Chapter Korach - Kabbalistically speaking

 

In this chapter, the Torah chronicles the rebellion of Korach.  Korach’s quarrel with Moses is  based on what is written in the Zohar on the verse, “And G-d said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.’ In the middle of that passage [in the Zohar] it says, “Similar to this is the quarrel of Korach with Aaron.”
 The division of the water into two (atmospheric and ocean water) presaged the division of Korach. The seven days of the Creation week manifested the seven sefirot of the emotions. Sunday, when light was created, manifested chesed, pure giving. Monday, when the primordial water was divided into atmospheric moisture (the upper water) and the oceans (the lower water), manifested gevurah, restraint.

Water is heavier than air, in order for it to be suspended in air, it had to be restrained from precipitating, and this aspect of the hydrological system/cycle is referred to as the “firmament.” In particular, however, the upper and lower waters manifest chesed and gevurah, and the firmament manifests tiferet, which harmonizes chesed and gevurah.

This is why the work of creation involving water was not finished until the third day (when the oceans were “gathered” in order for the dry land to appear), for the third day manifested tiferet. Know that Korach was a Levite, and thus embodied gevurah, and [moreover] was the head of the Levites, and thus embodied the highest aspect of all states of gevurah, while Aaron [embodied the highest aspect of all] states of chesed. Thus, their quarrel was that of the left side with the right side. Chesed is the central sefirah on the right axis of the sefirot, while gevurah is the central sefirah on the left axis.

Their natures are fundamentally opposed, chesed is giving and gevurah is withholding. The tension between them is thus the fundamental tension of duality in all reality. Moses observed [this], and said: “It is proper for me to try to harmonize them.” This befitted Moses, for he [embodied the principle that] sweetens all states of gevurah above [i.e., in the spiritual realm], the middle axis. The middle axis of the sefirot harmonizes the right and left axes, combining the positive qualities in each and neutralizing their extremeness.

 Furthermore, Moses embodied the yesod of Abba, which is revealed at the level of tiferet of Z’eir Anpin, as is known, because it emerges [from its investiture in yesod of Ima] and extend further down than yesod of Ima. Yesod of Abba (the drive of insight for self-actualization) becomes clothed in the yesod of Ima (the drive of the intellect proper for self-actualization) and thereafter, together with it, in Z’eir Anpin (the emotions produced by the intellect).

Thus, the emotions are “driven” by these two drives, one invested within and driving the other. The yesod of Ima, however, is invested in Z’eir Anpin only as far down as its tiferet, while yesod of Abba continues 1 1:17a. 2 Genesis 1:7.