Worship Service
Friday ---------------- 7:30 PM Shabbat Service
Saturday -----------10:00 AM Shabbat service and Bar Mitzvah of Noah Beattie-Moss.
Korach: June 11
THIS WEEK IN THE TORAH
Rabbi David E. Ostrich
The Biblical story of Korach is the kind of fantasy tale that we can all imagine. Why? Because we’ve all been confronted with troublemakers, with people who will not be satisfied, who look only for faults, who complain as if complaining is an art form, who bring all sorts of extraneous agendas to communal decisions. Wouldn’t it be great if the earth would just open up and swallow such endearing people? I can even imagine a Gilbert and Sullivan ditty for us to sing after the great earthquake (sung to the tune of “When I Was a Lad” from H.M.S. Pinafore):
I laugh with glee, I laugh with mirth,
‘Cause Korach has been swallowed in the deep, dark earth.
Chorus: He laughs with glee, he laughs with mirth,
‘Cause Korach has been swallowed in the deep dark earth….
And yet…
We do not really wish such a fate upon our tormentors. The God in us urges us toward patience and forbearance. If we want God to bear with us, then we need to learn to bear with those who test us.
On the other hand, what do you do in the presence of a kvetch? Are there not times when certain individuals go far beyond reasonable needs, gratuitously inflicting their own egos on everyone else? One of the bases of our social contract is that we balance our own needs with respect for the needs of others. We have our rights, and pursuing our own needs is appropriate—but only to a degree. Other people have rights and needs, too, and good manners require that we respect them as well. Remember Hillel’s famous balance:
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
But, if I am only for myself, what am I?
And, if not now, when?”
In the Torah portion—in the case of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram, their claim is that Moses is haughty and authoritarian: that he has raised himself above the other Levites. They want things to be fairer and more democratic, and they want a share of the leadership.
Is theirs a legitimate complaint? Is theirs a legitimate aspiration? Is Korach willing to dispense with the exaltation of his own tribe, the Levites, or does he just want to be the one who rules the roost? Is his inclusion of non-Levites in his rebellion an indication of his true democratic intentions, or are they just his “posse?”
One can well read the story and see democratic possibilities, but history and experience reveal that some people will use democratic rhetoric to camouflage authoritarian takeover. George Orwell’s Animal Farm is powerful because it parodies real people—real tyrants. Too many times in history has the refrain, “All animals are equal” been followed by, “But some animals are more equal than others.” As Roger Daltry of The Who declared, “Meet the new boss---same as the old boss.”
Though we can imagine Korach’s good intentions, the judgment of God and the Biblical author is that Korach was not sincere nor democratic nor interested in anything else but his own power. He removes himself from the world of serious problem-solving discussions, and literally and figuratively falls off the face of the earth.
I believe that this legend should be read as a cautionary tale—perhaps for the kvetches who bother us, but mainly for us to read to ourselves. Are our hearts pure when we criticize? Are we considerate of those whom we oppose? Are our complaints and suggestions truly for the sake of the group’s good, or are they overly egocentric and selfish and oppressive? The Evil Inclination is powerful, and it needs to be resisted. We need to take care of ourselves, but we also need to be considerate of others.
Announcements
*****Please stop by the office for your Weis/Giant Store Gift cards.
*****The office will be closed Friday, June 11th.
