A Thought on Parshas Korach

"...porach mateh Aharon..va'yotzaei perach v'yotzetz tzitz v'yigmol she'kaidim..." "...Aharon's staff had blossomed, gave forth leaves, produced blossoms and ripened almonds..." (17:22) Aharon was a holy figure and HaShem caused a miraculous sign to appear in order to signify his role of importance. The people saw that his staff began to blossom. What are the lessons to be learned from his staff? ibn Shu'aib brings some midrashim which are unknown to us. The blossoming is mentioned twice in the verse. One teaches us that the first blossom sprang forth, wilted and eventually withered away as it was replaced with an almond. This is what happens to tree blossoms. The second one teaches us that when Aharon's staff was later hidden away (as were other implements which had been the object of miracles in the desert), the staff, its blossom, and the subsequent almond remained intact and endured forever. The next lesson is about the staff itself. An almond wood branch must be uprooted in order to be formed into a staff or walking stick. When that happens, its sap dries and the wood becomes stark and lifeless. It is clear that a miracle happened with Aharon's stick, since it continued to thrive and to produce blossoming fruit. This why Yirmiahu the prophet(1:11) was shown a vision of a blossoming almond branch. It symbolized the revival of the Jewish people, who would once again become fertile and productive. A hewn branch cannot do that, but Aharon's branch did exactly that, to herald that miracles can happen, and will happen to the Jewish nation. A blossom is a perach in Hebrew. The blossoming of Aharon's staff was to signify that he was a holy person deserving of miracles, and this helped reinstate him in the public eye, following the challenges he and the kohanim faced during the Korach uprising. (The blossoms themselves may even hint at why Chazal refer to young kohanim as "pirchei Kahuna"!). The reference to growing tzitz - leaves - alludes to how Aharon and the later kohanim gedolim wore a tzitz nezer ha'kodesh (Shmos 39:30) as they performed the Temple avoda. The word for almond, sha'ked, alludes to how the Leviim were designated by HaShem (the word can also mean to be devotedly diligent) and verified that the institutions of both Kahuna and Levi were HaShem's will, not a nepotistic choice of Aharon. Why does the verse place the blossom before the leaves, contrary to the botanical sequence? This is to reflect how the rank and file kohanim were already engaged in the avoda before the post of Kohen Gadol was inaugurated. ibn Shu'aib's midrash continues: just as with regular almonds, the ones which blossomed on Aharon's staff included sweet ones and bitter ones. The sweet ones were on the right and the bitter on the left. When the Jewish people were fulfilling HaShem's will, the sweet almonds became moist. When we transgressed HaShem's will, the sweet ones withered and the bitter ones moistened. This echoed the miracle of the Keruvim, which changed formation and poise depending on the deeds of our nation. Another lesson of the sweet and bitter almonds was to portray how HaShem too is "Sho'ked" - is devoted at times to sweet rachamim and at times to bitter din. Lastly, when our verse says "va'yotzaei perach", it is a reference to the First Bais HaMikdash. When it says "va'yotzetz tzitz", it refers to the Second Mikdash. When it then says, "va'yigmol she'kaidim", it refers to the Third Temple which is awaiting us as long as we shok'dim - set on awaiting its arrival. I am sending this early because I am leaving for Jerusalem. Good Shabbos. D Fox