Parshat Korach; Numbers 16:1-18:32 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger
Moses and Aaron face one of the greatest challenges to their leadership of the Children of Israel with this week’s Torah Portion. Korach, their cousin, along with Dathan and Abiram, challenge Moses’ and Aaron’s positions as head of the people. Korach passionately states: “For all in the community are holy, all of them and God is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above Adonai’s congregation?” His words seem logical at first glance. Are not all the people “the chosen people?” Isn’t this an “am kadosh” –a holy people? Didn’t God tell us to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation? Korach rallied other leaders to his position and confronted Moses and Aaron.
And Korach is also of the tribe of Levi. He is of priestly caste himself and thus perhaps should have been considered as a possible leader of the people. In fact he is the son of Izhar, Kohath’s second son, while Moses and Aaron on the sons of Amram, Kohath’s first son. So in many ways Korach does have a claim to the leadership circle.
And yet, Korach forgot one important point. That the leadership displayed by Moses and Aaron was not self-appointed but God called both to leadership. God chose who would become the political leader and religious leader. It was not by election or by democratic process.
Thus Moses spoke to Korach and his followers, which numbered according to the text 250 chieftains of the Israelites. Moses challenges them in their challenge to see whose offering God will accept. But even this solution is not enough for Korach, Dathan and Abiram and their followers, they continue to needle and challenge Moses and Aaron saying, “It is 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?”
Korach, Datan and Abiram’s shortsightedness and lack of understanding the power of God’s role is critical in this chapter. They and their followers are punished with death, the earth opens up and swallows them and the 250 followers became the Divine offering similar to the way Nadav and Abihu were consumed for offering an alien sacrifice.
But the story drives home yet again, the message of faith in God or rather the consequences of the lack of faith in God. Multiple time in the Torah just when we human beings think we know better and develop a plan that takes us astray from God’s plan, there are deep consequences for our actions. Korach paid a heavy price for challenging not just Moses’ and Aaron’s authority, but truthfully, challenging God’s plan for the people Israel and fomenting these ideas in other leaders.
In the book of Numbers we have already seen the consequences of the Children of Israel’s lack of faith, whether in Parshat Shelach-Lecha when the people believed the lies of the spies and ignored the faith and enthusiasm of Caleb and Joshua. Or now with Korach who openly revolts against God’s chosen leaders and are answered not by Moses and Aaron but by the Divine power.
The parasha concludes with an affirmation of Aaron’s leadership, by the miracle of his blooming almond staff thus reinforcing the idea of the priesthood and his selection by God.
Does this mean it is never okay to challenge authority? Never time to change gears or follow a different path? I don’t think so. But it does cause us to consider carefully who and how our leaders are chosen in this day and every day. Further it should give each and every one of us pause to examine our own faith and beliefs and for each of us to decide how our connection to the Divine plays out in our life. Are we willing to admit a role for God? Or have we shut out the Eternal from our lives? This indeed is part of the dilemma of Korach, Dathan and Abiram. For it appears that they shut God out of the equation of leadership of the people and to lead without belief is the ultimate idolatry.
Posted by Lee at June 28, 2005 10:53 AM
