Noam Elimelekh- Elimelekh of Lezhinsk
Korach
“Korach, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi took [vayikach]...”
The Aramaic translation (Targum) of “vayikach Korach (and Korach took)” is “Korach separated [himself]”. For the creation of a person and their soul is done by carving them out from underneath the Throne of Glory. For this reason, one needs to make the main focus of their dwelling be the upper dimensions, and giving divine energies from the lower world all the way to Ein Soph, May It be Blessed. However, when a person commits a transgression, perish the thought, then he separates himself from the upper dimensions and they have no relevance for him whatsoever. His body and soul remain in this lowly dimension. This is why the Targum is “Korach separated himself”-- because he separated himself from the dimensions. This is the meaning of “HaShem loves the gates of Zion... [more than the dwellings of Jacob].” (Psalm 87) For the dimensions are gates through which a person may return there to the place from which they were carved out, and to the dwelling of ones soul underneath the Throne of Glory. This is the meaning of “HaShem loves the gates of Zion”-- they are the gates which are splendid to go through. And they are dimensions through which divine flow and life-force is given. When does HaShem love them more than the dwellings of Jacob? When Israel is dwelling beneath the Throne of Glory...
Noam Elimelekh
“Moses heard and fell on his face...”
One way of interpreting this is by means of derision. For in the Gemara it [says] that a person is forbidden from falling on their face (Ta’anit 14b) unless he is confident that he will be answered like Yehoshua etc... Moses our Rabbi was very humble and his opinion of himself was lower than everyone, and he was afraid to fall on his face, but after he heard that Korach said that he was the leader and the prince in Israel, and that greatness suited him, he began to fall on his face. For this reason it says “and Moses heard and fell...”
