The Chazon Ish’s Depth Behind the Lost Avodah of the Bechorim

Parshas Korach (Bamidbar 17:6) states: “Vayilonu kol Adas Bnei Yisroel mimochoras al Moshe ve’al Aharon leimor, ‘Atem hamisem es am Hashem.’”

The Ramban explains that after the death of Korach and his eidah, Klal Yisroel did not deny the Kehunah of Aharon. That had already been proven clearly, for a fire had gone forth from before Hashem and had accepted his korbanos. Their taanah was different. They wanted the bechorim to remain as the meshorsim of the Mishkon in place of the Levi’im. They did not accept the chalipin, the exchange, through which the Levi’im replaced the bechorim, because if the avodah remained with the bechorim, then every shevet would have a chelek in the avodas Bais Hashem. Therefore, they claimed, “atem hamisem osam,” you caused them to die, because you advised them to bring ketores like Kohanim, while in truth they were fit only for avodas Levi’im and not for the avodah of Kohanim.

The depth of the matter appears through the words of Rashi on the posuk, “Va’ani hinei lokachti es haLevi’im mitoch Bnei Yisroel tachas kol bechor.” Rashi writes that the avodah had originally belonged to the bechorim, and when they sinned with the eigel, they became disqualified, while the Levi’im, who did not serve avodah zarah, were chosen in their place.

The Mizrachi already asks that this seems difficult from the sugya in Zevachim 115b. There, the Tanna’im argue about when the bechorim stopped serving. According to Rebbi, they stopped already at Sinai. According to Rebbi Yehoshua ben Korcha, they continued until the Mishkon was established. But no one seems to say that they became disqualified at the time of the eigel. How then can Rashi say that when they sinned with the eigel, they were disqualified?

One could say that the cheit ha’eigel was the cause of their loss, but the actual loss took effect only later. Yet this is not enough, because if the eigel created a pesul in their avodah, why did the pesul not take effect immediately? Even before the Mishkon was established, they offered korbanos in the midbar. If they were already disqualified, how could they continue serving?

The yesod is found in the words of the Chazon Ish (Orach Chaim Seder Mattan Torah). He explains that the kedushas bechorim contained two separate dinim. One din was avodas hakorbanos, the avodah of Kehunah. The second din was avodas Levi’im, namely shirah, shemirah, and masa, the service of song, guarding, and carrying.

These two dinim are entirely different. The bechirah of the bechorim for avodas hakorbanos was never meant to last forever. From the beginning, it was only until the Mishkon would be established. That is the meaning of the Mishnah, “Ad shelo hukam haMishkon, ha’avodah ba’bechoros.” Before the Mishkon was set up, the avodah was performed by the bechorim. But once the Mishkon would be established, the avodas hakorbanos would belong to Aharon and his sons.

However, the bechirah of the bechorim for avodas haLevi’im was different. That was meant to remain for doros. Even after the Mishkon, the bechorim should have served with shirah, shemirah, and masa. From this second bechirah, they were removed through the cheit ha’eigel. Since they sinned with the eigel, they lost their right to serve in the place of Levi’im. The Levi’im, who did not sin, were chosen instead.

According to this, Rashi is clear. When Rashi says that the bechorim were disqualified through the eigel, he is not speaking about avodas hakorbanos. That avodah was temporary in any case, and it continued until the Mishkon. Rashi is speaking about the avodas Leviyah that should have remained theirs forever. From that, they were disqualified because of the cheit ha’eigel. It did not take practical effect until the Mishkon, because before the Mishkon, there was no complete avodas Levi’im, no shirah in the Mishkon, no guarding of the Mishkon, and no carrying of its keilim.

This also explains the machlokes in Zevachim. Rebbi, who says that the bechorim stopped the avodah at Sinai, is speaking about avodas hakorbanos. The sources that say that they lost the avodah through the eigel are speaking about avodas haLevi’im. There is no contradiction, because they are two separate parshiyos.

It follows that when the Mishkon was established, the bechorim lost two things. First, their temporary avodas Kehunah ended, because from then on, the korbanos belonged to Aharon and his sons. Second, their permanent right to avodas Leviyah was also removed, because that right had already been lost through the cheit ha’eigel and was then given to the Levi’im.

With this, the Ramban becomes luminous. Klal Yisroel accepted the Kehunah of Aharon. They did not claim that the bechorim should continue bringing korbanos. They understood that avodas hakorbanos had passed to Aharon. Their complaint was only about the second din. Why should the bechorim lose avodas Leviyah? Why should the Levi’im replace them entirely? If the bechorim would serve as Levi’im, then every shevet would still have a chelek in the avodah, because every shevet has bechorim.

That was the hidden taanah after Korach. They said to Moshe and Aharon, “Atem hamisem es am Hashem.” You caused them to die because you tested them with ketores. Ketores is avodas Kohenim. But according to their claim, Korach and his people were not fit to be Kohanim. Their only possible claim was to avodas Levi’im. They should have been tested in a matter of Leviyah, not in a matter of Kehunah. By telling them to offer ketores, you placed them into an avodah that was not theirs, and through that, they died.

This is why the answer came through the mateh of Aharon, and specifically as the mateh of Bais Levi. The fire had already proven that Aharon was the Kohen. But the people still questioned the bechirah of the Levi’im. Therefore, Hashem made the staff blossom, to show that not only Kehunas Aharon, but also the bechirah of Bais Levi, was min haShomayim.

The omek of the sugya is therefore that there were two losses of the bechorim. Their avodas hakorbanos ended because it was only meant to last until the Mishkon. Their avodas Leviyah was lost because of the cheit ha’eigel. Korach’s episode forced the distinction to become clear. The ketores proved that Kehunah belongs only to Aharon. The blossoming staff proved that Leviyah belongs only to Bais Levi. This is the depth behind the taanah of atem hamisem and the final birur of the lost avodah of the bechorim.