PARSHA OVERVIEW

Korach, Datan and Aviram, and 250 leaders of Israel rebel against the authority of Moshe and Aharon. The rebellion results in their being swallowed by the earth. Many resent their death and blame Moshe. G-d's “anger” is manifest by a plague that besets the nation, and many thousands perish. Moshe intercedes once again for the people. He instructs Aharon to atone for them and the plague stops. Then G-d commands that staffs, each inscribed with the name of one of the tribes, be placed in the Mishkan. In the morning, the staff of Levi, bearing Aharon's name, sprouts, buds, blossoms and yields ripe almonds. This provides Divine confirmation that Levi's tribe is chosen for priesthood and verifies Aharon's position as Kohen Gadol, High Priest. The specific duties of the levi'im and kohanim are stated. The kohanim were not to be landowners, but were to receive their sustenance from the tithes and other mandated gifts brought by the people. Also taught in this week's Torah portion are the laws of the first fruits, redemption of the firstborn, and various offerings.

• Source: Chidushei HaLev

Ostensibly, then, On ben Pelet was on a high spiritual level and was motivated only by altruism. The Gemara in Sanhedrin (109b), however, explains: Rav says, “On, son of Pelet, did not repent on his own, but rather his wife saved him. She said to him: What difference does it make to you? If this Master, Moshe, is the great one, then you are the student. And if this Master, Korach, is the great one, then you are the student. Why are you involving yourself in this matter?”

Which suggests that On’s motivation was to gain status, and that his wife was pointing out to him that whoever was going to be the boss, it wasn’t going to be him.

But didn’t we establish that On ben Pelet was acting altruistically and because of his righteousness the truth was revealed to him? Apparently, there must have been some minute desire within him for honor and self-advancement, and when his wife pointed this out to him, he did teshuva.

Which begs another question. Did On ben Pelet need his wife to point out to him that he wasn’t going to be the boss? Surely that was abundantly clear to On without his wife’s rebuke.

It emerges from this that even a tiny delusional idea in our heart can totally blind us — even to the blindingly obvious.

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