Over the course of the last several Presidencies, there have been ongoing discussions about the divided state of America’s political system. Commentators from both sides of the political spectrum bemoan the severe split of partisan politics. It is truly troubling how one feels forced to choose the right or the left, since the moderate middle seems muted in the race for public opinion – a problem that feels like it is troubling democracies around the world. And here we go again…on the precipice of another election year…the cycle of which has already begun far in advance as the politicians are already taking the stands.
Believing politicians is a recipe for disappointment, and there is a warning for this alluded to in the Torah. This is the modern-day message of the story of Korach.
In quick summary: Korach the Levite, cousin of Moshe and Aaron, instigated a protest against their leadership. He was joined by two known troublemakers, Datham and Aviram, and their fellow tribesman, On. Eventually, Korach came against Moshe with 250 followers. The protestors declared that Moshe and Aaron “take too much for yourselves, for the whole community, every one of them, is holy and God is in their midst. Why do you raise yourselves above the congregation of God?” (16:3). Moshe tells these men to return the next morning to offer incense and to see what God’s response to their protest would be. In the meantime, Korach tried to rally more people to his side, while Moshe tried to get them to desist from their actions. In the morning, the earth swallowed Korach, Datham, and Aviram and all that was theirs; a fire consumed the 250 men who had remained with Korach.
The subtext of the story, as explained by the oral tradition, is that Korach was upset that he had not been appointed High Priest. He spoke of equality in holiness and fairness among all people to persuade others to protest the leadership of Moshe and Aaron.
There are a few verses at the beginning of the parsha that seemed interesting to me, particularly in light of the current political climate. Most significant of all was the very first sentence…Vayikach Korach, which most literally translates to, “And Korach the son of Izhar, the son of Kahath, the son of Levi, TOOK Dathan and Aviram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben” (16:1). To take is a very active verb. He wasn’t casually mentioning his issues to them and they empathized. There is an implication here that he went to them to bring them on to his cause. Korach knew their reputation and he sought them out anyway.
16:2 says, in English, “And they got up in front of Moshe, and 250 men from Bnei Israel” … In the grammar of the verse these are two separate phrases. Korach and his colleagues got themselves up in front of the national leader, making themselves particularly noticeable and lending credence to their leadership so that they gained the support of these 250 men.
16:3 V’y’kahalu ahl Moshe v’ahl Aaron…. And they gathered themselves together against Moshe and against Aaron. V’y’kahalu implies a level of connection among the protestors. They were no longer an assorted rabble but had decided to stand as a united community. But the kehillah was united under the false premise that their leader wanted fairness. Really, he wanted something unattainable: fair equality. Why is this unattainable? Because fair equality is not a Torah concept in the modern understanding. God commanded a system of “castes” so to speak. He said these shall be the priests, and these shall be their assistants. The leadership was ordained to be from the Tribe of Yehuda, etc. God told Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons as High Priest, for Aaron had acted in this role since the days in Egypt. Fair is a human measurement. Hashem designed the world with judgement and mercy, not fairness. If everyone were equally endowed no one would succeed because no one would be able to stand out in their own fields. Yet Korach made it a point to stress that God had declared every member of Bnei Yisrael holy. If Korach truly believed in a Divine appointment of kedusha, his ego should have no trouble accepting God’s appointment of Moshe and Aaron to their leadership roles.
And Moshe demonstrated his leadership in an exemplary manner. Had he been a man in a role of leadership for his own glorification, he might have gotten angry. Instead, his reaction recorded in the Torah is that he listened. He got frustrated with their argument, but he listened. Indeed, his reaction is almost of shock and indignation as he points out that Korach already had an elevated role as a leader of a Levite clan. Moshe even tried to talk to Dathan and Aviram separately, to try to understand why they were rising up. Their response is informative:
“We will not come up. Is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, that you would also lord it over us? Even if you had brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and given us possession of fields and vineyards, should you gouge out those men’s eyes? We will not come!” (16:12-14). Moshe wanted to hear what the real problem was, and instead he was fed the same rally of complaints he had heard at each difficulty in the wilderness. These men were willing to join in any protest.
Korach’s goals were for himself, not for the general people. Datham and Aviram were, in today’s lingo, professional agitators. When God came to pass judgement, He told Moshe to tell the rest of the people who had gathered to “Get yourselves up from about the dwelling place of Korach, Dathan, and Aviram.” (16:25). Then the terrible consequences of their actions were made clear.
We do not live in an age of open miracles. No parcel of land is going to open up and swallow the leaders who speak from both sides of their mouths. And so we must work hard, particularly in this impending period before an election, to understand the true motivations of the people who make grand statements of fairness and equality. Look deep, think hard, and try to find the real leaders in the land.
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