By Ariel Ben Avraham This portion mainly refers to the first dispute challenging the national leadership of Moses and the spiritual leadership of Aaron among the People of Israel. This dispute not only questioned Moses and Aaron’s leadership but the Creator’s will and plan for Israel, and division was imminent as night and morning are divided by Divine decree.

Only in the light of the morning any eventual dispute must be cleared. Morning is the reflection of clarity, and in the light truth can’t be overshadowed by the fantasies and illusions of darkness represented by Korach’s rebellion: “He (Moses) spoke to Korach and to all his company, saying, ‘In the morning, the Lord will make known who is His, and who is holy, and He will draw (them) near to Him, and the one He chooses, He will draw near to Him.'” (Numbers 16:5) because God’s Love lives in the truth of His Light: His ways and attributes. In Love there are no divisions, rebellions or separations because Love makes known what is His, what is holy to Him that is always close to Him. 

In the awareness of Love, only His ways and attributes prevail because Love does not cohabit with anything different from what is inherent to Him. In Love everything lives and fructifies because He sustains all life, and death is just the reflection of the illusions and fantasies of ego’s darkest desires. Only Love redeems us and resurrects us in order to live again in His moment-to-moment miracles. Only in our individual and collective awareness of God’s Love as our Essence and identity we can embrace the true meaning of life, and be able to overcome death: “(…) and behold, Aaron’s staff for the house of Levi had blossomed! It gave forth blossoms, sprouted buds, and produced ripe almonds.” (17:23) and this awareness (Aaron) must lead all aspects and dimensions of our consciousness (the entire Israel) because that is our Covenant with the Creator and His Love: “Any devoted thing in Israel shall be yours (Aaron’s).” (18:14) hence, “All the gifts of the holy (offerings) which are set aside by the children of Israel for the Lord I have given to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as an eternal portion; it is like an eternal Covenant of salt before the Lord, for you and your descendants with you.” (18:19).

We must understand the image of the High Priest in Israel as the place and time in our consciousness where and when we are permanently connected to God’s Love. This awareness is our portion, the land in our life in the material world: “The Lord said to Aaron, ‘You shall not inherit in their land, and you shall have no portion among them. I am your inheritance and portion among the children of Israel.'” (18:20) and in our connection to His Love our mission is to direct all levels of consciousness in His ways and attributes, which are indeed the place that He want us for Him to dwell among (in) us. All that we are and do must be infused and expressed with Love, the true Essence that we are and the best we have in life. Love is the cause and the effect with which we consecrate all we are and do: “From all your gifts, you shall set aside every gift of the Lord, from its choicest portion, that part of it which is to be consecrated.” (18:29).

When we discern Love from the mirages, illusions and fantasies of materialistic life, we are able to live free from the darkness that they engender. In Love there is no space for transgressing His ways, because we are free from any doing wrong. When we elevate every dimension of consciousness as the vessels to be filled with His Commandments through His attributes, we realize that this is the true meaning of life and our redemption from death. That is the message of the final verse of this portion: “After you separate the choicest part from it, you shall not bear any sin on account of it, but you shall not profane the sacred (offerings) of the children of Israel, so that you shall not die.” (18:32).