Incense as a Symbol of Leadership

The argument between Koraḥ and Moses was based upon differing approaches to leadership. Koraḥ saw leadership from the perspective of privilege, Moses from that of obligation.

Koraḥ asked Moses “why do you raise yourself above the congregation of God?” (Numbers 16:3) In doing so, Koraḥ was projecting his approach to leadership, saying in effect, “Were I the leader, I would raise myself above the congregation.”

Moses instructed Koraḥ’s rebels to bring incense. As my father explained, the incense serves as a symbol of true leadership. The incense was so fragrant that our Sages tell us that when the Temple stood, a bride in Jerusalem never required perfume. Yet of the eleven spices of which the incense was composed, one, ḥelbana, was by itself foul smelling. When mixed with the other eleven spices, ḥelbana lost its foul smell and contributed to the beautiful aroma of the incense. As our Sages explain, the lesson of ḥelbana is the importance of including all Jews as part of the congregation, even those who seem “foul smelling.” My father explained the lesson for leadership: rather than lowering the standards to accommodate those who are on a low level, a leader must raise the weaker members of the community to a higher level. A true leader is one who serves the people, not his own ego. A leader serves his people by elevating them to the highest level possible.

A true leader does not raise himself above the people, but rather raises the people with him.

Moses, in choosing incense as his symbol, also stressed the ultimate importance of unity. The eleven spices of the incense, including the ḥelbana, are ground into a single entity.