Koraḥ and his co-conspirators
accused Moses and Aaron of “lifting themselves above the assembly of the Lord”.
[Numbers 16:3] However, as we noted in a previous Dvar Torah, Koraḥ’s
accusation in reality was a projection of his approach to leadership.
Ironically, our Sages taught that it
was precisely because he did not “lift himself above” his younger brother that
Aaron merited priesthood:
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai says: the
heart which rejoiced with the greatness of his brother [Exodus 4:14] will wear
the urim and tumim, as the verse says: and you shall put the urim
and tumim in the breastplate of judgment that it may be on Aaron’s
heart. [Exodus 28:30] Midrash Tanḥuma, Shemot 27
It was Aaron’s ability to forego his
own prestige and accept that his younger brother was the most suitable leader
for the Children of Israel that qualified him for priesthood. Because his
approach was diametrically opposed to that of Koraḥ, who was motivated by a
perceived slight to his prestige, the lesson learnt from Aaron is that a true
leader places the people’s needs above his own.
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