Korach. Who needs leaders!

 VaYikach Korach" - "And Korach separated himself".  Korach assembled 250 prestigious men, and dressed them with garments made entirely of blue wool. They stood before Moshe saying," a four-cornered garment requires Tzitzis and 1 string must be of techeiles - blue wool: does a garment entirely made of blue wool require a blue string or is it exempt?  Korach's dispute with Moshe was over leadership. How is his question relevant?

Rabeinu Bachye answers, Korach was upset that Moshe and Aaron held leadership positions and that his cousin Elitzafan was appointed as leader of the Kehas family. He argued that leadership is needed only when there are different levels of people in the community. Since the entire community was holy, it was unjustified that one should become holier than the holy.

He substantiated his argument with an example from the Mitzvah of Tzitzis. A four-cornered garment requires Tzitzis and 1 string must be of techeiles. However, when the entire Talis is made of blue wool, logically a string of blue wool is unnecessary. Likewise, when the entire community is holy, there is no need for anyone to have special status.

Moshe responded that according to Halacha even a Talis entirely of blue wool requires a string of Techeiles in the Tzitzis, and regardless of the caliber of the community, leadership is always necessary 

Aaron and Moshe each had their own stick. When Hashem wanted Aaron or Moshe to take his own stick, he would say, "Matecha - Your stick." Since in this pasuk it says. "HaMateh - The stick," - obviously it was a special one with unique qualities.

In Parshas Korach, Moshe told the leaders of each Shevet to bring a stick to put into the Mishkan. On each would be written the leader of that Shevet, with Aaron's name written on the stick of Shevet Levi. The stick belonging to the one who was chosen by Hashem would blossom. The stick of Aaron blossomed and produced almonds and eventually was placed in the Kodesh HaKadoshim next to the Aron. It was this stick that Moshe was to take. This corresponds with the pasuk that says, "Moshe took the stick from before Hashem." (20:9)

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