Parashat Korah
Numbers 16:1 – 18:32
When we read this Torah portion six years ago, in 2010, I shared the following words with the community. I present them again, this year, because I feel that they are, unfortunately, still very pertinent:
This portion tells of the famous challenge of Korah and his camp in their confrontation with Moses and Aaron. In the end they are swallowed up by the earth. But their story lives on and their words remain for us to ponder.
One of the most challenging statements of Korah is his declaration – “All the people are holy and God is among them.” (Numbers 15:3) Korah claims that, because of this fact, Moses and Aaron have no right to “lord it over” the people. Moses counters by appealing to God to show that his and Aaron’s leadership is God’s choice. This, indeed, happens, but Korah’s fundamental populist declaration is never addressed. Was Korah wrong in stating that we are all holy, with God in our midst?
It would seem that Korah had much to rely on in making these assertions. Didn’t God say that if Israel accepted the Torah we would be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6)? And we did accept the Torah! Didn’t God say that if Israel built a Tabernacle that God would dwell among them (Ex. 25:8)? And they did build such a Tabernacle!
There are many possible answers to these questions. One very basic answer is that all of these proof-texts are not stating a fact – that we are essentially and thoroughly holy “from head to toe,” as the commentator, Sforno sardonically puts it. Nor is God’s manifest dwelling amongst us a permanent given. Rather, these are to be read as hopes, visions and aspirations. This is what we must strive for, not what we already are.
And in order for the people to strive for holiness, they needed Moses, a leader who would constantly goad them forward, rather than a leader like Korah, who would pander to their sense of smugness and entitlement.
The danger of proclaiming that we are “all holy, and God is in our midst” is that we are then tempted to believe that we can do no wrong. If these are essential facts, they can never change. But God warns us over and over in the Torah and through the Prophets, that we are very capable of acting in un-holy ways and that God’s Presence will flee from us whenever we betray our mission.
We do not need leaders to tell us that we are holy, no matter what. We need leaders who will criticize us when we stray from the paths of righteousness, and who will challenge us to become holy and to strive to make God’s Presence felt among us, by doing justice, embracing lovingkindness and walking humbly with our God.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi David Greenstein
Subscribe to Rabbi Greenstein’s weekly d’var Torah
image: “Zack Points the Way” © Ben Garney used with permission via Creative Commons
- Toby Stein: In Memoriam - Thu, Feb 8, 2024
- Faithfulness and Hope: Parashat Sh’lach - Thu, Jun 23, 2022
- Past Their Prime: Parashat B’ha`a lot’kha - Thu, Jun 16, 2022