Shabbat Parashat Korach 5785

Parashat Hashavua: A House Full of Sefarim and a Tallit of Techeilet

Korach had two arguments against Moshe (Bamidbar 18:3). Why does a house full of sefarim require a mezuza? Why should a tallit which is colored techeilet require the techeilet strings of tzitzit? These fundamental arguments echo from generation to generation, and they break Bnei Yisrael to pieces and prevent the prevailing of peace.

A house full of sefarim represents great Torah scholars, who fully surround themselves with Torah and do not leave that holy domain. When there is such a house full with sefarim, the place’s great quality and the person’s deep connection to Torah cause him to not notice that there are all sorts of small “scrolls” (with a play on words with “events”), which might not be that impactful, but they have value because they are placed in the entrance and exit of the house. They preserve the Jewish house while people are occupied with matters that become necessary at their time and place. They may be about simple material things, a religious school, a religious agricultural operation, a kibbutz, classes for adolescents, appropriate sports that do not take place on Shabbat. These matters can be considered small, but they are important, just like the mezuza on our doorposts, even for a house full of sefarim.

There is also sometimes a very different mistake – people think there is no need for tzitzit of techeilet on a garment of techeilet. In other words, the techeilet of normal life and its beauty is enough from their perspective. Dealing with simple things while adding to them important content, convinces the heart that this is enough. In a life of work in Eretz Yisrael, which the Chatam Sofer (Sukka 36a) compares to wearing tefillin, where the mundane contains the sacred, one can be blinded by the sun. He can think that if we are all full of techeilet, then we do not also need tzitzit. And if there are tzitzit there, certainly what point would there be for some more techeilet? The value of and excitement about the techeilet of the garment detracts from the excitement of attaching tzitzit of techeilet.

These ideas are mistakes. The Torah says of Aharon: “He separated Aharon to sanctify him as holy of holies” (Divrei Hayamim I, 23:13). If a life of work in Eretz Yisrael is holy, then the values that in the Diaspora are holy, turn into holy of holies in Eretz Yisrael. If plowing in Eretz Yisrael is like donning tefillin, then donning tefillin – is donning tefillin! The relative distance between the values is not shortened; everything just moves further in the direction of sanctity in Eretz Yisrael. If people do not understand this, then they approach sanctity in a manner that destroys and neutralizes the sanctity. As it says in our parasha, “Whoever gets close [improperly] to the Sanctuary of Hashem shall die” (Bamidbar 17:28).

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