ועבד הלוי הוא את עבדת אהל מועד והם ישאו עונם (קרח יח:כג)

The Baal Shem Tov Hakadosh zt’’l once sent two of his notable talmidim to a shtetl to rebuke the Yidden there and arouse them to do teshuva. The talmidim arrived and delivered soft words of rebuke, but it seemed as if their words fell on deaf ears – they didn’t accomplish anything. 

After a few days of trying, the talmidim gave up and decided to return to their Rebbe, saying they couldn’t fulfill his mission. However, they thought to themselves: ‘If we failed in arousing the shtetl’s Yidden, at least we should correct our ways and repent. They rented an apartment in the shtetl and began doing a ‘cheshbon hanefesh’ – a reckoning on how they could improve to serve Hashem better.

After a short time, the shtetl’s inhabitants started feeling a deep sense of regret and teshuva and they started seeking how to improve all their deeds.

When the talmidim returned, the Baal Shem Tov explained that when lofty Yidden work on increasing their השם עבודת – service to Hashem, they influence the simple Yidden to arouse them to do teshuva. 

The holy Aryeh d’Bei Eluya of Viznitza zt’’l referenced this episode to the passuk in this parsha: מועד אהל עבדת את הוא הלוי ועבד – when the Levi – the loftier Yid serves Hashem, then והם – the simple Yidden עונם ישאו – are aroused to do teshuva for their sins.