Korach and his assembly, who were driven wild by their craving for glory, argue with Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have gone too far! All the people in the community are holy, and G-d is with them. Why are you setting yourselves above G-d's congregation?" (Numbers 16:3)
Seemingly, the claim that the entire Jewish People is holy is correct; yet, this claim need not nullify the fact that there are different spiritual levels within the Jewish People, and every Jew must be honored in accordance with his level and his role. All the more so do Moses and Aaron, the nation's leaders, deserve to be honored. We have to show honor to Torah scholars, parents and leaders. As Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook wrote:
Korach and his assembly, through their pursuit of honor, worked to destroy the honor that the nation should appropriately have been showing its great leaders. Through them was fulfilled our sages' words, "Jealousy, lust and honor remove a person from the world." (Avot 4:21)
Today, we greatly need to restore the value of honor to our society and culture, to honor our Torah scholars, teachers and educators, to honor our parents and to honor our leaders (despite our differences of opinion on political matters, etc.). And how can this be achieved? By our return to our tradition and to our holy Torah, which views honoring and loving our fellow man as a great mitzvah, which has to be fulfilled like any other, with great love and reverence. And through our honoring our fellow man, may we be privileged to see the glory of G-d, which fills the universe.
Seemingly, the claim that the entire Jewish People is holy is correct; yet, this claim need not nullify the fact that there are different spiritual levels within the Jewish People, and every Jew must be honored in accordance with his level and his role. All the more so do Moses and Aaron, the nation's leaders, deserve to be honored. We have to show honor to Torah scholars, parents and leaders. As Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook wrote:
What is chiefly responsible for the proper functioning of society is society's treating with honor those who deserve it: from showing honor to Torah scholars comes love of the Torah and of wisdom, good traits and the fear of G-d. From honoring parents comes good education with blessed results that show themselves in the young when they grow up. From honoring kings comes a true improvement in the life of the society and the nation. (see Chavash Pe'er, Ch. 1)When we show our Torah scholars, parents and leaders no honor, anarchy is created in society and destruction in the family.
Korach and his assembly, through their pursuit of honor, worked to destroy the honor that the nation should appropriately have been showing its great leaders. Through them was fulfilled our sages' words, "Jealousy, lust and honor remove a person from the world." (Avot 4:21)
Today, we greatly need to restore the value of honor to our society and culture, to honor our Torah scholars, teachers and educators, to honor our parents and to honor our leaders (despite our differences of opinion on political matters, etc.). And how can this be achieved? By our return to our tradition and to our holy Torah, which views honoring and loving our fellow man as a great mitzvah, which has to be fulfilled like any other, with great love and reverence. And through our honoring our fellow man, may we be privileged to see the glory of G-d, which fills the universe.