An Ari Equation for Life

This article is based on a shiur by Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz.

It would be a tragedy to not return to Korach for an equation of the Ari that offers guidance on how to conduct our lives. The equation explained by the Shem Mishmuel is Moshe (345) minus Hevel (37) equals Korach (308), and similarly Korach plus Hevel equals Moshe.

To explain, we would need to return to creation.

Upon Kayin's birth, Chava says (Genesis 4:1), “…kaniti ish et Hashem -...I've created a man with God.” This is a birth personified by creativity, innovation and ingenuity. Kayin creatively initiates a korban to Hashem and transmits the notion of teshuvah to Adam. Kayin is a builder, a communicator, not someone on the sidelines.

But a dominator and initiator can easily fall into the trap that everything happens based on his own superiority. Arrogance and self-importance easily creep in. Kayin, the creative soul, is steeped in arrogance and ends up murdering his brother out of fury, misgivings and conceit. He was ensnared by that which is enunciated in the Torah (Deuteronomy 8:17), “…kochi v'otzem yadi – …that my own strength brings about success.”

On the other extreme, you find the same mother naming her second son Hevel, a name standing for nothingness. This is passivity of the highest order, in concordance with Solomon's words (Ecclesiastes 1:2), "Hevel Havalim" ("vanity of vanities"). True, Hevel improves upon Kayin's korban, but he wasn’t the initiator. He's not a creative force, rather someone who stays in the background, offering no contributions. However, he has the all-important ability to fully negate himself. But full negation with no decision-making, contribution and creativity is not the hoped-for life.

Rabbi Chaim Vital explains that the chance for rectification of these souls came through Moshe and Korach, Moshe being the gilgul of Hevel, and Korach being the gilgul of Kayin.

Moshe is successful in his tikkun of Hevel. Though Moshe submits wholly to God, and knows his success lies with the Creator, like Hevel, he also leads and makes bold decisions. He breaks the luchos, which G-d affirms to be the correct decision (See Rashi on Deuteronomy 34:12), orders retribution for the eigel, and throughout the midbar must constantly innovate in making hard choices. He adds the creative force to the negation.

Korach, however, fails greatly in his chance of tikkun for Kayin. Korach was also a person of great influence, gathering many, constantly initiating, corralling and presenting arguments. But these were all self-serving and seeped in arrogance. He's the entitlement character who feels he is above everyone despite claiming to argue for the equality of everyone. He took on the persona of Kayin but lost the chance to perfect Kayin’s soul.

It’s interesting, for as much as Korach failed, Moshe didn't deny this creativity in full, as he himself asked for a new mouth of the land, symbolic of creativity, to gather him up (see Sanhedrin 110a). And Korach’s voice continues until today (Bava Basra 74a), albeit below ground, acknowledging that a creative force can redeem itself, if it's willing to credit its accomplishments to a higher force, G-d, the most creative and humble force that exists.

In the end, the Ari, as explained by the Shem Mishmuel, computes a formula for life. Moshe, with the power of creativity and submission minus Hevel, that represents total passivity, but submission, equals Korach, all creative, but all arrogant. And Hevel, the one who can negate his essence plus Korach, the force of initiation, leadership and creativity equals Moshe. 

The great challenge for every person now emerges. Can a person create but still destroy any self-importance, any iota of arrogance, knowing that he’s really nothing compared to G-d and his success is wholly dependent upon G-d? Can one lead and still submit? Can one accomplish and reach great heights while staying low to the ground and having no ego? G-d calls arrogance an abomination (See Proverbs 16:5) and therefore there must be a constant battle to destroy it in totality, despite the mandate to create and contribute.