The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
R' Frand first said a vort on the pasuk in Bamidbar 16:7 "רַב־לָכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י לֵוִֽי". Rashi comments that since Korach was a smart man, why did he fall into this shtus? Why would he think that Moshe who brought the Jews out of Egypt and brought down the Torah and gave them the Manna, should not lead? Rashi answers that Korach saw B'Eino - in his eye, that Shmuel would come from him and that since Shmuel was equal in stature to Moshe and Aharon, it was not appropriate that he should be "just a Levi."
R' Frand quoted R' Boruch Sorotskin who comments on Rashi's language of "Eino" - Korach only looked with one eye, he did not look at the situation with both eyes open. Korach viewed this from a limited, myopic perspective and said - if Shmuel is coming from me, I should have more authority. Had Korach viewed this from a fully objective perspective, he would not have this thought.
R' Frand said a second vort from a sefer B'Tzel HaEshel written by R' Shmuel Irons who was R' Frand's roommate when R' Frand first came to Baltimore as a young bochur. The sefer writes on the pasuk in Bamidbar 17:6 "וַיִּלֹּ֜נוּ כָּל־עֲדַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִמָּ֣חֳרָ֔ת עַל־משֶׁ֥ה וְעַל־אַֽהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר אַתֶּ֥ם הֲמִתֶּ֖ם אֶת־עַ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה". As a result of this complaint, Hashem punished the people and there was a terrible plague, which Moshe and Aharon davened to Hashem to end. Thereafter, Moshe told Aharon - וַיֹּ֨אמֶר משֶׁ֜ה אֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֗ן קַ֣ח אֶת־הַ֠מַּחְתָּ֠ה וְתֶן־עָלֶ֨יהָ אֵ֜שׁ מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ וְשִׂ֣ים קְטֹ֔רֶת וְהוֹלֵ֧ךְ מְהֵרָ֛ה אֶל־הָֽעֵדָ֖ה וְכַפֵּ֣ר עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־יָצָ֥א הַקֶּ֛צֶף מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה הֵחֵ֥ל הַנָּֽגֶף. This instruction was to bring the Ketores to abate the plague. R' Frand commented that this was the same reason that many Gedolim told people to start saying the Parshas HaKetores from Parshas KiSissa every day when the pandemic first started in March (I myself did as well).
R' Frand quoted Rashi who said that people were speaking evil about the Ketores previously - saying that the Ketores is deadly, because Nadav and Avihu died when they brought the Ketores. Also, the 250 people with Korach died after they brought the Korach. To this Hashem said - see, bringing the Ketores will end the plague. Rashi further quotes the Medrash that when Moshe went up to receive the Torah that the Satan told Moshe the secret that Ketores can end a plague.
The B'Tzel HaEshel further explains the power of the Ketores by quoting the Medrash Tanchuma on Parshas Tezaveh, which discusses the Mizbayach HaZahav that the Ketores was brought on. The Medrash Tanchuma says that Hashem loves the Ketores because it is similar to Kesher. Hagar was called Keturah because she kept her tent tied and this was a ma'alah. But further the Ketores-Kesher is that it is unifies the Jews with and with each other.
R' Frand quoted a Gemara in Kerisos that says that the Chelbinah that was added was foul smelling, yet it did not give the Ketores a foul odor. Why? Because the Ketores needed various spices to produce its unique sweet aroma. Similarly, the Jewish people need achdus and even the poshei Yisrael need to be together with the group for a fast and a time of tzarah to be abated. The Ketores is the great unifier.
However when there is a time of pirud, the Ketores becomes deadly. This is a tremendous irony, it can be the greatest life giver and also cause death.
R' Frand quoted a gemara which states that Gehennom does not truly exist as a separate place. Hashem will take out the sun and it will be illuminating for the Tzadikim and destructive for the Resha'im.
R' Frand paralleled this to radiation - it can be used to heal and it can also destroy. It can cure people of cancer, but in heavy doses, like what happened at Chernobyl, it can kill.
So to the Ketores, if used improperly it can kill, like with Nadav & Avihu and the 250 followers of Korach. But when used properly it can bring us together and with Hashem.
R' Frand said that the "take home lesson" of the Ketores is not only that we should say the Ketores, but we should learn the lesson of the Ketores - to be M'Ageid - to bring Jews together and put aside the petty machlokes that we often have. If we do so, we can be zoche to see the life giving power of the Ketores.
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