|
| Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:52:55 -0500 — |
|
|
|
D'var: Parashat Qorach 5785 Commentary by Michael Goldstein Friday, June 27, 2025 |
| Numbers 16:1 — 18:32 |
|
Korach is the main and title character in this Parshah’s drama and is, of course, named for him.
In it, Korach and his 250 followers accuse Moses and Aaron of taking power and prestige for
themselves at the expense of the community. Moses answers that Korach is rebelling against
God since both his and Aaron’s positions were assigned by God and Korach wants the priesthood for himself.
God tells Moses to address the entire congregation. Here’s the picture the Parshah’s author paints.
Moses said, "With this you shall know that the Lord sent me to do all these deeds,
for I did not devise them myself. If these men die as all men die and the fate of all men will
be visited upon them, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates a creation, and the
earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they descend alive into the grave,
you will know that these men have provoked the Lord." As soon as he finished speaking all these words,
the earth beneath them split open. The earth beneath them opened its mouth and swallowed them and their houses,
and all the men who were with Korach and all the property. (Numbers 16:28-32)
After that, God sends a plague to punish everyone else but Moses sends Aaron to perform a ritual atonement for them. Aaron does so, but even so, almost 15 thousand Israelites die. I think there are at least two possible reasons Korach wants to be the Kohen Gadol, the head priest: Jealousy and personal ambition. I’m going to discuss jealousy. One of the messages of this Parshah is loud and clear in it. Of course, by wanting Aaron’s job, Korach breaks the Tenth Commandment.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife,
his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or whatever belongs to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:14).
In the Second Century, Simeon ben Zoma, an Israelite scholar, wrote, "Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot." The Mishna advises us, "Jealousy, desire, and pursuit of honor remove a person from the world." Although Korach had both social status and wealth, he wanted more. Jealousy led him to rebel against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. The Parshah’s author certainly removed him from the world. This Parshah encourages us to emulate positive behavior. The desire to refine our abilities, knowledge, and character is positive and productive. Psychologists tell us that one of the main causes of jealousy is low self-esteem. I believe that the Torah teaches us wonderfully moral ideas and can help us cultivate a realistic sense of who we are. Thou shalt not covet is a fundamental teaching. Thinking, "I deserve that as much or more than they do," or, "Why don’t I have what they have?" is, after all, what led to Korach’s downfall. My third grade teacher told us, "It’s not the part we play that matters; what matters is how well we play the part. Jealousy will distract you from that." The Talmud says: "Who is wise? One who sees what will be born from his actions." Our thoughts influence our direction. Jealousy produces negative results and harboring jealousy is harmful. One of the other messages in this Parshah is to try to be wise. Wise people know their red flags. We should be aware of our own too. The late Rabbi Rachel Cowan wrote: "The Korach in all of us gets triggered by different emotions: fear, anger, anxiety, greed, doubt. When this happens, we lose sight of the whole and become caught up in our own inner dramas. Our needs eclipse the needs of others. Moses’ path— and ours— is to move from the narrow place of doubt, fear, anger, and jealousy to an expansive covenanted life in a community of mutual care and responsibility. In such a community, all people are holy. They — we— can remind each other that what matters is not the ambition of the self, but the work of helping to make the soul, the home, the office, and the world a safer, wiser, more compassionate place for all." On the day of my bar mitzvah, my father, the wisest man I have ever known, told me, "don’t be jealous. Remember that thoughts lead us to act, so choose carefully what you think about. Stay away from ideas that can mislead you. Don’t focus on what’s lacking in your life. Know what you have and what you can be grateful for." I have always tried to remember his words. Michael Goldstein |
|
|
|
Site Last Updated: Copyright © 2015–2025— |
May 5, 2025
by The Jewish Community of the Hill Country |