HEBREW WORD STUDY – ALSO – GAM  גם Gimmel Mem

Numbers 16:10:  “And he hath brought thee near [to him], and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?”

I am sure many we remember the story of Korach from Sunday School.  He got together a group of rebels and planned a coup against Moses.  God caused an earthquake to take place dragging Korach and his followers into the earth and ending the rebellion.

Yet, what was this rebellion all about?  Why did Korach rise up against Moses?  His biggest complaint was that the entire nation was holy so what made Moses think he and his brother and sister were to be the elite?

The Talmud teaches that Korach was very wealthy and thus money does talk.  On top of that Moses appointed Elzapath, Korach’s younger cousin to be the prince of the tribe of Levi. That was a real bone of contention as Korach felt that being the eldest this was his role.

The Talmud teaches Korach had his sights set on something else.  He wanted to be the High Priest, he wanted the position that Aaron held. You see not all members of the tribe of Levi were a priest. Only those descended from the line of Aaron. The other members of the Levitical tribe carried out ministerial duties, music, worship, teaching, ministering to the sick, counseling, etc, But as far as the actual duties of lighting the Menorah and offering the sacrifices and going into Holy of Holies that was reserved for one person, the High Priest. 

I read in the Mishnah Rabbah that Moses himself wished he could be the High Priest. This I had trouble finding in Scripture until I took a much closer look at Number 16:10 and saw the words “seek ye the priesthood also?”  That little word gam in the Hebrew, it goes almost totally unnoticed, yet every modern English translation gives a rendering for that word which is “also.”  Also?  Who is the other party to this also?  The sages conclude the obvious.  It is Moses himself.

He is telling Korach “You want to be the high priest? Well, so do I but it just isn’t in the cards buddy.” 

Why would Moses want to be the high priest?  He was like the king of the nation of Israel. He was the Top Cat, Head Honcho, the Big Kahuna, that was not enough for him?  The thing is Moses did not really want to be the leader in the first place.  He only took the position because he was called to that position.  I have heard it said that it was such tragedy that God did not allow Moses to enter the promised land, that he had to die before entering and he only got to see it.  Big whip, he got to see it.  You think he never got to see the Promised Land in his spirit after he passed? Was leading an army into the land to conquer it preferable to resting in the arms of the God He loved?  I don’t buy it.  I think God was being merciful to him by taking him home at the age of 120.  I think old Moses had had enough of the old headaches, problems, whining, belly aching and hassles of leading a nation through a wilderness.  I believe when God told Moses that he could now join his brother and sister in glory he shouted Yippee and all that and reached out for that Divine Kiss. 

I remember singing as a child an old chorus, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”  I am sure that would have been one of Moses’s favorites songs. 

So why did everyone want to be a high priest?  I mean you talk of a plumb role, the job of a lifetime, it is the high priest.  No one hassled the high priest.  I mean you were Mr. Holy, like the Pope. Respect, honor, privilege and the attention of the entire nation. The role of Moses was like the fall guy, the one who got stuck with all the problems. Not only that the High Priest got to enter the Holy of Holies and be in the very presence of God.  He spent his life communing with God.  One other big advantage, the High Priest, at least Aaron was given the gift of love according to the Talmud.  I mean it was a real gift, the ability to impart the love of God to those who would accept it. He could walk into the middle of a barroom brawl, raise his arms and say peace and if everyone’s heart was open to it, that peace and love would enter. 

Think about it, what a gift.  Someone comes to you and tells you of his struggle with his marriage or his job. Maybe he hasn’t got a job, he is worried, fearful and frustrated and you simply place your hand on his shoulder and say: “Peace, my brother” and suddenly his burden is lifted, he is filled with the joy of the Lord.  Oh, there are gifts of prophecy, tongues, gifts of wisdom, and knowledge but the greatest of all is the gift of love, the gift of being able to impart to someone the love of God. 

Oh, how Moses must have craved that gift as people came to him with all their problems and hang-ups.  How many of us would long for that gift of peace and love?  Too bad it just doesn’t exist today. Of does it?  

Luke 10:5:  “And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace [be] to this house.”  I wonder what Jesus was really talking about here?