Parshas Korach: Overcoming and Elevating, a Lesson for Humans

 

Parshas Korach: Overcoming and Elevating, a Lesson for Humans

Here is a question on Parshas Korach…

The story of Korach begins like this: “Korach son of Yitzhar son of Kehat son of Levi took himself aside, together with Dathan and Aviram sons of Eli’av, and On son of Pelet, descendants of Reuben. They confronted Moshe together with 250 men from the Israelites, including the princes of the community, summoned for the meeting, and other men of repute. They assembled against Moshe and Aaron. They said to them, ‘You take too much upon yourselves, for the entire community—all of them—are holy, and God is in their midst. Why do you raise yourselves above God’s assembly?’” (Bamidbar 16:1-3)

 

Two hundred and fifty men…That’s not Korach and a few neighbors on the block. That’s not a spontaneous reaction. That’s planning. That’s setting about and shmoozing to encourage and enflame. So why doesn’t the Torah relay Korach’s actions of creating this small mob? Then again, one could also ask: Why doesn’t the Torah straight out say what the Midrash tells us, that Korach was jealous, that he wanted to be elevated the way his cousins (Moshe and Aaron) were?

 

Obviously, these are rhetorical questions because the Torah is full of narratives whose motivations are obscure. Just look at how ambiguously Yaakov’s interactions with Esav are described. But let’s explore one idea… We know from the end actions that Korach was full of negative feelings about the choice of leaders. We know, from the Midrash, that his discontent was stirred and enhanced by his wife. We know, from the first pasuk, that he joined himself with Dasan and Aviram, who were already marked as malcontents. He didn’t, one can assume, speak only to the 250 people who agreed with him; we can assume that there were people he talked to who disagreed … He was probably walking around fuming from within for several days before he steps forth into the parsha.

 

So what? Well, one thing about the Torah is that, in so many ways, it affirms being human. It recognizes that we have negative feelings and it gives room for them. He’s not punished for the before. The question is what do we do with those feelings. Do we find a way to understand the situation from a new angle, find a way to fix a problem, find away to take on a new role and perspective, or do we, ya know, lead a rebellion.

 

The very suddenness of Korach’s rebellion has allusion to its insipient nature. We know Korach was sneaking around because there is no statement of a grumbling started among the people of Israel. There is just Korach and Dasan and Aviram bringing 250 men to confront Moshe and Aaron. All his work was kept in the dark recesses so as not to draw attention. If it feels secretive, it probably isn’t wholesome.

 

Now, you may ask an obvious question. How is one to know if their complaint is legitimate? We see in history that sometimes change is necessary, and that undercurrent gatherings like Korach’s are powerful forces of change. … the fact is that Korach’s choice of bringing a group with complaint to Moshe could be seen as him making a legitimate move.

 

The turnkey phrase is the last line of the third verse  “Why do you raise yourselves above God’s assembly?” Korach wasn’t asking why Moshe and Aaron merited their positions; he is asking why they raised themselves above. He is revealing a lack of bitachon that Hashem runs the world even in minutia, that Hashem structured Klal Yisrael this way. He is making it personal – raise yourselves up, indeed!

 

And perhaps we should address the other side of that coin of humanity, which is Moshe’s initial reaction because, really, if you think about it, it is an incredibly strange reaction. He fell on his face before them and called on Hashem to judge the truth.

 

The most normal reaction would anger… despair… both normal. And really, probably most normal… incredulity. Moshe had every reason to turn around and laugh at what they said, or to sarcastically question their sanity. Moshe would have every right to have gone off on a mad tirade about taking too much upon himself when he faced down Pharoah or led the nation through the sea or was the one who went up to Har Sinai when all the rest of Bnei Yisrael were too afraid. Instead, Moshe took everything that they said to heart, and he took them seriously.

 

Perhaps you are right now thinking that Moshe DID get mad. You’re right.. but only later, only after Dasan and Aviram blatantly and rudely refuse to meet with him and, instead, accused him of bad leadership and even verbally spit at him in Pasuk 16:14 by saying “Even if you gouge out the eyes of those men, we will not go up.” Only then does he get angry.

 

But after the group first comes to him, Moshe really stops and worries and asks Hashem to make a judgement, because unlike their accusations, Moshe assumes that there is a possibility of truth to their accusation.

 

This piece is going to wind down ineloquently… there are lots of lessons one can take from the Parsha of Korach, but perhaps one of the most important one is that in ourselves and in others, we must recognize (as Hashem does throughout the Torah) how utterly human each of us is. You may have feelings of jealousy; you’re human. You may have moments of insecurity; you’re human. When those feelings and moments come, accept your humanity but look to Hashem for guidance, cling to the Torah for a way to overcome and elevate.

 

 

 

Parshas Korach – Rallied

 

Dedicated to the brave chayalim who are protecting our homeland.

 

Over the last several months, we have all been following the somewhat befuddling events taking place on major university campuses, and spreading beyond. People are lining up to follow the anti-Israel contingent because they think that they are doing the right thing, but in so doing, they have reverted to plain old anti-Semitism – vandalising synagogues and taunting Jewish students.

 

Many of the people participating in these protests are not clear on the specifics; they don’t know what river or what sea and they ignore the non-stop history of violence against Israel that rarely lets up.  But they believe, they truly believe, that they are fighting for justice, for what is right.

 

While the context is vastly different, it is interesting to consider how mob mentality effected Bnei Yisrael when one well-spoken man spoke out strongly for what he perceived as justice even as it flew against that which was Divinely ordained. Korach stood up to speak against Moshe and Aaron monopolizing the leadership because perceiving this as truth allowed him to rationalize his jealousy. Datan and Aviram grabbed onto the spirit of Korach’s ire and fanned the flames of his sense of righteous indignation – Had Korach stopped to see who it was who was rallying to his side, had he remembered their history of rabble-rousing, well perhaps things would have ended differently.

 

What of the members of the nation who followed Korach, who stood against Moshe and Aaron? Sincerity is a lovely motivation, but one can sincerely believe in the wrong thing. Over the last decades, how often has the society we lived in revised its moral compass. What once was wrong is now right, because that is what happens when what is right and fair and just are determined by how we feel. Korach felt that Aaron as Moshe’s brother having the kahuna was unjust, that one family should not share the leadership, and he truly believed that. But his righteous indignation also blinded him to the simple fact that Moshe and Aaron had both been given their roles by Hashem.

 

The followers of Korach who were consumed by heavenly flame are not considered wicked or evil people. They were misled by their hubris and by the ever-human desire to create that which is “fair.” When people start clamoring for “fair” or “right,” however, they often forget that the universe has rules because the universe has a Ruler. Hashem appointed Moshe and Aaron to their respective leadership roles, and after that, nothing else mattered. Hashem declared a specific role for Bnei Yisrael, and a special homeland, and whether others think that is fair or just, doesn’t actually matter. What matters is whether we are following the right path as set out in the Torah, that we are doing the will of Hashem. When we don’t follow the will of Hashem, the blueprint of existence that Hashem gave us, then there are consequences.

 

The path of history is long and those who are shouting their righteous indignation and anti-Semitic poison now sincerely, it is sad to say, believe that they are fighting for justice. They ignore the non-stop rockets that have been sent into Israel for years, they minimize the barbarity of the attack on civilians, and they fail to acknowledge the hostages that are still being held. Over the last century society has chosen to believe that all people can come together and determine a rightness of being in the world, but this too is hubris – because politics and pride and jealousy color every decision made. Organizations like the UN and the International Court claim objectiveness when this is an impossible feat for the human psyche.

 

After Korach’s Levites perished, Hashem commanded Eleazar the son of Aaron HaKohein to gather the fire pans and beat them into a covering for the alter. They weren’t buried or hidden or destroyed. They were transformed and elevated so that ever after people could be reminded of that which had occurred and remember that Hashem has a plan, whether you like it or not.

 

 

Parshas Korach – Wielding Words

 The next time we read Parshas Korach, the United States will be enmeshed in the last months of a federal election. Perhaps now, as the race is just revving up, it is appropriate to look at Parshas Korach and learn about leadership. Assuming no one reading this will be contending for office, one might wonder at the significance of this topic to the average person. The answer is that we are the ones who, in a democracy, are the ones who must assess the candidates for their actual leadership skills, and one of the critical factors that must be assessed is their use of pronouns of responsibility. This does not refer to anything associated with identity, but rather the very subtle way in which people use language.

 “Moshe sent for Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliav; but they said ‘We will not come! Is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, that you would also lord it over us? Moreover, not to a land of milk and honey have you brought us, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!’” (Bamidbar 16:12-14). This response occurs after Moshe has already spoken privately to his cousin Korach, the initiator of a rebellion of 250 leaders against Moshe and Aaron. Korach’s first followers were Dathan, Abiram, and a man named On, who quickly saw that this was not the right path.

 Although Korach had started the rebellion with speaking among the people and gathering a following, Moshe spoke to him (in pasukim ches – yud aleph 8-11) privately and on a personal level addressing the question in a more individualized way by pointing out that Korach and his sons were already elevated in status by the fact that they were Leviim. When Moshe called for Dathan and Abiram, however, they responded with hyperbolic public accusations. Every phrase is rife with inuendo:

 “Is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey - [and then] - Moreover, not to a land of milk and honey have you brought us, nor given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards.” … Note the You and the Us. They aren’t talking of just the two of themselves, but they are speaking of Bnei Yisrael and placing the blame squarely on the singular You of Moshe. Dathan and Abiram speak of the Land of Mitzrayim as a land of milk and honey. This is how they remember their enslavement? Of course not. This language is carefully chosen to mirror the promises Moshe has recited. All the more so, it creates a juxtaposition to their statement of what has not yet occurred – their entry into the Promised Land.

 “to kill us in the wilderness” … And again the Us implying not just themselves but the people all around them. It is important to note that the inference here is causal, that Moshe led them to a place to be put to death. There is no acceptance of any responsibility on the part of themselves (as part of the nation) for the generation’s remaining in the wilderness. You brought us to die has a very different tone than and we are dying.

 Bnei Yisrael were brought to the brink of the Promised Land, and they were not permitted to enter because of their own lack of trust in Hashem. One of the reasons that this generation could not enter the Promised Land is precisely the behaviour being demonstrated here – the inability to take responsibility for their own actions.

 “That you would also lord it over us?” … This entire phrase is a red flag in any political debate. It is an accusation to which any defensive response buries the opponent in either difficult to believe humility or the appearance of arrogance. The line between being a leader and being a ruler is very fine, and in the realm of outside opinion, that line is very easily crossed. Moshe quite consciously led Bnei Yisrael and did not rule them, but once this aspersion was cast, it would be hard for others not to wonder at his actions.

 “Will you gouge out the eyes of these men?” And now the ultimate manipulation. Moshe never threatened them or anyone else. Moshe called them to come to speak with him, but their response implies Moshe’s desire to punish the entire group (the 250 men) in a most violent method. Dathan and Abiram are creating an implied threat in order to make themselves seem greater.

 “We will not come up!’” This is both the first and the last phrase of their response, which is a classic rhetorical maneuver. Stated alone and it seems a simple refusal; stated as the bookends of this dramatic response and it is a statement of their virtue.

 The fact that Dathan and Abiram’s response can be sliced apart to highlight elements of propaganda says far more about them than even their decision to involve themselves in Korach’s machlokes. And Moshe’s responding action does the same:

 “And Moshe was very distressed (with anger). And he said to Hashem, ‘Do not accept their offering. I have not taken a donkey from a single one of them, and I have not harmed a single one of them.’ Moshe said to Korach, ‘You and your entire congregation should be before the Lord. You, they, and Aaron tomorrow…’” (16:15-16).

 There are several profound things about Moshe’s response, not the least which is the fact that he speaks to Hashem first. Moshe’s immediate action is to pray and to take a moment of self-reflection. His prayer, “Do not accept their offering,” demonstrates that Moshe was concerned that perhaps Hashem would not side with him, that perhaps he had done something wrong. And so, he asks for Hashem’s help specifically. His self-reflection is his declaration that he has not taken a donkey nor harmed a single one of them. Moshe somehow seems worried that Hashem will hear in Dathan and Abiram’s accusation of his bringing the people to die and lording it over them, an actual accusation of wrongdoing.

 Moshe’s next response is to repeat, with more details, the instructions he gave in 16:5, which is that they should come in the morning for a test before Hashem. Moshe removed himself and his ego from the conversation. Moshe is focused on the goal of serving Hashem properly, not of solidifying his leadership. He doesn’t get into a petty shouting match with the rebels. He presents an opportunity for them to prove their point. And, as the parsha goes on to explain, they fail.

 Words are powerful tools that must be wielded wisely. In Parshas Korach, we see a spiritual method of “think before you respond,” which is turn to Hashem and reflect on your own actions before you respond. More importantly, we must always be active listeners and readers who dissect the words we are fed. This is true in every aspect of our lives – from politics to friendships to family dynamics.

 I wish you all a Shabbas of peace.  

Parshas Korach - Achieving the Opposite

The last chapter of Parshas Korach describes some of the privileges of being either a Kohain or a Levi. To sum it up quickly, the priests are able to eat many of the sacrificial offerings, including, often, select portions. The priests receive the best of the gifts that the people bring to the Temple, the firstborn of the flocks and herds, and the payment of the redemption of the firstborn. The Levites receive a tithe (1/10th) of the crops of Bnei Yisrael, but from all that they receive they must take a tithe as well and bring it to the priests. These privileges, these rights to eat from the offerings and to receive the tithes, were in compensation for the services they were to perform for Bnei Yisrael as well as for the fact that they would receive no land of their own. 

Receiving the maaser tithe alleviated the need of the Levites to work the land. It made certain that they were provided for. But, if one examines the actual system, one notices that this was nothing in comparison to what was now granted to the Kohanim, who, at many points in Jewish history, actually had a great deal of wealth. This may always have been Hashem’s plan, of course, but if one follows the text of the parsha one might notice the subtle irony that this increase in wealth for the Kohanim, this elevation of the priesthood yet farther from the rest of Bnei Yisrael, was a direct result of Korach’s rebellion. 

Korach, a Levite, approached Moshe and charged him with nepotism. He said to Moshe: “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and Hashem is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves [Moshe and Aaron] above Hashem’s congregation?” (Bamidbar 16:3). 

On the surface, Korach’s argument was that the sons of Amram held too much power, too much honor, among themselves. He railed against the fact that Moshe had appointed Aaron as High Priest when Moshe was already like a king, even though they had both been given their roles by Hashem. 

Commentaries frequently discuss the question of Korach’s underlying motivation. Korach was already placed well above most of Bnei Yisrael. The Midrash informs us that not only was he a leader among his family, but he was both exceptionally wealthy and a well-regarded scholar. Furthermore, he was a Levi, and thus had already received the elevated role of serving in the Mishkan. In trying to dissuade him and his followers, Moshe cried “Is it not enough that the God of Israel has distinguished you from the congregation of Israel to draw you near to Him, to perform the service in the Mishkan of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?” (16:9).

Korach and his followers lost their argument when Hashem caused the earth to swallow Korach and sent heavenly fire upon the followers. The dramatic end to the rebellion does not quell the unrest. The people complain the next day that Moshe and Aaron were responsible for the violent end of the rebellion. Hashem struck the people with a plague and then sent Aaron into the people to accept their atonement and be saved from the plague. At the same time, a staff for each tribe was put in the Holy of Holies and the next morning Aaron’s staff budded almond blossoms and almond, thus ending any doubt to Aaron’s having been chosen by Hashem.

At the very end of these tumultuous events, the perek has two interesting pasukim: “The children of Israel spoke to Moshe saying, "Behold, we are dying, we will perish, we are all lost! Whoever comes the closest to the Mishkan of the Lord dies! Have we been consigned to die?” (17:27-28). Thus we come to Perek 18, where Hashem commands: “The Lord said to Aaron: You, your sons and your father's house shall bear the iniquity associated with the Sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your kehunah. Also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, your father's tribe, are drawn close to you, and they shall join you and minister to you, and you and your sons with you, before the Tent of Testimony.” (18:1-2). What had been simply roles and jobs for the Kohanim and Leviim were now responsibilities for which they risked bearing iniquity. 

Korach started his rebellion with pluralistic rhetoric, claiming that one family should not hold so much honor, but his true goal was to elevate himself. It was his actions, his inability to recognize and utilize that which he already had, that led to what could be seen as a further division of the Kohanim to the Leviim and both to the rest of the tribes. 

Parshas Korach can, perhaps, be read as a negative narrative that emphasises the statement articulated in Pirkei Avos: “Who is a wealthy man, he who is happy with his lot…” This does not mean that one should be meek and never stand up for oneself. However, when one feels angry or disgruntled or wronged, perhaps the first step – before the reaction – is a self-check. What are my motivations? Am I angry because of my ego or because an injustice has truly occurred? And being honest with oneself, as we all know and as is plainly clear from Korach’s example, is one of the hardest tests a person can face. When we are not honest with ourselves, however, the consequences may be far from what we actually seek. 

Shabbat Shalom

Parshas Korach: Am I Wicked?

 A philosophical question about evil: Do wicked people know that they are wicked? Haven’t you ever wondered how murderous dictators sleep at night? Of course, that is an extreme example. Perhaps at the opposite end of the spectrum of examples might be the town gossip who knowingly shares private information. This may seem a strange musing, but it really boils down to the question of how do wicked people view themselves? A piece of the puzzle might be found in Parshas Korach.

In Parshas Korach there are three fascinating antagonists who, if they were given the opportunity to write the story of their own lives, would probably paint themselves as heroic figures. Although the Torah makes it clear that Korach, Dasan, and Aviram were wrong, it also records their actions in such a way as one might sympathise with their cause (as it does also for Eisav and Ishmael). It is through Midrash that we come to understand them, and one could wonder – particularly in the case of Korach – if they even understood themselves.

According to the text, Korach appeared to really care about equality among Bnei Yisrael. His qualm is stated as concern that Moshe and Aaron had taken too many roles of leadership that should have been more widely distributed. His premise was that all of Bnei Yisrael was equally holy, for they had all stood in the presence of Hashem. It is only through the oral traditions that are integral to Torah that we begin to understand his psychology, and it is interesting because one could see it hinted at in the first word of the parsha: “Vayikach Korach, and Korach took” (16:1). Korach “took issue” and brought it to others. From his perspective, he saw Moshe and Aaron as having taken leadership roles, not as having been given leadership roles by Hashem. He saw Moshe as having taken power because inherently that was what Korach wanted to do. The Midrash explains that Korach’s fatal flaw was that he wanted power, wanted that kavod, for himself. But the question remains, if we need the Midrash to explain this to us, isn’t it possible that Korach was unaware of his true motivations? Isn’t it possible that he himself believed that his motives were pure?

Dasan and Aviram are another matter. They are known consistently through the Midrash as instigators, as troublemakers who seem to almost take pride in bringing contention. With that in mind, one might then question whether it is fair to judge them if their personalities are just contentious by nature. Once again, the question comes down to honest goals and motivations. Dasan and Aviram did not try to help Bnei Yisrael, even if they couched their words in a communal framework. They simply tried, over and over, to break down the leadership, the cohesiveness, and the forward moving motion of the nation. They did so because they could, because they felt powerful acting in this way. They lived for the adrenaline of the fight, not for the actual results. Those types of motivations, however, are often completely subconscious. Most people would not admit – to others or even to themselves – that they like causing others to fight, but they nevertheless sow the seeds of discord (and grab some popcorn to watch!).

That there is enough psychological information to question whether Korach, Dasan, and Aviram were actively wicked – were men who knowingly chose wrong – can help one understand Moshe’s strange, short tefilla recorded in 16:15: “And Moshe was greatly aggrieved, and he said to Hashem ‘Pay no regard to their oblations. I have not taken a donkey of any one of them, nor have I wronged any one of them.’” Why would Moshe even think he needed to defend his honesty and actions unless he believed that these men had enough good intentions not to know how wicked their actions were and to actually have enough merit to give weight to their complaint.

Additionally, the fact that Moshe asks Hashem not to recognize their oblations – their offerings of the mincha – could indicate that these men did not view themselves as wicked. They saw themselves as average people of the community, and Moshe’s concern for the acceptance of their mincha offering could be an answer to whether people who are wicked pray like people who are good. Of course, they do! Even people who know they are doing wrong – let’s say an embezzler – find ways to excuse their actions, to find rationalizations and self-revised history. Korach, when he stood up and questioned Moshe, had made himself believe that he was trying to help everybody.

If intentions and motivations matter so much, was Korach’s punishment fair. For that matter, should he have been punished at all if he erred in his behavior but his intentions were kosher? The Torah asks people to be honest with themselves. It is not written out in any text, but it is everywhere in the topography of halacha. If intentions matter, then knowing oneself – digging in and really assessing one’s intentions – is a necessary skill. Here is a common example: On a minor fast day, a person who is not feeling well is permitted to eat, but that person holds the responsibility of knowing if they really do not feel well or if they are hoping to break the fast.

Korach could have stood down. He could have heard Moshe warning him of the great responsibility that was now resting upon him and realized that his fight could greatly harm Klal Yisrael because Moshe had no hesitation in putting the challenge before Hashem. More than that, when Korach and the Levites were confronted by Moshe with a bit of perspective, they didn’t change. Moshe said: “Now that He has advanced you and all your fellow Levites with you, do you seek the priesthood too? Truly, it is against Hashem that you and all your company have banded together. For who is Aaron that you should rail against him?” (16:10-11). Not only does Moshe point out their already existing elevation, but he removes himself from his umbrage at being their target. Korach here has plenty of time to reassess his complaint from a different view and put an end to the rebellion. And if it was not about his own ego, his own pride, Korach could have seen it.

Why did Korach deserve his punishment? From one perspective it is because he could not recognize his own wickedness, he would not acknowledge his ego and pride, and he did not want to hear that he might be wrong. From Korach we can each take a powerful lesson about being honest with ourselves and about the importance of evaluating our motives and our own rationalizations.

Watch Out For The Politics of “Fair” (Korach)

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.