The story of Korach stands in stark contrast to the beginning of sefer Bamidbar, which is referred to by Chazal as sefer hapikudim - the book of counting. The recurring theme throughout the parshiyos of Bamidbar, Naso, and Bahaloscha is that of the relationship between individuals and community. The Jewish people are counted first as individuals in parshas Bamidbar. Following the focus on the individual, the Torah adds up the numbers of the entire people. Similarly, the count of the Levi’im begins with every Levi and culminates in the total amount of the tribe of Levi.
The progression from individual to group is continued in parshas Naso, emphasized in the special korbanos offered by the nesi’im to inaugurate the Mishkan. First, the korbanos of every nasi are mentioned separately. Following the twelve individual sets of korbanos, all the gifts presented are tallied together. Parshas Bahaloscha continues with the theme of individual and community as well. As the Mishkan began its travels through the desert, the Torah highlights how each individual tribe camped around the Mishkan and how they each began their travel. The Torah then concludes by describing the entire Jewish people traveling together as one unit - ״אלה מסעי בני ישראל״.
Chazal have a fascinating insight concerning the gifts brought by the nesi’im. After weighing each piece of gold and silver separately, they were weighed together and there was no discrepancy in their weights. At first, this consistency seems obvious; why should there be any difference? Chazal are highlighting that even the greatest of individuals can sometimes not work well together within an entire group. The symbolism of the vessels of the nesi’im was that not only did every nasi offer a gift to enhance the Mishkan, but they also formed a cohesive unit encompassing all of Klal Yisroel. This was the imagery of the encampment and travel of the Mishkan - individual shevatim forming a united people with the Mishkan at its center.
In stark contrast to the picture of the Mishkan unifying the Jewish people, in Parshas Korach it is the Mishkan that turns into the center of dissent. Only when each individual is not looking for their own honor can the Mishkan function as a unifying force. Korach had great potential. As a Levi, Korach could have become a great force in avodas Hashem, guarding the Mishkan and fulfilling the role of a Levi to be the spiritual role models and teachers of Torah. However, all of this would never come to be. Korach failed to see himself as part of something greater than himself. He had not learned the lesson of the chanukas haMishkan.
Shevet Levi was entrusted with the mitzvah of shira, the songs that accompanied the korbanos tzibbur - the communal offerings. Korach did not consider the role of the choir and orchestra of musical instruments, which should have been his task, to be significant. Singing as a choir and playing as an orchestra necessitates cooperation and blending different sounds together. The beauty of such music is the expression of the multiple sounds playing together, thereby making the song even greater than its individual components. The song of the Levi’im was antithetical to Korach’s insisting on being the star of the show; he could never bring himself to blend his talents with others to play in the orchestra both literally and figuratively. It is truly ironic that the sons of Korach survived to sing praise to Hashem, as many portions of Tehillim are their songs.
The sons of Korach, who saw the terrible consequences of their father's actions, understood that it is shiras ha’Levi’im and all that it symbolizes which would become their legacy. Perhaps the most well-known of the songs of sons of Korach is the one we recite before blowing shofar on Rosh Hashana. This song extols the image of ״ כל העמים תקעו כף - all nations join hands” to praise Hashem. How apropos that the sons of Korach would internalize the message of not focusing on themselves as individuals but rather as partners in the great orchestra singing shira la’Hashem.
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