The Abudarham (1340-ish c.e.) in his Seder HaIbur on the Jewish calendar, indicates that it was Sh'lach and Korach (which he calls VAYIKACH; perhaps a nicer name for the sedra, that doesn't give honor to that person) were combined outside Israel in years when Shavuot was Friday (and Shabbat), rather than the Chukat and Balak we use today. Anytime we have a double sedra, it is fair to look at why "davka" they are paired. In most cases (of the 7 pairs that are sometimes read together), the connection between each part of the double is strong, and obvious. So, 650 years ago (in the time of the Abudarham), Sh'lach and Korach were combined. They aren't in our time, but actually they are! This week, for instance. We, the Jewish People, read Sh'lach and Korach this Shabbat. Each Jew usually will hear just one of the two sedras, but collectively, Sh'lach and Korach are combined.

Whereas commentaries comment on the connection of Korach to the last parsha of Sh'lach, the portion of Tzitzit, let us look at the connection between Korach's rebellion and the Sin of the Spies. Cheit HaMeraglim took up 2/3 of Parshat Sh'lach and the remaining 3rd had a lot to do with the first two thirds. 2/3 of Korach deals with Korach's rebellion and its aftermath. The other third contains mitzvot that can be seen to flow from the episode of Korach. Sh'lach is Cheit HaMeraglim; Korach is his rebellion. The sin of the spies led to an immediate death toll of 10 people and a degree of death within the next 38½ years of approx. 600,000. Korach's fiasco resulted in more than 250 deaths followed by another 14,700. Numbers aside, the alarming thing about Korach is that it followed so soon after Cheit HaMeraglim. And this time, the people were not resigned to their fate, but made things worse by their bitter complaints. Not a nice picture, but we need to ponder events and learn from them.

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