Parshas Korach – Thoughts on the first Rashi

“And Korach took (VaYeeKach), the son of Kehos, the son of Levi, and Dasan and Aviram the sons of Eliav, and On the son of Peles, the sons of Reuvein.”

~ Bamidbar 16:1

And Korach took. He took himself to a different side, to be disassociated from the community and to cast aspersions on the priesthood.

~ Rashi on Bamidbar 16:1

When Rashi encountered the word “VaYeeKach” or a variation in the context of one person ‘taking’ another, he usually understood it to indicate persuasion. As an example, later in Bamidbar (20:25) Moshe is instructed to ‘take’ Aharon (“Kach”) and prepare him for his (Aharon’s) demise. There, Rashi comments on the word ‘Take’: “With comforting words (should Moshe summon Aharon). Say to him: “How fortunate you are to see your post handed to your son- something which I do not merit to see (in my own life).” ¹

In this week’s parsha, Rashi gives the word “VaYeeKach” a slightly different flavor. Since the verse places the word before Korach’s name, and then lists his lineage, Rashi understands that Korach persuaded himself to dissent from the community. It is interesting to me that when this verb-form is used in the Torah to connote an internal dialogue, the connotation is negative. I cannot recall another use of the verb-form in the Torah in this manner (self-directed) so all we have is this one instance, which is not viewed favorably. Is there a lesson here?

Perhaps the Torah is casting suspicions on a situation when someone’s inner conversation persuades him or her to pursue a leadership position, absent any calling (from God, or from his or her peers), that this is an appropriate role for them. As we see from Korach’s example, the calling to leadership that someone hears only internally may well be rooted in arrogance or hubris.

¹ = Rabbi Eliezer Wolf of the Beth David Highland Lakes shul in Aventura, Florida, in a Dvar Torah posted online, points out that Rashi consistently applies this understanding of the verb-form ‘to take’ in Shemos 14:6 (Pharoah ‘takes’ his people, to chase the Jews who recently left Egypt), VaYikra 8:2 (Moshe ‘takes’ Aharon and exhorts him to start the sacrificial service), and Bamidbar 27:22 (Moshe ‘takes’ Joshua and appoints him as the new leader of the Jewish people), and in other places.