Leadership Lessons

            The argument between Koraḥ and Moses, which is the main theme of the early part of the parasha, presents two major practical lessons, the proper nature of leadership and the importance of a unified people.

Koraḥ and Moses differed in their approaches to leadership.

            Koraḥ saw leadership from the perspective of privilege, Moses from that of responsibility.

            Our Sages teach that Koraḥ’s symbol was t’chelet, the blue dye used for ẓiẓit. Ẓiẓit are composed of strings of white and t’chelet. The t’chelet is wrapped around the white strings and is what holds them together. T’chelet thus symbolizes leadership, since it is a leader’s job to unite his people. However, though the string of t’chelet does unite the remaining strings, it stands out from the others, and thus symbolizes Koraḥ’s approach that a leader is above the people.

            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 which composed the incense was, one, ḥelbana, was by itself foul smelling. When mixed with the other ten 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, stressed the importance of unity. The eleven spices of the incense, including the ḥelbana, are ground into a single entity, with no single spice evident.

            In Jewish tradition, privilege results from accepting responsibility. Thus, by accepting responsibility for raising the people with him, Moses personifies one of the great lessons of Parashat Koraḥ.

            In using incense as his symbol, Moses demonstrated the second great lesson of the parasha, the ultimate importance of the unity of the people of Israel.

            This Dvar Torah is sent in honor of the bar mitzva of my senior grandchild, Uriel Magence, with the prayer that the lessons of the parasha always guide his life.