Korach, with his motto, "All the people in the community are holy"  (Num. 16:3), fought against the idea of a special group dedicated to Divine service. After the rebellion was put down — quite literally, as it turned out — God affirmed the nation's need for Levites and kohanim to serve in the Temple and instruct the people.

Twenty-Four "Matnot Kehunah"

Since the tribe of Levi was dedicated to advancing the spiritual aspirations of the Jewish people, they were not meant to spend their days working the land. Instead, they are supported by the people, through a system of terumot and ma'aserot (tithes). For this reason, the Torah concludes the story of Korach's rebellion with an elucidation of the twenty-four "matnot kehunah", levies given to the priests.

Enthusiasm about these levies, however, is not the same for all people.

Our eagerness to perform a mitzvah depends on how well we comprehend its goal and purpose. If the objective of a mitzvah is not clearly understood, whether by an entire generation or by a particular individual, then its fulfillment will suffer from a lethargic, lackadaisical attitude.

The institution of kohanim, and the various methods of maintaining it, will be better appreciated when the entire nation is on a high spiritual level. Only then will we truly recognize the benefit of their holy influence. And we will realize that the Divine blessing in our personal lives is according to the extent that we are connected to the spiritual life of the nation.

We may discern three attitudes towards "matnot kehunah":

1. Refusal to Tithe

The lowest level is one of outright refusal to support the kohanim. This attitude stems from a spiritual crisis in which the heart has become unable to appreciate the great benefit of a spiritual life in general, and the holy influence of God's servants, knowledgeable in His Torah, in particular. Such a person does not feel a connection to the special covenant of the kehunah (priesthood) and its overall goal, encompassing all generations of the Jewish people throughout history. This is a terrible curse, the result of a tremendous emptiness and a tragic estrangement from the light of Torah.

2. Fulfilling the Letter of the Law

The second attitude is one of disinterest, even neglect. At this level, appreciation for the institution of kohanim is limited to its future place in the lofty state promised to the Jewish people. Since we have not yet merited this long-awaited state, the resulting attitude is one of observing the bare minimum, fulfilling the letter of the law so not to violate any legal obligations. Such an individual will seek loopholes to avoid tithing in practice, like bringing the fruit into the house via the roof or the courtyard (see Berachot 35b).

While this outlook is not so callous that it brings the curse of transgressing the Torah, it is still very far from the category of blessing. For these people, the purpose of life has not become clarified. They do not appreciate the true value of eternal spiritual objectives. They fail to grasp how these goals transcend any particular time, how they form a collective activity composed of the combined service of many generations — beautiful structures built through continuous efforts of Torah and mitzvot over the ages.

Sadly, with such an attitude, life appears as something that must be accepted against our will. Life's greatness and vitality, its essential holiness and beauty, are not perceived. As long as one's outlook is so limited, life offers little satisfaction, and the soul will not be content in any of its accomplishments. For what good is material success, when the inner content of life is empty, incapable of nourishing our refined feelings and sublime thoughts?

3. The Broad Outlook

The highest level is when one acquires the broad outlook that encompasses the overall expanse of life, embracing all generations and all times — "I, God, am the first. And with the last, I am the same" (Isaiah 41:4). From this viewpoint, the current state of the institution of kohanim is not a decisive factor. The kehunah remains cherished and esteemed due to its future status, and from the overall good that comes from the accumulation of all of its influences — past, present, and future.

Life is then ready to receive an inner blessing, and can accept a profusion of external blessings. Regarding this attitude towards tithing, the prophet Malachi wrote,

"Bring all the tithes to the storehouse, so that there is food in My house. And please test Me in this, says the Lord of hosts: if I will not open for you the windows of Heaven and pour out to you a blessing "ad bli dai" — until there is more than enough." (Malachi 3:10)

The blessing is extraordinary, encompassing all of life's material aspects. But its source is the collective blessing that enters life's inner depths: the blessing of inner peace, enabling us to feel the goodness of life itself. Life is not limited to the flawed present. As a result, nothing is lacking, and we receive unlimited blessings — "ad bli dai" — "until our lips are exhausted from saying, 'Enough!'" (Shabbat 32b)

(adapted from Ein Eyah vol. III pp. 183-184)

Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison