"It's enough for you, sons of Levi." Numbers 16:7
When Korah, Datan and Abiram came to Moses and questioned his authority, they also expressed their wishes
to become like the priests, and serve Yahveh in a closer way. Moses tried to diffuse the issue by saying that they already
have a special status by being Levites, so why ask for more? Ultimately, this became a major rebellion, and the only way it
could be squashed was by an open miracle of the earth swallowing up Korah and his followers.
This was Divine proof that Moses was correct in his decision. However, the Rabbis tell us that forty years
later, when Moses begged and pleaded with Yahveh to try to enter Israel, Yahveh refused him
with the same words that he used to Korah, "It is enough for you," Yahveh was saying to him, "It is enough for you to
be the leader here. You don't have to go to the Land of Israel." The reason these same words
were used was that Moses was being shown that it was incorrect to tell someone not to strive for a greater position in spiritual
matters. Although Korah used the wrong methods and ultimately paid with his life, he still wanted an opportunity to get closer
to Yahveh, and Moses seemed to be telling him, "It's enough. You don't need more."
We learn from here an important lesson. When we see someone getting close to Yahveh we should never
hold him back. Sometimes we see people learning more Torah than we do, or praying for a longer time. Even if we cannot be
like them, we should not discourage them. We should be happy that Yahveh is being served in a better way.
