Lessons Of Rashi

Even A Little Teshuvah Helps:

The possuk (26:11): וּבְנֵי־קֹ֖רַח לֹא־מֵֽתוּ׃.  Rashi: ובני קרח לא מתו – הם היו בעצה תחלה, ובשעת המחלוקת הירהרו תשובה בלבם, לפיכך נתבצר להם מקום גבוה בגיהנם וישבו שם.  How does Rashi know that the sons of Korach were in the עצה from the very beginning, and even if there is a source, why strengthen their sin when discussing their teshuvah?  And how does Rashi know their teshuvah was only a הרהור הלב, incomplete? 

The Rebbe explains (Likutay Sichos volume 33) that Rashi is bothered why the possuk juxtaposes the sons of Korach to the death of Dasan and Avirom if they did teshuvah?  Rashi explains the possuk is teaching us that the sons of Korach were also the masterminds of the argument.  However, they were spared because of their teshuvah.  If they did teshuvah why were they stuck in gehhonom and not fully spared?  It must be their teshuvah wasn’t complete. 

The lesson we can derive from the Rashi is that any small amount of teshuvah, even merely a הרהור a has a tremendous effect and can literally save a person's life .

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Every Day Is A Holiday:

The possuk (28:2) צַ֚ו אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אֶת־קׇרְבָּנִ֨י לַחְמִ֜י לְאִשַּׁ֗י רֵ֚יחַ נִֽיחֹחִ֔י תִּשְׁמְר֕וּ לְהַקְרִ֥יב לִ֖י בְּמוֹעֲדֽוֹ  Rashi says: במועדו – בכל יום הוא מועד התמידים.  What is Rashi adding to the possuk and what is he coming to explain?  The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 28) explains Rashi is bothered that normally the wordמועדו  would indicate some special time, a holiday, but what is the holiday every day?  Rashi says that everyday is considered the holiday vis-a-vis offering the tammid.  What difference does it make if it’s considered an offering of the מועד of the day or is just an obligation of a korban?  Since its an obligation of the specific day, if the day passes and one doesn’t offer the tammid it can’t be made up on another day; had it just been an obligation of a korban one would’ve been able to make it up.