In this week’s Torah portion, Korach, Moshe’s cousin Korach challenges the leadership of Moshe and Aaron alongside 250 men. He says, “The whole nation is holy, and God is among them, so why do you elevate yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?”  The verses which follow clarify that Korach and those with him wanted to be Kohanim.

Moshe replies that they should all bring fire pans with incense, and God ““…will make known who is God’s, and those who are holy God will bring close.” They then all bring fire pans of incense, and a fire emerges from God and consumes Korach’s men.

We, of course, have seen this before.  The two sons of Aaron, who were Kohanim, died in exactly the same manner.  So why do Korach and his men agree to the fire pan test?  Do they not recognize Chekhov’s proverbial gun?

In the previous fire pan episode resulting in the death of Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s sons, Moshe tells Aaron, “This is what God said, ‘Among those who are closest to me I am sanctified’.” Rashi comments that Moshe said to Aaron, “Nadav and Avihu were consumed because they were the holiest of us all.”

I would like to suggest that Korach’s men certainly knew that a fire would come from God and, as in the story of Aaron’s children, it would consume the holiest among them. It was a seemingly foolproof plan: the fire, they assumed, would consume Moshe and Aaron. Which, of course, renders our story even more perplexing – if the precedent holds, and in the fire pan test the holiest are consumed by the Divine fire, then it is Korach’s 250 men who are holier than Moshe and Aaron.

In fact, Rabbi Moshe Titelbaum, a Hasidic rebbe from the early 19th century, said that in one of his previous incarnations he was there at the time of Moshe and Korach in the desert. “There was no doubt as to the greatness of Korach, we were all actually unsure if Korach or Moshe was greater (Yismach Moshe),” he recounted.

So, if indeed the fire pan test shows that Korach was the holiest, why didn’t God make him the Kohen instead of Aaron?

I remember in high school I asked my rebbe, if the Torah is the true word of God,  then shouldn’t we all just study it all day for the rest of our lives?  He gave me an answer which was so novel to me at the time; I still remember it: “Maybe that is not what God wants of us.”

No doubt my rebbe was not opposed to learning all day –  in fact, that’s what he did. I think what he meant, though, is that religious life is not just a tally of holiness and commitment. Just because the 250 men were holier than Aaron does not mean they should do his job.

Korach failed to understand this because he did not really want democracy, he wanted communism.   He wanted everyone to be the same, everyone to be a Kohen. But while this might make everyone feel good and powerful, it would result in a paltry Jewish nation.

This is what Korach and his men should have asked, as should we: “How can I, as the unique individual I am, assist the greater community and the Jewish people?”