It's another beautiful day in the desert. You wake up, pack up the family (don't forget to go before you leave!) and head out for a hike. For how long? Ahh… not so important. After all, your not getting blisters, there's a cool breeze, and plenty of food falling from the heavens. What could be better? Maybe that's how life as a united machaneh (camp) began, but by the time we roll around to this parsha, we see the desert life of our ancestors at its lowest. There had been plenty of complaints and attempts to undermine God's decrees, but never a rebellion of this size from our leaders. And never retribution on such a scale.
The Slonomer Rebbe brings down a teaching from the Noam Elimelech that relates the incredible power of Clal (the nation of) Yisrael, compared to our power as individual Jews. Clal Yisrael is a world unto itself. There's a level on which we function as Jews that transcends who we are as a individuals. Rav Kook also speaks of this concept of a "super-soul," a soul that informs, feeds, and nurtures us. 24/7, Clal Yisrael is sustaining each of us.
Korach, however, did not find this to be a comforting thought. As far as Korach was concerned, Moshe and Aaron had been running too tight a ship for too long. He thought all of the focus on Clal was destroying our ability to be individuals: "We're all holy, why should we be bound to serve God under a structure that exalts Moshe and Aaron? We all have equal access to God, and are all capable of serving God in our own way." In his rebellion, Korach separated himself out of the Clal, only to join together with a group of individuals against Moshe and Aaron. That's all Clal Yisrael was for Korach, a collection of individuals.
When the judgement finally came down in favor of Clal Yisrael, and Korach was swallowed into the earth, a funny thing happened. "All of Israel that was around them fled… lest the earth swallow us." What were they afraid of? They weren't part of the rebellion. No, they weren't. And perhaps that's why they feared for their lives. Though Korach took the power of the individual too far, he reminded us that it's not enough to just be part of a whole. We have a responsibility to give back as much as we take, to strive to be a whole part. A part of the Clal that is suckling from that life force in order to redirect all that we receive to others. To share that which sets us apart, to radiate our spark and attract others - that spark of truth that is so strong, says Gershon G., it takes the step Korach refused to take. It leaves room for doubt.
Instead of opening chasms in the earth, may we open doors to ourselves, and to Clal Yisrael.