Parashas Korach

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Korach.
In the previous Parsha, the rebellion of the Spies took place and now in this Parsha, rebellion rears its ugly head again.This time in the form of a Levite named Korach ben Yitzar ben Kehas ben Levi and his two counterparts Datan and Aviram B'nei Eliav ( who were the two arguing in Egypt that Moshe found, when he went out to his people the next day after saving Datan the day before,from the hand of the Egyptian ) ,from the Tribe of Reuvein. Also On ben Pelet , a Reubenite is mentioned , but due to his wife, who warned him not to join in the rebels when they brought their firepans and even went as far as giving him something to make him sleep that he can't join in , was thus saved due to his wife.
Korach's wife on the other hand , was quite the opposite,constantly coaxing her husband to keep pushing his position and level as a Levite.
But who was Korach? Korach, the Levite came out with the Children of Israel from Mitzrayim.In Egypt, he was put in charge of Pharoah's Treasury and was not in such a hurry to leave.He could have been a holy man had he wanted to , but chose resentment and jealousy and arrogance. He was descended from the holy Levite family of Kehas and his Father was Yitzar.Korach thought in his own mind, that his Father must have been so named , as his family would bring forth a holy oil anointed line, for the word 'Yitzar' means 'oil' and he thus assumed that his Grandfather must have named his Father 'Yitzar' as his descendants would obviously be anointed with the Holy Oil , to high positions.Interestingly enough , the anointed prophet Shmuel - Samuel ( Samuel 11:14 - 12:22 - Our Haftorah for this Parsha ), was descended from Korach and so we read that as the Haftorah for this Parsha. Korach was not happy to carry out the duties given him and thus did his resentment grow .Korach had a most holy task to perform with others and that was the Carrying of the Holy Ark of the Covenant and even that was not enough ( Chas Ve Shalom )for him. He wanted leadership and to have Aharon ousted and Moshe too. He even resented the choosing of the Spies as he wanted to be a leader chosen and now he could take no more. Aharon had just Anointed them and had their hair shaved and again, his wife's taunts , when he came home , built his negativity more. He and his wife did not agree that HaShem Had Given the Commandment of Tzitzis and so, Korach , the man of division ( as his name suggests separation and even his hair had a division in it ) decided to curry support for his cause of rebellion.
Korach went round the tribes trying to get support, being afraid to face Moshe alone as he knew Moshe was loved.Korach first went to get support from the Tribe of Reuvein , who was close in proximity to the traveling of Korach, to the South of the Tabernacle. In the Tribe of Reuvein, came Datan and Aviram b'nei Eliav and On ( who never ended up joining this rabble ) . Korach managed to get the support of 250 men (most of them being Reubenites and some believe also firstborn ) , to stand by him, men of renown and most of them as I just mentioned were from the Tribe of Reuvein.They appeared to Moshe adorned in the very Tzitzis Moshe taught them of and they appeared to Moshe and Aharon wearing Tzitzis completely of Techeiles color , to try trip Moshe up and to try prove Moshe was Chas ve Shalom making up the Laws.They began to taunt Moshe about whether one must wear Tzitzis with the Techeles Blue Chilazon string, if all of the garment is Techeiles.Moshe answered in the affirmative, and so, did Korach try to mock Moshe .Moshe continued to respond to them , and by Divine intervention, set up a test for them to each bring their fire-pan, put fire in them and incense and offer it to HaShem. Datan and Aviram returned to their tents and Moshe tried to get through to them but they would not budge , and continued to stand with Korach. Moshe even went as far as going to their tents even though he was the leader, but they taunted and mocked him.They all took their firepans and brought it prepared, to the Tent of Meeting the following morning and HaShem chose Moshe and Aharon and set about, to punish the evildoers.They continued to taunt Moshe and Moshe called for a miracle and so, the Earth and Gehinnom opened up the pit just below them and they were swallowed by the Earth alive, exactly as Moshe had mentioned.Into the Earth went Korach , and his wife and their entire wealth that Korach had amassed in Egypt. HaShem Sent a flame that consumed the two hundred and fifty followers who stood with Korach . Even within the rabble itself of Korach and his followers,were many Reubenites and first born, who resented that the Levites were chosen after the firstborn were replaced after the Chait Ha Eigel - the golden calf.There was dissention among Korach and his followers also, such is the result of evil rebellion. Even within themselves they never agreed ( so shows Pirkei Avos ). 
Elazar ben Aharon , picked up their firepans ,which became like Tevel ( originally brought and set aside for a holy purpose and not permitted to be used for any other purpose ), and threw them into the fire , and then hammered out into sheets , which became a covering for the Mizbayach Altar.
Korach's three sons remained as they were holy and the descendants of this family came down through the line, to the holy Prophet Samuel whom as I mentioned , is the Haftorah for this Parsha and Samuel himself tried to get the people to see, that they shouldn't ask for a king like the other nations, as HaShem is our King .
The following day after this event, the people complained about what had happened the day before to Korach and the others and HaShem again Appeared , wanting to destroy the people.HaShem Sent a plague via His angel Ketzef and Moshe ( learning from when he was up on Mount Sinai from the Malech Ha Maves, asked Aharon to take the fire-pan and put fire on it from the Mizbayach with incense and to run and stand between the dead and the living, to stop the plague, in which fourteen thousand seven hundred people died.The Plague stopped.
With the death of Korach, who had tried to usurp the position of Moshe and Aharon, his death proved that HaShem had chosen Moshe and all the Commandments, Moshe had ever taught, thus were proved true from HaShem, so now HaShem Wanted to prove to the people that Aharon was HaShem's Choice of Kohein Gadol and Tribe and so , HaShem Instructed that each Tribe was to take a staff from their Father's House ( Thus Twelve Staffs ) and inscribe their name on it and Aharon's name, was to be inscribed on the Staff of Levi , and to take all the twelve staffs and lay them in the Tent of Meeting , and whose ever staff would blossom, would be HaShem's Choice of Tribe and person. So Moshe had this done and all Twelve Staffs were done and put exactly as instructed by HaShem and the next day, the staff of Aharon Blossomed, sprouted a bud and almonds ripened . Moshe specifically put Aharon's Staff in the centre of the others , so none could say afterwards that it only blossomed due to its closeness with the Testimony. The very fact that the Staff of Aharon Blossomed and then Budded, showed he and his Tribe was the choice of HaShem. The fact that it was almonds showed that HaShem Is quick to fulfill His Word, as the root of the Hebrew from Almonds 'Shekeidim' has the root word ' Shakeid,' which means 'To hurry,' for Almonds ripen quicker than other things. Thus would this Staff of Levi do , which also miraculously now had HaShem's Name engraved on it like the Head plate Tzitz of the Kohein Gadol. 
HaShem then Instructed that twenty four guards were to be placed at all times around the Holy Tabernacle area.HaShem then ends the Parsha with the twenty four gifts to the Kohanim - tithes to the Levites.
Each of us are given our own special tasks to fulfill and tests to go through. HaShem Instructed us in the Ten Commandments not to covet what others have, neither them nor their possessions. We each have in life our own roads to travel for the reasons , of being exactly what we each need to grow within ourselves. To want what others have, is to lose ourselves and the pathways set for us to bring our own Neshomas to where they need to go.
We need to travel our own path and accomplish our own tests and raise our own selves to holiness. We cannot want to be someone else or want what someone else may have. For turmoil and strife starts within a person and works outwards to the community. We need to learn to be at peace within ourselves.
Every person is important to Creation, for every part of Creation is needed to complete it, no mater how big or small that part may appear. All is equally needed to make up Creation. HaShem Loves us all and Loves all His Creation . We need to work on ourselves to become the best we can be, and not to want what others have. That won't get us to where we Spiritually need to go. Only making the best of ourselves Religiously ( In following HaShem and His Commandments Only ) , Spiritually and Morally will.
We also need to realize the value of a woman. We see this very strongly in this Parsha how much a woman can help a man in holiness, and how important it is for a woman to be holy,for as we see here, Korach's wife helped destroy Korach by her constant attempts to push him negatively to gain more position, ultimately for herself as well. But On's wife, saved her husband from taking his firepan and joining the rebellion and so,saved his soul and his life.How valuable a woman can be.
Korach, constantly looked for greatness for himself and that is not the way a leader should be. Moshe proved over and over again as did Aharon, that true faithful leaders are not the ones who look to get themselves ahead, but care mainly for others and their community ( a lesson to learn even today ) . That is true leader. That is whom HaShem Chooses. That is one of the reasons why HaShem Chose Moshe and Aharon and not Korach, their direct relative.
As Hillel said, ' in a place where there are no leaders strive to be a leader.' He meant, not to be a leader to gain for oneself, but to be a true leader for their community, striving only for HaShem and for the welfare of the one's they are there to lead and guide in Holiness to HaShem.
But as our Haftorah teaches, our One and Only True Leader is HaShem. It is He, to Whom we must follow Wholeheartedly. A true human leader for HaShem, is one who is the very actions of the Words HaShem Instructs. This was Moshe Rabbeinu all the way. A true leader is a follower of HaShem.
With love to HaShem I wish HaShem with Love, a Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all , a Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh with love .