This week's Torah Gems were prepared by Larry Sochrin
Parshat Korach
"You want too much, sons of Levi."
As a Levi, especially one who expresses his views about KI religious policies as a KI officer, I'm naturally concerned about this parasha. Korach, also a Levi, argues against a system that categorizes levels of holiness within the community, a view that would fit in well in this age of egalitarianism. Korach is swallowed by the earth for expressing his views.
What exactly did Korach do to be so strongly punished?
Most commentary on this topic focuses on Pirkei Avot (a volume of the Mishnah), chapter 5: Every argument that is in the name of heaven will be established at the end. And those that are not in the name of heaven will not. What is an argument in the name of heaven? The arguments of Hillel and Shammai. And one that is NOT in the name of heaven? The argument of Korach and his followers. Why was Korach's argument not in the name of heaven? Because he was advancing a selfish cause:
"Is it not enough for you that the G-d of Israel has distinguished you from the community of Israel... that you also desire the priesthood?"
From Moses' response, we see that Korach actually desired the office of the Kohen Gadol for himself! He wasn't protesting because of the injustice to others. He was protesting because he wanted to inflate his own position. He was jealous. (Rabbi Michael Gold.)
The Talmud proclaims: "Anyone who engages in divisiveness transgresses a divine prohibition, as it is written: 'and he shall not be as Korach and his company.'"
Korach's vision seems the paradigm of harmony: diverse elements unified by a common goal. But while his "separate but equal" world may unite its various components in that they all serve the same common goal, it fails to provide for any true connection between them. The paths may converge at the destination, but they are separated by walls which isolate and divide them. Without a reciprocal relationship between them, without any sense of where they stand vis-à-vis each other, their separateness inevitably disintegrates into factionalism and conflict. By pointing to Korach as the father and prototype of divisiveness (machloket), the Talmud is saying: This pseudo-peace, this "Parallelism" that says, "I do my thing, you do yours, but it's all equally good, there's no objective 'higher' and 'lower' so there's neither need nor responsibility of one towards the other" - that is the source of all conflict in our world. (Lubavicher Rebbe.)
There is a second question that needs answering. G-d told Moses to physically move away from Korach. Why did G-d do that? Was it a fear that bad ideas were physically contagious?
"Separate Yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment."
The typical interpretation of this is that Moses and Aaron would be vulnerable to destruction were they to remain in the vicinity of Korach. Fifteenth century Italian commentator Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno states: "for we have a principle 'woe to the wicked and woe to his neighbor.' Hence, they are told to distance themselves, 'lest they be swept away.'"
But after pointing this out, Sforno comes up with a very different interpretation, saying that it actually could be read as "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, so that your merit should not shield them." He based this on Job 22:30, which says, "He delivers the one who is not innocent." Sforno believes that "the guilty can be saved by the righteous, for as the Metzudos David interprets the verse, the meaning is G-d delivers those who are not innocent in the merit of those 'whose hands are pure.' Therefore, Moses and Aaron are told to separate themselves from these sinners for otherwise, their presence will protect Korach and the others from punishment."
A more modern interpretation would be that sometimes, good people change bad people's minds. In the Torah, G-d occasionally works against people changing their minds to teach a lesson, such as when G-d kept hardening Pharaoh's heart, or here, where G-d did not wish Moses' presence to positively influence Korach.
So what can we learn from these interpretations of the elements of Parshat Korach?
1. We should be careful that our motives are not selfish ones before arguing with others.
2. We each need to view our roles in terms of their positive impact on the rest of the community.
3. When others are arguing on behalf of a bad situation, we may have the power to change their minds simply by setting good examples.
SHABBAT SHALOM
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