמַר לָהֶם‪ ,‬הֲרֵי הוא כַפָרַתְכֶם‪,‬‬
‫וַעֲדַיִן בְנִי מְפַרְפֵר‪ ,‬וְלֹא נִטְמָא הַסַכִין‪ .‬לְלַמֶדְךָ שֶקָשָה עֲלֵיהֶם טָהֲרַת כֵלִים‬

‫‪4‬‬
‫‪See comments of the Seforno, who certainly has this Gemara is mind in his commentary to the verses‬‬
‫‪speaking about the family of Kehat, B’midbar 4:18,19‬‬
‫ספורנו עה"ת ספר במדבר פרק ד פסוק יח‬
‫(יח) אל תכריתו‪ .‬אל תניחו את המשאות באופן שיזכה בהם כל הקודם‪ ,‬כי בזה האופן יקרה שידחפו זה את זה ויחללו את הקודש‪,‬‬
‫וזה יהיה סבה להכריתם‪ ,‬כמו שסיפרו ז"ל שקרה בתרומת הדשן‪:‬‬
‫(יט) ושמו אותם איש איש על עבודתו ואל משאו‪ .‬ולא שיהיה כל הקודם זוכה‪ ,‬אבל ימתין כל אחד להיות מצווה ועושה‪:‬‬
‫ (מ"ב כא) "וְגַם דָם נָקִי שָפַךְ מְנַשֶה הַרְבֵה‬,‫ וְכֵן הוא אומֵר‬.‫יותֵר מִשְפִיכות דָמִים‬
.'‫ עָמַד רַבִי צָדוק עַל מַעֲלות הָאולָם בְהַר הַבַיִת כו‬.'‫מְאֹד" וְגו‬
IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT TWO WERE EVEN AS THEY
RAN TO MOUNT THE RAMP. Our Rabbis taught: It once
happened that two kohanim were equal as they ran to
mount the ramp and when one of them came first
within four cubits of the Altar, the other took a knife
and thrust it into his heart. R. Zadok stood on the steps
of the Hall and said: Our brethren of the House of Israel,
hear ye! Behold it says: If one be found slain in the
land... then thy elders and judges shall come forth. . On
whose behalf shall we offer the heifer whose neck is to
be broken, on behalf of the city or on behalf of the
Temple Courts? All the people burst out weeping. The
father of the young man came and found him still in
convulsions. He said: ‘May he be an atonement for you.
My son is still in convulsions and the knife has not
become unclean.’ [His remark] comes to teach you that
the cleanness of their vessels was of greater concern to
them even than the shedding of blood. Thus is it also
said: Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very
much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the
other. Talmud Bavli Yoma 23a

The knife plunged into the heart of the Kohen did not kill only
one person; it killed the Beit Hamikdash, and caused
holiness itself to be exiled. This is tunnel vision in the
extreme – extreme attention to minutiae of the law and utter
disregard of the larger purpose, the spirit of holiness and
awe with which one must approach the Sanctuary.
Familiarity, routine practice of ritual to the point where the
sense of awe had disappeared, caused destruction and
devastation. These men allowed themselves to be
"swallowed up" by the holiness, and the holiness
disappeared.

Swallowed
We find a in a later episode in the Torah a descendant of
Kehat who speaks of holiness:
‫במדבר פרק טז‬
 ‫(א) וַיִקַח קֹרַח בֶן יִצְהָר בֶן קְהָת בֶן לֵוִי …(ג) וַיִקָהֲלו עַל מֹשֶה וְעַל אהֲרֹן‬
ַ‫וַיֹאמְרו אֲלֵהֶם רַב לָכֶם כִי כָל הָעֵדָה כֻלָם קְדֹשִים ובְתוכָם יְקֹוָק ומַדוע‬
:‫תִתְנַשְאו עַל קְהַל יְקֹוָק‬
1. Korah, the son of Yizhar, the son of Kehat, the son of
Levi took, …3. And they gathered themselves together
against Moshe and against Aharon, and said to them,
You take too much upon you, seeing all the
congregation are holy, every one of them, and God is
among them. Why then do you lift up yourselves above
the congregation of God?

Korah is not satisfied with being a Levi; he jockeys for

position, angles for an opportunity to be a Kohen – to be
Kohen Gadol. At first glance this seems strange: Surely
Korah, a son of one of the Levitic families, was aware of the
tremendous responsibility, the awesome task – and the
potential for disaster – in the position he sought. Surely, he
knew of the peril5 that a Kohen Gadol would endure if he
were to blunder when entering the Holy of Holies.6 The test
Moshe suggests is to bring incense. Surely Korah knew what
fate befell Nadav and Avihu when they brought the
unsanctioned k’toret. How could he imagine that he would
survive? Why would Korach wish to endanger himself?

When we realize that Korach as a son of Kehat has already

been endangering himself – every time the Ark was moved -
we may gain insight into his personality, or more importantly
his state of mind. Carrying the Ark – both the proximity to
such holiness and the danger involved - must have been
exhilarating. At the same time, this task required
5
See Talmud Bavli Yoma 8b -9a,19b.
Rabbah b. Bar Hana said: What is the meaning of the passage, 'The fear of God prolongs days, but the years
of the wicked shall be shortened'? 'The fear of God prolongs days' refers to the first Sanctuary, which
remained standing for four hundred and ten years and in which there served only eighteen high priests. But
'the years of the wicked shall be shortened' refers to the second Sanctuary, which abided for four hundred
and twenty years and at which more than three hundred [high] priests served. Take off therefrom the forty
years which Simeon the Righteous served, eighty years which Johanan the high priest served, ten, which
Ishmael b. Fabi served, or, as some say, the eleven years of R. Eleazar b. Harsum. Count [the number of
high priests] from then on and you will find that none of them completed his year [in office].
6
The teaching that a rope was tied to the Kohen Gadol in the event he dies while performing the service is
found in the Zohar Vayikra 102a.
R. Isaac said: ‘A cord was tied to the feet of the High Priest before he entered the Holy of Holies, so that if
he died suddenly within they should be able to draw him out.
tremendous focus: the older, more mature sons of Kehat
were expected to remain constantly aware of their place,
constantly focused on the task they must accomplish,
constantly mindful of their limitations, vigilantly
differentiating between the things that they were permitted
to look at and the things that were beyond their capacity to
comprehend. Only in this focused state of mind could they
survive and continue to serve in their unique role.

Korach lost focus. He shifted his gaze, and began to view his
task in terms of the perception of others, and he became
dissatisfied with himself and his task. In that mindset, his life
was in danger each time he ventured into the Mishkan.
Carrying the Ark became a form of “Russian roulette”, and
the terror of this life-and-death situation may have led
Korach to behave recklessly, in ways typical of sufferers of
post-traumatic stress. Korach may have asked himself, 'If I
am to endanger myself, to look death in the face time and
time again, then why do it as a Levi, as a glorified moving
man? If I am to take the risks, why not enjoy the glory of the
spotlight?' Korach seeks out the one task that will hold even
greater risks, but will entail commensurate respect and
fame, a position that places him at the spearhead of the
entire nation's hopes and prayers.

The erosive effect of constant exposure to holiness and to

danger brought about his nonchalant attitude toward
holiness and danger. Despite the precautions instituted to
insure that the sons of Kehat not be "swallowed up" by their
awesome task, Korach looked where he should not have
looked. Driven by ego and tortured by stress, he made
himself at home with the holiness, became too familiar with
the danger, and he was swallowed up by the ground.

Here, then, is the challenge for all of us in our personal

journey towards greater spirituality and holiness: We must
continue to be cognizant of real holiness, to treat it with
proper respect, to embrace it to the extent that we are
allowed. But we must maintain the distance required of us,
safeguarding the awe of things that are holy. While we seek
God, we must avoid the nonchalant familiarity which is born
of egotism and narcissism. We must look and listen when
possible, and cover our eyes in modesty and respect when
required. Only in this way can we appreciate holiness and
avoid being swallowed by it.