Korach & On Were Both Motivated By Their Wives. Why Was This So? How do we know?

Okay, so the one hand this is a topic that I it's interesting in terms of the topic itself. Again, it's it's it's also I think allows us to segue it's aptly to the world of Midrash how Midrash developed. So I think many of us are aware and kids are taught this in school that when it comes to the Korach story women played a very big role. And it's really interesting because the stories that involve Khatam in the desert usually the women are innocent. And it's not explicit in the Torah but by the Egel they were really coerced by Yevayonasha from Alhanashim, you know, in in reaction but they when they took jewelry they took it from the women and later on it's you know the women were sort of making up for it but it was really after the women were at fault. And Nashim Tzedkaniyos by you know Parshas Shlach when the Meraglim rebelled the women not and you see later on the Bnos Tzelafchad are looking for um to participate in Eretz Yisrael. So the women really are are not really blamed for the Aveiros in the desert. The thinking is is that they were really on a higher level. And the truth is that's a story that really defines Mitzrayim maybe even Jewish life. But in Mitzrayim the heroes were all women. I think we discussed that, right? I think we know the Midrash that was said Kanieh Eis because of the merit of the righteous women the Geulah of Yisrael our ancestors were What? They followed them but but women were but like how did how did Chazal know this? How did Chazal know that women played such a role? So the truth is this is actually and it's really helpful because you know we're surrounded by misogynists, right? And in in the world at large people historically really treated women badly. In our world it was really better. And all you have to do is open Parshas Shmois. Every hero in Parshas Shmois is a woman. And the men are always collapsing and the women are the ones who sort of come to the front and are strong. Very important. You know, Moshe is in danger. Who protects him? His mother, not his father. Who builds the Who builds the teivah? His mother, not his father. Which is so strange. Usually a man builds, not the woman. And who was the one who pulls them out of the river? Paro's daughter. And who was the one who stands by the side of the river to watch him? Um his sister, not his brother. Paro may have had sons. Uh Moshe had a brother. And And who are the people who endanger themselves for the community? It's the midwives. So the heroes throughout Parshas Shmos are women. And when Chazal say "This was not the conius." Is it just a mesorah? Maybe. Or are they just reading the story in Parshas Shmais? And the heroes are all women. And truth be told, women actually are stronger. Sure, there was a study done about how they could survive starvation in the desert, their ability Women are better at facing adversity. When it comes to real adversity, women are stronger. They break less. So um So it makes sense to say that if women were stronger in Mitzrayim, and the desert was a difficult experience, when there's a being experience, the women are not as guilty as the men. So Shlach, Lashon Harah was Horitz. There, you know, the men says "Let's say Nitnaish. Let's go back to Mitzrayim." We're scared. The women say "No, let's go ahead and and travel on." The Egel, um they took um They took They took gold from the women, but the women weren't the prime participants. So that seems to be the motif. >> Really? >> They >> Or they They had their own >> So they took They >> it off their hands. >> They They The way Chazal presented it, it's actually clear in the possuk. But the possuk suggests that they ripped it from the women. Um What are the two aveiros What is the aveirah in the desert that the women are blamed for? What is the aveirah that women are blamed for? Leaving over from the mon? There's no indication that it was the women. It's Dasan and Aviram that are blamed. The possuk doesn't tell you who, but Chazal say Dasan and Aviram. But what is the one aveirah that women are blamed for? Korach. Korach is is Korach's rebellion is blamed on his wife. And that's so strange. She's second fiddle. She's not the one. Korach is rebelling because of covet. It's his covet. Maybe a wife enjoys her husband's covet, but it's really his covet more than ours. Out of all the errors in the desert, why is this the woman the the woman latch on to? The man, you know, the women were afraid just as what? >> You say women or a woman or >> Or a woman. Why do we blame it on a woman? But a woman is sometimes indicative of women in general. We're going to discuss that in a moment. Okay? Because it doesn't say anywhere in the Torah that Korach's wife played a great role here. Hazal say this. And this one woman might be a paradigm for women in general. Because all throughout the desert and in Mitzrayim, the women are held really in high regard. They they they weathered Egyptian slavery better, and they weathered the tests of the desert better. And Hazal might be telling us that women are better at facing adversity. And truth be told, that is the case. And when it comes to facing real adversity, women are stronger. Um emotionally, um um physically, um women are stronger. They did much better in the concentration camps. They did much better in the ghettos. You know, they tracked death rates in the ghettos from starvation. And it's it just, you know, because >> Mostly male? >> It seems that when people died from starvation in in the ghetto and, you know, in the Warsaw Ghetto and the in in all of these ghettos, you had scientists, you had doctors, you had you had people who were used to studying things, who were who were going through the scan of them together. And and they tracked that in families usually it was the husband that died first, the children, and then the wife. She had the greatest staying power. You know, we view view women as weak, but they aren't when it comes to real adversity. Concentration camps, they had much higher survival rates. Now, again, they came with the children, so they usually killed right away. But when all things were equal, they had higher survival rates. So, um it makes sense to say that both in the desert and in Mitzrayim they fared better. But Korach is the one story where we blame a woman and that woman might be indicative of women in general. So, what is the Medrash? Kids are taught this Medrash. It and it's really not the possuk. What is the Medrash? The Medrash tells us Korach, it's that possuk that enigmatic possuk at the beginning of the parsha. Korach took, we don't know what Korach took and the whole possuk is really not grammatically correct. Vayikach Korach with Dasan v'Aviram. Korach took together with Dasan v'Aviram which means it should be plural. Vayikchu Korach Dasan v'Aviram. So, the whole possuk really needs um drush and it's the Torah is telling you, "Please analyze me." But what do Chazal do? Lakach talisai, he took his tallis vahaloch l'eitzah im ishto, he went to ask advice from his wife. Now, tallis and wife, who mentions the wife? Who mentions the tallis? And that of course leads to the discussion with you know, the Rashba brings down that um Moshe just took Korach's role about the mitzvah of tzitzis and specifically about the mitzvah of techeiles and Korach approaches Moshe with this silly statement and he was probably a smart man when he said such a foolish statement. Well, tallis shekulo techeiles, if there's a little bit of techeiles then we'll try tallis. Tallis shekulo techeiles, but the garment itself is is called with techeiles, it shouldn't need tzitzis at all which is sort of inane. It's you know, when you're looking for a fight anything could be a fight. But it doesn't say this in the possuk. Why do Chazal say this happened? So again, some will tell you there was a mesorah that this is what happened and it spread. Could very well be. And whose idea was it to use the tallis as wife? Bashasham Gadol Baruchu um Kacha Levi'im and the way the Medrash portrays it is is that his wife was upset. Why was his wife upset? Well, because this covered here, right? Korach came from a very meyuchesdik family. Korach himself was a very wealthy man. Korach himself was a man who was used to dignified position. He was mean nosei Aron. When they traveled through the desert, some you know, he was the one who carried the Aron. There's a measure that about the keys to Korach's wealth being so big. So, he was he was fantastically wealthy and he was a great chacham. He was a very benched person. He had so many things. And you should know, too much blessing is not good. It goes to your head, you know, there's adversity is it can be a good thing, right? They do studies, right? Once you go from middle class to wealth, levels of anxiety and depression and drug abuse and and familial dysfunctionality rise. You know, I I tell my kids, middle class is not a bad place to be. You got tension, you don't get everything your way, and maybe that's a good thing. Frum community might be better cuz you have the discipline of religion. But outside the frum community, when you go to extreme wealth, terrible things happen. Korach might have had that that bane of of of having too much. And his wife is used to that. And and his wife is angry and and she incites him. Why do we Why do we say this happened? Now, could be there's a mesorah. Could be. But there's no indication anywhere in the pasuk that his wife was involved. And why really would this become a woman's issue? If women aren't aren't rebelling with the man, and they're not rebelling with the slave, and they're not rebelling with the meraglim, these are all issues that affected the women as much as the men. Why Why is they rebelling here or why is she rebelling here when it's it's it's not her issue, it's his? Now, maybe this is what happened. Right? But what am I dressing him about telling you what happened? So, what am I dressing him about? So, once upon a time, does anyone go to a shul where a rabbi still gives a drasha? Do they still exist, real drashas, or they're they're gone? What? A real drasha what rabbis used to give 50 years ago, and they would write them down, and a rabbi would spend days thinking about it. A rabbi would spend a whole week thinking about his drasha. Yeah, and that drasha and that mussar. >> Okay, but what he would do is he would try to to convey an idea. He would start with the parashah. But he would try to to convey a moral message. But it would be an art. And you would say a story. So when you when you read a when when when you read gemaras about foxes talking to to grapes talking to no fox spoke and no it it it it's a mashal, it's a parable. Um drashas that were recorded, rabbis had shuls then also. And on shabbat they would give drashas and they would try to inspire people. And every parashah they would try to find something that that is relevant to people's lives that can make a marriage better, that can make a family better, that can make make a person better. Um and you know, whether it happened whether it didn't happen it doesn't make a difference. When you tell the story about the fox saying something, the fox never said anything. When you talk about the eagle, um you know, talking to to to to its friend, it never spoke to its friend. But it's it's a mashal. So maybe the story happened, but if the story happened that's not what what drash is about. Drash Drash is about a message. The message here is is that this became a woman's issue. What is the story about? What is Korach's story about? The meraglim is about fear, right? They they were afraid to go to Eretz Yisrael. The manna is also fear, not trusting Hashem. You understand that. Um the slavs maybe gluttony, not being satisfied. What is what is the Korach story about? What made him Korach? Status. Loss of status, position. So what is really the issue? Envy, no? Kinah, right? He wanted status. >> Reuven, so they Reuven wanted >> Right. Also in again the world of drash, absolutely, it's all about people who felt they deserved status who had been demoted. And they Reuven, Reuven had been demoted. Korach had hadn't been promoted and they expected more and they So, it's about kinah, envy. What Chazal, and it's very interesting, Chazal, you know, we live in a world where men and women are exactly the same, right? Sometimes it's a little bit silly cuz they're not the same. I mean, I think it'll eventually straighten itself out. I mean, it it really, you know, it's gone to the point where it it has to go back because people I would think are getting tired of that in the secular world. But I think, you know, among the young people in the secular world today, I think 25% of them are not are not straight. I think that's the current number. 25% of young people affiliate as not with their natural gender. I think that's what it is. Um it's really quite astonishing. Um >> They say there's there's there's three genders. There's male, female, and mentally ill. >> [laughter] >> And it it's and it's a problem. And the truth is it seeps into the from you know, this is an issue. But but I think it is so much. Now, I'm not saying, you know, the truth is it's it's a big issue and it's actually a big tzar for some people. It's not a simple thing. Um so, but I will say that to go to the point where it's 25%, I think it's I think it's I I think society is pushing it. It's it's Why am I shifting here? I'm shifting here it's because society equates men and women. Um they have to be the same. But at the end of the day, when they do SAT tests, men generally do better in math and women generally do better in in the arts and in language. And this is when they're given the same schooling and the same backgrounds. And there can be fantastic [snorts] female mathematicians and there can be male great male linguists. But by and large, many many women are are are are hardwired a certain way and many men are hardwired a certain way. Many men are more technical, many women are more emotional. Now, there are many women who are very very technical and not very emotional. But by and large, there's one gender that is a little bit driven towards one um extreme or the other. And Hazal are very comfortable telling you that that men are smarter than women or women are smarter than men, but they they they talk about different wisdoms. So, the same Hazal that say Nashim Da'atan Kalos, and I don't even know how to translate it, also say that women have Bina Yeseira. They're not saying that one gender is smart and one gender is stupid. They're saying that women have a little bit more Bina usually, and men have a have a little bit more Chochma. What is Bina? How do we translate Bina? Bina is intuition, being able to read into a situation, being able to understand the person, address a conversation in a way that's going to going to work. And what is Chochma? Or Hirsch's reading, Chochma is like a gam, right? Che che is a ge, a gam is when you accumulate accumu- Men are better at accumulating raw knowledge and facts. And now again, some women are are are are are are extraordinarily good at accumulating um raw knowledge and facts. Some women are ordered that act, some women are but men might be better at absorbing technical knowledge. Women are frequently better at emotional sensitivity, relationships, Bina, right? And Hazal say that they're comfortable. They're not saying every woman and every man. And it's it's I would venture to say it's true for most of the people we know. Most of the women we know might be a little bit better at a certain field, most of the men in the opposite direction. So, just the way men Hazal say, men are more predisposed to a certain type of wisdom and women to a certain type of wisdom, there are certain characteristics that are more common among women. And certain characteristics that are more common among men. Who is more likely to stray or betray a spouse? >> Men. >> Men, right? Hazal are very um um say Al Imra Mishuchlar Omes Misoch Rame, right? I mean, men are more likely. But who is more likely to be envious in the world of Hazal? Women. Hazal and Hazal are very pointed about it. Where do Hazal see this? Now, you really have to ask yourself how you want to read Midrashim. This one, you know, we read it and if you read it at face value, you're actually saying something terrible about a great person. Who is the greatest woman who ever lived? >> Sarah. >> Sarah was extraordinary. >> Great according to what criteria? >> Who was yetzir kapav of Hakadosh Baruchu? Chava. When they talk about Adam and Chava and Chava was like Adam, half of Adam. So, Adam is shnei galgalim kishnei galgalei Chava. And we so forth and so forth. Hazal, when they talk about Adam, he's effusive and he would have lived forever and he lived to be a a thousand or close to a thousand, 70 years were cut off. But, Adam was really a very different type of person, right? He lived He lived in a very different world. So, among very different than Adam. Adam lived a life span that was a little bit closer to ours. I mean, 175. It's But, not But, Adam is a very different and Chava's from that world. So, Hazal generally the Torah generally doesn't date a woman's life span, but she was Adam's leap year. They were created together, right? Two pieces of one cloth. So, [snorts] she was extraordinary. Look at a Midrash about Chava that is so troubling. Um it talks about Chava eating from the Etz HaDa'at. And Chava, when she ate from the Etz HaDa'at, realized she's going to die. So, what does she do? Okay, look at source six. >> You think my husband would agree? >> Okay. Okay. Um Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Six. Amra "Oy li she nagati. Oh, woe to me that I touched it. Achshav anochi mesa, I'm going to die." Hakadosh Baruchu oseh ish acheres venosnah le'Adam. >> Who's talking to whom? >> This is Chava saying this and it's it's a what? >> I'm not saying who's who's saying this. >> I only should have gotten actually Mesa. What? >> It's not it's not this is >> No, it's bigger than that. It's a measure, right? A very very authoritative measure, right? I'm going to have him eat with me and this way almost number if I die, we will die together. Right. Now, um this comes across as an extraordinary selfish person. I know, I mean, yeah, I guess maybe the rabbit. I know of cases where spouses knew they were dying and I I recall one woman, she kept talking to her husband, you remarry and I think she's going to be good for you. And he says, I don't want to talk about this. And he said and he and and it was This is actually I mean, God forbid early loss is no one should face this, but I think most people who have a half normal marriage, if they're dying, they don't want their spouse to die with them. And if there's some level of love, which I would think there is in a marriage, you would want the spouse to rebuild his life. I I know, I mean, I was in the public for so many years. There were many deaths and and it's actually very normal for the dying spouse to be cognizant and to tell the spouse, I want you to rebuild your life. I want you to carry on. You should never see it. You should never face it. Maybe you did. Why would Hava out of all people try to bury her husband with her? I mean, this is it's evil. What? >> If I can't have you, nobody can. >> But is that what a good person does? >> Apparently not. They shouldn't kill each other. >> Right. So So again, and yet she says something so horrible. I mean, she does some >> of like going back to what you said earlier about the Russian not being history. >> So So they're not history and they're not literal, and who knows >> this together? So I'm going to take it a little bit further. But before we say this Who in the world says this happened? Who recorded this? And if Hava did this, did she repeat this to anybody? So so how did How did this Where does this come from? Who knows this? So >> [cough] >> so so [clears throat] I think the simple honest way to read the midrash is it's not history and it never happened. What the midrash is saying is is that women are more prone to envy than men. So let's create this statement as a statement of women being envious. Not that Hava said this, not that Hava did this, or that she would do this, or that a decent wife would do this to her husband. This is deliberately killing somebody and killing your husband, right? I mean you're saying that she was she tried to kill her husband, right? I mean if you want to say that about Hava. I'm saying she never said anything. This never happened. It it's it's I I don't It's not something she even thought it. People realize this is is a rabbi gets up in shul and he has to give a drasha and he says kindelach envy is a big issue and it's a big issue with everyone. And maybe it might be more of a woman's issue than men's issue. Straying, betraying a spouse is more of a man's issue. Lust is more of a man's issue frequently, not always. >> [clears throat and cough] >> But envy might be more of a woman's issue and why is it more of an envy Why is envy more of a woman's issue? Because what causes envy? Why are people envious? Because they can't have. When you're controlled by other people, you're more likely to be envious. Women spend their entire existence historically being controlled by other people. They have no self-control. A woman was completely controlled by her father. A father would marry her off, if you still use that term. A father would marry her off, then her husband had complete control. Financial control in terms of the relationship a man was in total control. People who are weak, who don't have self-control, are more prone to envy. So, maybe they're not more envious by nature. Maybe circumstance makes them more envious because the reality is maybe they are. May And not every woman is envious. I'm I would I mean there are some women who are less prone to envy. I don't know. I'm not saying you can't read this measure literally. I'm not lacking you in to not reading it literally. But understand why I find it a little jarring to read it and literally because you're painting Hava as a really bad person. >> doesn't say that. >> Nothing. There's no indication anywhere. >> She says she didn't die, right? She goes to Adam says, "Look, I ate it." >> Right. But the possuk doesn't Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's right. But but it's a rabbi giving a drash in shul and he's saying envy is an issue. And maybe he's turning to them and saying, "You know what? It's an issue with the entire community and maybe especially among women because women don't have you know, don't have so much control. Envy is an issue. Just be cognizant and work in it and try to take control of it." So, envy is a women's issue. Now, let's go back to this measure about Korach. Maybe his wife told him all these things. But maybe what is this measure telling us? Out of all the stories in the desert, most of them the women are stronger. But if there's one story that might capture an issue that's more of a woman's issue than a man's issue, what is the story? >> Um >> The Korach story. All the stories in the desert. Because what is the Korach story all about? It's all about kinah. That's more of a woman's issue than a man's issue. Maybe it happened. Maybe Korach's wife did um do this. Maybe Hava did do this. But maybe Hava didn't. If Hava didn't, then what is the measure telling us? The daashan spoke to his community said, "It's an issue and it's a special issue for women. Be careful." And then the daashan takes it to Parshas Korach. Parshas Korach is the story about envy. If it's about envy, it's more of a woman's issue than a man's issue. Let's make it a woman's issue. >> Maybe maybe maybe the wife was totally manipulative. She knew what she was doing was wrong. >> Right. >> to bury him. She's like, "I'm I'm going to get rid of him this way." >> Chava? >> No, Korach's wife. >> Oh oh oh, yes. Right. Right. >> Oh, he's going to go down for this. >> Right. Right. Right. >> I'm going to get out of this marriage without getting >> Then she'll get the insurance policy. Okay, then she's good to go. Okay, maybe maybe maybe. Um so, maybe she was manipulating the whole thing, maybe. And maybe once you have that story, what Medrashim always do is they create foils. They create one person and the other person is the exact opposite. So, Avram saddles his donkey, so Bilam saddles his donkey. Avram does, you know, Avram Bilam, Avram Bilam. You know, it creates these foils who sort of match up against one another, right? So, if there's one woman who takes control and guides a woman in a bad direction because of envy, there's going to be another woman who takes her husband and guides him in a good direction because she's strong enough to overcome envy. And who is that woman? Who is the woman who's the hero in the world of Medrish? Ein ben Palace. There's no indication anywhere in the possuk that Ein ben Palace is, you know, wife saved him. All we know about Ein is is that he was part of the rebellion. And then, when everyone is being swallowed up or being burned, he's not mentioned. What? So, that the Medrish says the Medrish makes a story, and the story in the Medrish is is that she really It's actually a very colorful Medrish. It's actually thought-provoking. And it's something to think about. Look at the Look at the Medrish, okay? Look at the language of the Medrish. Because if it really happened this way, great. But if it didn't really happen this way, then it's written with to convey a lot of things. Look at the Medrish writes. Three, Amarav, Ein ben Palace Ishto Hitzilasi, his wife saved him. Amar lo she told him, "Mi Nas Kol Ach Mi What do you get out of this? Im rabba and talmida, if one guy is going to be the leader, you're still going to be the nuk shlapper, you'll be the shlamazel. Im rabba and talmida, you're not going to you're not going to make it no matter what. Either Mosha's leading or Korach's leading. You're not leading. So, why in the world are you getting involved? You're taking these big risks, you'll gain zero." And he said, "You know what? You're right." But they were religious, right? So, he says, "By effort have I the ace of a shmad." He I really swore no one would violate a shmad. So, she said, "You're religious about it, I'm going to be religious." And what she did is she put him to sleep, so to speak, he isn't really She said he's asleep. And she said, "My here is uncovered to from and therefore no one can come into the house and and that's the end of the whole story. Now, um now again, could very well be it happened and could be she shared this with the community and it spread. But could be we're creating a foil. We want to make this a story about envy. If women are the ones who succumb to envy because they're weak and they're controlled by others, ain chacham kibbal nisayon, who is somebody who can truly overcome envy? Someone who faces the challenges of envy and overcomes it. So, if one woman is the devil who who who buries her family alive, we're going to have another woman who's going to be the saint who saves her family. If if we see Ain being part of the story and we don't see him in being mentioned, let's say that he was saved and let's say that he was saved by his wife. Because then suddenly we have two sides of the coin and they're exactly the same. Ain and Korach. And the truth is the flow is excellent. So, what [snorts] we're developing till here is that this chet is about envy. If this chet is about envy, it makes sense to say it's a woman's chet. The stumbling will involve a woman. It's going to be Korach's wife. In chacham kibbal nisayon, overcoming it will also involve a woman. That's going to be On's wife. But there's another piece to the puzzle as well. The piece says, Korach doesn't just take an etzah from his wife. What does Korach say to Rashi means now the story? What how does Korach try to galvanize people? He takes a tallis, right? This strange story, tallis she'll call it tallis. Right, but there's so many things you can make fun of. You want to make fun of Jews, you can make fun of a lulav and I mean there's so many things to make fun of, right? Like why dafka tallis? Right, if you're looking for a mitzvah that's a chok, it doesn't There's so many of them. Like why tallis? Why why is the Torah in using tallis as the example? So, what's the simplest answer? How does Parshas Shlach end? Tzitzis. So, that's the mitzvah that just came up. So, that's the mitzvah that just came up. That's the mitzvah that speaks to us now. Right. Kallah gives the chassan nalls. This still makes us a lot of sense if you read the Torah in chronological order. What's the famous argument between the Ramban and Ibn Ezra at the beginning of this week's parsha? Did Parshas Korach follow Parshas Shlach or did it not? The Ramban The Ramban was a very, you know, most of the Rishonim, you know, things have changed. I myself am guilty. I was a professional rabbi all these years. What I What did I do? I was a rabbi, I wrote, I taught, and that's what I did. It's not what most rabbonim did in the old days though. Most rabbonim could be the worlds of other place were involved. They were doctors, they were and they were educated. They were So, they were they were people of the world. They were involved. And and I just wonder if it it just made it better cuz they were able to interface with the world. But either way, the Ramban was a doctor, right? Like the Rambam, like like like just with so many others. And like like Sforno, like like many others. He was very scientific and the Ramban liked things in order and he liked patterns and he liked numbers and he liked everything, you know, something yaksh about the Ramban. So, he liked reading the Torah as being in chronological order. Not always, there are exceptions, but according to the Ramban, the exceptions are few and far between. The other side of the equation, Rashi and Ibn Ezra, they're they're great proponents of ain mukdam umuchar b'Tairah, which means there's much less chronological sequence. Of course, many things are in order, but more things are out of order. Now, again, it's not it's the Tairah dictation, it's not just What? Because because documents, who says things are written in chronological order? And when there's a reason to say it's not in order, you know, for sometimes a person writes a novel, pull right with flashbacks, but not always in order. So, it says the Tairah is written that way. So, so many things, yes, but it makes a lot of sense to say the Tairah story of Korach happened before the Tairah story of Parshat Shlach. Because these Rishonim say, "What was really Korach angry about?" That he he wasn't promoted. What were the Bnei Reuven angry about? Because they weren't They weren't They weren't the eldest, but they weren't given leadership. Well, that was taken away from them well before Parshat Shlach. Parshat Shlach is the middle of the second year. This was taken away after Chet Ha'Egel. So, if they were angry, so a lot of Rishonim say the stories in Parshat Korach took place before the stories in Parshat Shlach. So, now we go back to our tallit thing. If if Korach is being is being egged on by his wife. If they were just given the mitzvah of tzitzit because they followed the Chet Ha'Meraglim, it just happened. But if they weren't just given the mitzvah of tzitzit, white tallit. Well, why do we wear tallit? White tzitzit. >> Right. >> The Tairah We wear tzitzit, right? But why the mitzvah of tzitzit? Now, ta'amei mitzvot are always speculative, right? You never know for sure. Hashem this problem us real mitzvot for so many reasons, and the worst thing in the world, and that's really how reform reform, you know, defined itself. It said, "Well, there's a reason why you do mitzvah, and if the reason isn't relevant, mitzvah falls by the wayside, right?" And that's that's never where, you know, they led us, and that's how we lost most of our brethren. And we can't do that. We don't know why there are reasons for mitzvahs, but we shine them always felt that it's proper to think about maybe reasons, speculate speculate. And when you love something, you think about it. If you love your wife, you love your child, you think about the person, right? That's what you do. What makes that person tick? What makes them happy? When you love something, you think about it, right? You love your Torah, you think about it. God gives us these wonderful mitzvahs. Why? So, why do we why do we wear tzitzis? What are tzitzis attached to? They're attached to clothing. And [clears throat] why why were we given clothing? What what is clothing about? Adam. But why why was Adam given clothing? Because they weren't Because they realized there's something because at a certain point we realized you have to cover um certain parts of life, otherwise it's going to be inappropriate, right? It's very hard to know what the eight satas was, but there's a lot of indications that involved inappropriate relationships that the nachash was have or whatever that means. Um hitel basuma, but it's about relationships. It's about inappropriate relationships, right? I mean, what would Adam's avera been? But the gimel chamuros are retzicha. There was nobody to kill. Avoda zara, and there's only God and Adam. The head is going to be gili arayis, and that really is the flavor underneath. Even today in English, right? What do they call, you know, the fruit in Gan Eden? What is the English term for it? >> Apple. >> Right. Which it certainly wasn't an apple. And they didn't even And it's so interesting that people think it's You know, people say apple, and you should know it Right. Because the only fruit that grew in Europe were apples. It was a northern climate. There were no grapes, there were no pomegranates, there were all the fruits that Hazal bring down didn't grow in northern >> It was either bread, it was either bread >> Right. Right. Right. So, in the mind of a of a medieval Christian, it's not going to be wheat cuz it's not a fruit. So, but all the other fruits are Mediterranean fruits. They don't grow in northern Europe. So, all the church painters who painted pictures of Adam and Eve eating a fruit painted an apple cuz that's all they had. >> The forbidden fruit. >> Right. So, the term is the forbidden fruit. In in in secular parlance, people talk about forbidden fruit. What does it mean? It means someone else's wife. Forbidden fruit is just someone else's spouse, right? That's a forbidden relationship, right? It it's what it is. Underneath the tree of knowledge is inappropriate relations. And and and a way to stay away from that is, you know, too much inappropriate socializing can create problems, right? And what is the most basic appropriate clothing, right? You start with clothing. Now, again, how far you go in segregating men and women is another discussion, but you start with clothing. If there's no clothing, right, then you have, right, more of an issue, right? So, you start with clothing. It's about relationships. So, what is tzitzit about? It's about highlighting your clothing. Whenever Hazal talk about tzitzit And by by but how and what does bring holiness to clothing mean? Al Azar? It means knowing that clothing should should stay on. I mean, just that people should should use clothing appropriately. Let me read you the Midrashim about tzitzit. And the Midrashim about tzitzit are all about relationships. It's not per chance. And you you I mean, you know these Midrashim, okay? Um look at um um source nine. Maiseh of the Mechin. Okay? Okay. Now, it's a strange story. It's it's a story about a bifurcated reality. We know people like this. A person is careful on glad and he'll never eat non-kosher Israel, but he's not careful about excess ish. And we all know stories like this of people who have the relationship and they say, "Well, if I I'm careful about alcohol Israel, then I can cheat on my wife, right?" This is not I think you all know stories like this, and I certainly do, unfortunately. So, look at source nine. Mice about the method show you Zorb in the Mrs. He was careful with Mrs. Shamash years doing the crack of young children if he know he found out that there was rumor of ill repute in a faraway land and she charges an extra extraordinary amount of money, astronomical amount of money. She got a moose. He prepaid. He wanted to make sure that he has his his, you know, his appointment. So, he reserved this ticket. He prepaid. He sent to the money, and he traveled to this faraway land to be with her. Because she gives money above the usual peso. Nicholas I sent Shigeru and I you can ace, and it's a whole story about how how they, you know, they took this this one act and they made it into this you know, it's so terrible that, you know, people take something and they make they take a nothing and they make it a something. And there's Zion meat house and six of silver and one of gold and and this and that and that. They made it so they made a whole something out of a nothing. And then when he comes to the top and he's about to be with him be with her, what is the what is the result tell us? Look at the bottom line. Bow Dallas to the yourself. The top of the layer upon him. His Mrs. Patched him in his face. Nishmat of the cocky. He was knocked down, and he realized I can't be with her. He was saved because he came with the Mrs. right that he he traveled to the other side of the world to be with the Zion. >> You got to finish the story, though, right? >> That's That's where the story goes. >> It sure goes further. >> Oh, that she converts. >> She converts. She takes the Yeshiva. I mean, it's >> It's actually, you should know, just to digress, you could I could digress cuz you like digressions. There's there's a wonderful magazine that no one reads called the journal, and I don't read it either. It it's it's an academic magazine has these articles on religion but they're very very academic very University based and I I really don't read. I just tried to prepare this but I I know people who read you know that itself is something and they send me little clips. And they say Rabbi you have to read this article. >> [laughter] >> So there's this the Azure the story our story of the Zina is that he does chuva and then she realizes that you know that she was living a bad life and what did she do? She also becomes wonderful she becomes the Zina and she gives >> cry and cry till he died or something? >> No. >> He did chuva but somebody else. >> That's another one. That's between the that's the loss of the day who yes so and but the way the way we have the story is is that you know she had a very good business going. Now she couldn't keep her business going because you know it didn't suit her new lifestyle but she was not going to become poor. So she gave I think a third to the Yeshiva said a third to the Tanim but she kept a third. She kept money so that she can maintain you know a good lifestyle. Christians have the exact same story. There's you know there's a there's a lot that goes on inside shuls that goes on inside churches a lot different than we we like to tell ourselves. They have a similar story about a woman who was a Zina and she also has a root chuva but what does she do? She takes a fortune she gives it all to the poor people and she enters a nunnery and she lives in poverty. And it's it's not per chance it's two different approaches. We've always advocated really maintaining maintaining life marriage support involvement and you know the churches ideal was monastery for the men the nunnery. It's a very interesting article it contrast it brings out these two stories but it uses it as a as as really a sort of a bellwether to contrast the different world views of our world the historic Jewish world, and the historic Christian world. Right. Right. Right. Right. And Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yes. I'm You You're saying Yeah. And And I think it's a valid source. Um Okay. But But But what you see here, it's noose, and it's tsitsit saving you from noose. And the truth Right. So, the truth is it's almost in the possuk. Like Sisu Achrei Levavchem V'Achrei Einaychem. So, wandering is a lot of things. But um Einayim, okay, eyes very Eishes Potiphar. What does the possuk say? Eishes But Eishes Potiphar is drawn to Yosef. What is the language of the possuk? She raises her eyes. Same exact language. It means It means looking. It means gazing. It means looking too much, looking inappropriately. So, like Sisu Achrei Levavchem V'Achrei Einaychem. Again, somebody else also goes out going a lot of places. But in the world of Medrish, it's a garment. And a garment dressing appropriately, which it It's not just about clothing. It's about, you know, >> If it's perfectly into this into the story If it's perfectly into the possuk. >> If it's perfectly into the possuk? And And it it ties into our story. I want to I come back to our story. Our story is is that Korach is motivated by his wife um to rebel against Moshe because the seed here is envy. But what does he use? Tsitsit. Why does that evoke a woman? Because tsitsit are all about not being drawn in by a woman. It's all about being strong vis-a-vis a woman. That's the basic component. Here he was drawn in by a woman, by a woman's envy. >> And using the tsitsit, so >> So, yeah, so it's abusing it, you know. anything that's good you could sort of turn it around its head. Again, midrashim are crafted. Remember, if if you want to give if you just Right. Right. Yeah, sure, cuz it cuz um you know, the opposite is the same. It's um you know, love and hate are much closer to one another than love and neutrality cuz it's the same you know, the same passion. So, midrashim, if it's a story that happened, it happened. But if a midrash is a message that a caring, brilliant tanna is giving to his community, he's not just going to say a maaseh, right? He's going to think it through. He's going to try to bring all the pieces together in a way that is thought-provoking, that weaves everything together as the most amazing piece of poetry. So, if there's one chet in the desert that may involve women more than men, parshas Ki Savo is about envy, that's more of a woman's issue than a man's issue. I mean, I presented one midrash about Chavah. Momentarily, I'll present another. Um if it involves women and it involves abusing a mitzvah, because how are you how are you going to turn against a leader like Moshe? Moshe took us out of Mitzrayim and gave us the Torah. So, what you're going to do very frequently is you'll take one of the mitzvahs in the Torah and you'll turn it on its head. You'll say, "Oh, it's all fake." Which mitzvah is a mitzvah that involves men and women? That involves men not being instigated by women or not not using their relationship with women in a wrong way. It's tzitzis. So, if this is a story about a man a woman instigating a man in the wrong direction, maybe you used tzitzis. Did she use tzitzis? Did she not use tzitzis? I don't know. Could very well be it happened. I'm not chash v'shalom saying that you can't read it literally. It may very well have happened literally and might be recorded. I'm offering another perspective. Now, could be you can meld the two. Could be it actually happened this way and it happened this way because all the pieces come together. But right, but once it happened, you don't have to read into everything cuz that's what happened, right? So, if the tree happened to fall off because it was because um because the kid was sitting and he was too heavy. It happened to happen. But if the ton is weaving it together to create a message, every piece is going to be carefully thought through. So, woman, because envy is a woman's issue. Sits sits because sits sits is about not being influenced by woman. It's about um specifically in terms of physical relationships, but more than that, about any impropriety. And the truth is, the madrashim are full of statements about women being more prone to envy than men. Let me see Let me share one more. That I think um okay, I have um Look at source five. Okay? So, it talks about woman being created and when it comes about created woman, he wanted woman to be as good as she could possibly be. And in a way, maybe even better than Adam. Because Adam was created, but let's take woman from the most um the best part of man, so that she'll be the best that she can possibly be. Because you're taking a piece of man anyway, let it be the best that she can possibly be. So, look at source five. We from where woman will be created, lemon and olive not from the heart. Um because you know, the [clears throat] Torah says created from here, from there, from there. Each part is a problem. Maybe that cell's not going to be a problem. So, the So, um Hazal tell us, the madrash tells it's an early madrash madrash Rabbah, madrash Rabbah on Breishit. I'm not going to create woman from the heart because the heart is the seat of envy and then she'll be envious. And I don't want her to be envious. Lemon and olive um because for a contented she'll she'll be envious. And what do Hazal say? But nevertheless, she still is. She never had the kind of Rachel by herself. Rachel was envious. Rachel emerges as the paradigm of envy. So, we have Rachel as the paradigm of envy. Think because it didn't work. It didn't work. And maybe it's circumstances. Maybe the whole Because if if a person is controlled by other people, people like that that's been my experience. Um you know, um Is anyone here older than me? I don't know. Let's But I'm just Many of you are younger than me. It's a little bit of life experience I have at this point. I'll tell you people who are controlled by other people are more likely to be envious. Not always because you you're not your own person. Yeah, you're you're all you have is envy. You you can't do what you want. So women were controlled, maybe. Maybe it's natural, maybe it's it's it's situational, maybe maybe. But you have this Medrish Rabba, this authoritative Medrish about Rachel. You have the statement about the Medrish Tanchuma about about Korach's wife. And then you have this this this Chazal about about Chava. Um so maybe what the Medrish is trying to is weave together the story to get as many lessons as you can. This is more of a woman's issue. And and be careful a man should be careful also not to be drawn in here. Now is it still true today? Could be things have shifted somewhat. Oh, is your typical woman more envious than your typical man? I don't know. I I don't know that my anecdotal experience has been, you know, has suggested that. I don't know. I don't know that that's been my anecdotal experience. And you my the experience of one person, what is that? Just one person. But is your typical woman do you think from is more envious than your typical man? I don't know. I don't know that I have so what? The situation's different. Right, there's so many people. Right, everyone's different, right. Right. But historically that's where they Chazal painted it. And if they're painting it way it was that way, is that um is that built into the DNA of womankind? I don't know. They might have been saying that. Like you're saying that if you're not socialized to be envious. Right, might have been situational, might have been the social reality of being totally controlled by others. And women were totally controlled by others. >> Well, wo- women have the power to uh you know, entice a man via via the man using his eyes. >> Right, right. So she had the power, but it's all but she still controlled. It's surreptitious, it's secret, it's around, it's it's in a room. >> what about when he when he had multiple women? >> Yeah, it was very few of them. Maybe maybe I'm a little I don't know. Again, I the the older I get, you know, what what you'll do if you learn the long the the more you learn with me, the less you'll know. You know, we're on a we're on a gradual journey towards knowing nothing, right? We'll know more and more and more about less and less until we know everything about nothing, right? That's Mark Twain, right? So, we're um >> Everything about nothing means you know a little bit of >> Right, but you end up with Yeah. Right. >> don't know what >> Right. >> What's there to learn? >> Right, he was talking about specialist. >> [snorts] >> But um but but not living with clarity is is a great thing. It's I think it's what we aimed for. I I think it's one of the problems of of contemporary reality. >> the punishment in the whole story? >> [snorts] >> It's just Korach. >> Yeah. >> So, I don't Benei Korach lo meisu. But could be it's some children and that other children, I don't know. And the wife, I don't know. By dust of here it says the families went with them. Korach is not so clear. I don't know. >> Well, it's you know, there's a measure that says that one of the another family they borrowed [clears throat] uh Korach's wife's earrings. And she had her earrings. And then at the time of the of the earth splitting open that the pin flew out of that house and flew into that Actually, I wanted to erase everything >> everything that was owned >> by Korach. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So, if that's the case >> then she went down with him. >> probably went down. >> Right. I would assume Benei Korach maybe the chuva or in the spots of Gevurah you begin him, it's also unclear. Very unclear. Um but I I and again, I'm not you know, I I don't have clarity. I'm not telling you I As I state as as I is, this is this. I I don't know. But I am telling you this it's an interesting way to read a midrash. And if you read that as fact, you have to think really long and hard before you read that midrash about Chava as being fact, understand what you're saying about Chava, how you're painting Chava. >> [sighs and snorts] >> Um so it's a das, right? So it's hard to know exactly. So they ate. But there's an under there's an undercurrent of gilia rayus. The nachash was both Chava [clears throat] the the clothing afterwards. There's um al ish chukasah even in terms of how things there's there's this undercurrent of gilia rayus. Um And even the achila came a passage of Rachel, right? So this is also we were actually discussing this this bullus week. Every bad thing that happens from the moment of you know um um galus Mitzrayim happens till Kayorach is Dasan va'Aviram. So this is yeah, cuz they were bais surim in a month. They yatzu nasam against Moshe and Nashon eats Dasan va'Aviram. You know this trouble um there was um So so that would be I I would venture I would probably be in that school that we create in English the term we use is a foil a picture of how you want to know that bad can be bad. Realize there are Hitlers out there. Bad can be bad. We I mean everything and then what if all the rasham died during Kriyas Yam Suf, why didn't these guys die? I mean that they're they're the biggest nudniks in the world. Um and then the possuk tells you K'meis kol anashim. And what does Rashi say? It's Dasan va'Aviram. But they became aniyim, not meisu. So so this really here Dasan appear where I mentioned, but it's the only time they mention. But then we go back, everything is Dust and the Mirror. >> Is there a Midrash that says that it was constant just those two names, but it was constant >> I mean there's different Gemaras, there are different Midrashim. >> Midrash says that it was different people. >> No, no, the Midrash does not say that. >> But like Korach >> There's different Midrashim and it's not one Midrash, it's different Gemaras and Midrashim in different places. But in each of these, the Sneh Ne'etzam were Dust and the Mirror. Um um then we got to when um when when you when Moshe goes into Paroh and he leaves Paroh and then people come and complain that Mayos Basa Dust and the Mirror. Here we have the word Netzavim and here it's Yatzu Netzavim, so he created um his sermon on Dust and the Mirror. Maybe. >> But by Korach, that's where Dust and the Mirror probably died, right? >> Right, so Korach and Korach is where they're mentioned, they're not mentioned anywhere else. They're not explicitly mentioned. >> But we even mention that Korach that they went >> Here they went. >> They went they they died here. >> Right, here they're mentioned. >> So you want to hear something interesting? What was the the you I'm sure you heard this nice error about the the Yam Suf splitting twice, right? >> Mhm. >> Right. Yeah, I'll probably go with it, but the one of the reason why the Yam Suf split twice is because they the Yam Suf said, "Why should I split again? I split already." And Hashem said, "Yeah, but I said you need to split for all Yidden. There's two more Yidden." And they [snorts] but the Yam Suf said, "What do you mean? >> I think it's talking about >> They're they they're wearing Kasonicha. They're they're they're over the Avodah Zarah. Why should I split twice? So I said Hashem showed them the stripes on their [clears throat] arms. They were beaten up because they didn't want to hit their brethren even though their taskmasters made them uh work harder, they didn't want to beat the their brethren because Moshe Rabbeinu said "Lo Sisa Avodah Zarah." >> Right. >> So that's why the Yam Suf was split for them. >> could do that? >> But now comes my Cairo, they lost that power of being saved because instead of trying to, you know, not hit their brothers, now they're making a split with their brothers. So, they lost that saving and didn't get that. I'll tell you interesting. >> They were left behind. >> Right. >> Cairo says to the people >> Right. Right. >> They were not present. They needed a way to reunite them. The way that they were reunited is in the second split. >> Right. Right. [snorts] Right. >> Right. So, there's a lot of good there. So, yeah. So, yeah. >> There's the reason why the people went into the tribe in the first place is because there's no fighters. And Joseph said Joseph said >> Right. >> So, they said no, we're not going to start up with our brothers cuz Moshe Rabbeinu told us not to. >> But what did >> But then, what? >> What did they care what Moshe Rabbeinu said? >> He said, "Why are you Why are you killing your Why are you hitting your brother?" So, okay. So, but you see that the rest of the split that I'm talking about is there. And they lost it. >> Yeah.