At the beginning of Parshas Korach, Korach and his followers challenge Moshe and Aharon, arguing that everyone in Klal Yisrael is equally holy and that leadership should therefore not be centralized. Moshe responds with tremendous humility and brings the matter directly before Hashem, showing that real leadership is not about power or status, but about being chosen for a mission.
Hashem makes it clear that leadership and kehunah were assigned by Divine choice, not by self-appointment or public opinion. The ground opens and swallows Korach and his group, teaching a very sharp lesson about the danger of machlokes when it is driven by ego rather than truth. Even when something sounds spiritual on the surface, if it comes from personal ambition and honor-seeking, it can end in destruction.
The parsha continues with the test of the staffs. Aharon’s staff blossoms and produces almonds, confirming that his role as Kohen Gadol is “emes” and that his leadership is meant to bring peace, atonement, and unity to the nation. True leadership is not about taking for oneself, but about serving others and creating harmony.
We also learn about the roles of the Kohanim and Levi’im, each with their own specific tafkid in the service. The message is that Klal Yisrael functions properly only when each person respects structure, understands their role, and values the roles of others without comparison or jealousy.
At the core of the parsha is the contrast between destructive disagreement and constructive responsibility. Korach represents ego-driven conflict that breaks unity, while Aharon represents calm leadership, peace, and bringing people closer together. The Torah teaches that real greatness is found in humility, accepting one’s role, and staying far away from machlokes.
May we be zocheh to avoid machlokes, strengthen ahavas Yisrael, recognize our own tafkid in avodas Hashem, and merit yeshuos, refuos, and brachah for all of Klal Yisrael.
List of People Who Need a r’fuah sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Maxim Yehudah ben Yafah
Aharon ben Shamsi
Michael ben Chayah Sarah Beheta
Shmuel ben Itta Etel
Mordechai ben Shoshana
Zaidah Eliezer Zev ben Shifrah
Yehoshua ben Devorah
HaRav Pinchas ben Alta Sima
Yisrael Meir ben Hadassah
Yossi ben Ratzon
Yair ben Alfred
Uriel ben Amir
Tamir ben Moshe
Shachar ben Aharon
Rab ben Yitzchak
Ronen ben Tomer
Yisrael ben Yocheved
Yoel Sar Shalom ben Nelly
Avraham Mordechai ben Yael
Yitzchak ben Dinah
Eliezer ben Chanah Malkah
Meir Aryeh ben Devorah
Moshe ben Chanah
Yaakov Dov ben Pninah
Yaakov ben Ethel
Moshe Yonatan ben Tziporah
Yehudah Leib ben Mania
Yochai ben Ruchamah
Yechezkel ben Miriam Yehudis
Avinoam Yosef Nissim ben Shoshanah Roza
Refael ben Dukhtar
Netanel ben Rachel Leah
Alter Yaakov ben Esther Brachah
Ilan ben Miriam
Sh’maryahu ben Raizel Shoshana Miriam
Anatoliy ben Raisa
Chayal ben Malka
Shalom ben Tila
Yisrael Yaakov ben Tila
Shalom ben Tila
Tinok ben Batsheva
Yonatan Mikhael ben Giora Aharon
Heleni Orna bas Chen Chanah
Iris Rachel bas Miriam Chayah
Chanah Brachah bas Svetlana Tziporah Chayah
Sarah bas Shoshanah
Maya Mazal bas Zivah
Tamarah bas Ksiyah
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Chayah Shulamis Brachah bas Sarah Leah
Leah bas Ita
Devorah bas Miriam Zisel
Ruchamah Sarah Fraida bas Hadassah
Sharonah Mindy bas Rivkah Rachel
Chayah bas Shterna Sarah
Sharonah Mindy bas Rivkah Rachel
Miriam bas Freida Etya
Rivkah bas Yaffah
Tila bas Fruma
Chavah Leah bas Esther
For the Protection of our Chayalim (Please recite Psalms 25, 26, 46, 83, 142.)
Menachem Zion ben Ariel
Hillel Zev ben Ariel
Shmuel Pesach ben Chinah
Yehudah ben Elisheva
Dov Ber ben Rachel Chayah
Hillel Yisrael ben Tzilah
Zechariah Yisrael ben Elisheva Feiga
Yitzchak Yehudah ben Elta Draizel
Zechariah Menachem Chaim ben Elta Draizel
Yair Menashe Shmuel ben Shoshanah
Shmuel Tzvi ben Liba
Daniel Abba Tzvi ben Chayah Tz’rina
Yechiel Aharon ben Sarah Miriam
Aryeh Simchah ben Chayah Michal
Amitai ben Yitzchak Venvar
Yisrael Yehudah ben Elisheva Rachel
Shmuel Yosef ben Adinah
Neta (Nechamah) bas Avital Emunah
Naomi Emunah bas Inbal Nechamah
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah
to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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