Korach

Korach

Korach what does hearing that name bring to mind? Korach.... Korach...

(DISCUSSION)

Let me tell you about some of my thoughts when I consider this person and the events that the Torah describes to us in the Parshat. First of all, it is obvious that we are meant to see Korah and his ilk as the Nogoodnicks and that we can see the BP corporation, North Korea and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cast in the same frame today. Right? ... along with quite a few others that we could name but need not do so as it becomes redundant.

No let’s do something radical here (good ol’ conservative Congregation Beth Shalom...), let’s look at the Torah portion from the protagonists' point of view. Not like: “I’m a Republican and I want those Democrats out of office! Let’s have a Tea Party!” But more like... “Here I am, I’m now 61 years old and I’ve spent a lot of time learning things about G-d from Moshie and his bro and... I’m pretty well informed on this whole business of doing what our invisible G-d tells us to do. You know, I have a pretty darn good background in public speaking myself and I think and do a pretty good job of all of it. Why shouldn’t I be part of this group? In fact, why doesn’t Moshie and Aahron just step down and let me and my friends take over? I’m done the grunt work. I’ve worked the room. I thing I should be getting some the recognition myself. Damn it all - I’M ENTITLED! I’m going to do something about it. NOW!”

Anyone here ever has some of these kinds of thoughts? ANYone? NO- don’t tell me; just admit that it is possible to understand, to sympathize and to empathize with Korach. Think about this: have you ever thought that there is a job that you should have been promoted into instead of “that-other-guy”, or that you realize that you learned some skill or knowledge (in your head) but did not apply it and so “that-other-guy” got what you felt that you should have had?

But, before you jump into this: here is something interesting that we don’t usually consider when we read this Parshat. There was a man called On ben Peles who at first joined Korach’s group but his wife saved him... and he spend the rest of his life in mourning over the error that he had made and which had almost cost him his life. Chazal tells us that that is because “On” is related to “onen” meaning- a mourner. In any case the sons of Korach also repented but they chose to change themselves in the future and did not keep the mindset which may have caused them to slip back into the idea later that... just perhaps if they had stayed with their ‘old man’ things might have turned out differently and that they would be the “big shots” now.

What I am proposing is that we have a whole lot to learn from Korach when it comes to understanding ourselves - where we have been and where we are going. We should always try to put ourselves into another’s position and attempt to try to understand them from their position and THEN say that we have something to learn from this for, after all, (believe it or not) we are not perfect.

So is it understandable that North Korea sits there thinking that here they had joined forces with the Communists because they were ENTITLED and that did not work out and look at South Korea and what they have done and achieved with beautiful new cities and manufactures of “world class” automobiles and electronics... and they think they are ENTITLED. Just like Korach.

And there is skinny little Mahmoud looking at everything that Israel has and has accomplished and thinks... that should be me. ME! I’m ENTITLED. Where does it end, if we don’t stop and learn from Korach.

One final though on the subject: we, each of us, have achieved a level, both on our own and by dint of our ancestors, and we are, therefore, judged on that basis! The higher you are - the more is expected of you and you are judged by that. The Jews are always expected to achieve more, do more, be better (and anti-semitism aside) we are judged by that. So as individuals and as M’sOT, we need to learn from this Parshat whatever we individually need to learn.

Shabbat Shalom

Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5770

Bermuda Dunes, CA [haBamidbar]