Shlach And Korach: Thought And Deed

The midrash cited in Tosfos Babba Bathra (119a) says that the mikkoshas had noble intentions. After the nation was told they wouldn’t enter Eretz Yisroel they thought they were exempt from mitzvot.  Therefore, the mikkoshas desecrated Shabbos in order to show if one violates the mitzvot s/he will be punished.  The Maharsha asks that if the mikkoshas had such intent he shouldn’t have been killed for his action would be a melacha sh’ain korech le’guvah for he didn’t do the melacha for it’s own sake, just to prove a point?  We also need to understand why the people would have thought that they were exempt from the mitzvot? Why is the parsha of the mikkoshas preceded by the parsha of making a mistake and serving avodah zarah, what is the connection?

Why did the meraglim not want to enter Eretz Yisroel?  There are many explanations.  In the Torah of Chabad, it explains that the meraglim wanted to remain in the angelic, miraculous state of existence that they enjoyed in the midbar.  They didn’t want to go into Eretz Yisroel and have to live bederech hateva plowing the fields, building houses etc.  Why go through the everyday hardships of live when one can stay in a frame of a miraculous life and such serve Hashem 24/7.  Chazal call the generation of the midbar the dor da’ah.  They understood how to serve Hashem through the intellect serving Hashem through study and meditation.  They didn’t appreciate how to serve Hashem in the world of action.  They failed to comprehend how can someone serve Hashem having to go through all the actions of everyday life. They failed to appreciate the value in serving hashem through difficulties and serving Hashem through fulfilling physical maaseh mitvot, not just via learning Torah.

After the meraglim the people thought if were not entering Eretz Yisroel then our mission is merely to serve Hashem via our brains and not through actions. They figured we aren’t entering a state where our actions matter and therefore what matters is to serve Hashem through learning and thought, not through actions.  The mikkoshas came to prove that this was wrong and therefore he desecrated Shabbos.  In answer to the Maharsha’s question see the Maharsha and Gelyonai Hashas (Rav Yosef Engel) who explain that Beis Din judge based upon the action that they see.  They don’t judge based upon a person’s intent.  Therefore, even though the mikkoshas had noble intentions this didn’t exempt him for his intent couldn’t be seen.   That’s why the Torah precedes this episode of the mikkoshas with the parsha of avodah zarah for when it comes to avodah zarah as well e person is obligated if he worships the avodah zarah even if he has no intent of accepting it as a deity.  (Based upon Likutay Sichos volume 28.)

Based upon this theme we can understand why the next parsha, Korach follows the meraglim.  Once it became apparent that Hashem desires actions therefore Korach had a claim that in regard to maaseh mitzvot we are all equal.  One person’s fulfillment of a mitzvah isn’t greater that another’s, it’s only in regard to the intent and kavanah that there are different levels.  So, if we see that what Hashem wants is the fulfillment of physical acts of mitzvot why should Moshe and Aharon be greater, we are all equal? That was Korach’s complaint.  However, he was wrong because there has to be a balance of physical fulfillment of mitzvot and kaavanah of a person.  The kaavanah enhances the act and therefore Moshe and Aharon are greater.