Ruling with Love: Parashat Korach

Add. 11639  f.519v

Parashat Korach
Numbers 16:1 – 18:32

Korah and his allies foment a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. While the rebellion seems to be decisively defeated by a miraculous act of God, unambiguously teaching that Korah was completely wrong, the people refuse to learn their lesson and continue to hold Moses and Aaron responsible for Korah’s demise, saying: “It is you who have caused the death of God’s people.” (Num. 17:6)

This continuing rebellion is met with further punishment by God and many Israelites die in a plague. Moses, true to his commitment to protect Israel, instructs Aaron to step into the breach and save the nation. Yet none of this Divine violence, punishment, miracles or salvation seems to change the minds of the people. The revolt has not been completely quelled. The people may have been beaten into submission, but their hearts still harbored stubborn bitterness toward God and God’s messengers. And God needed Israel’s hearts’ devotion. So God conceived of a very different final demonstration of Aaron’s unique status. This time, instead of public and destructive violence, a beautiful miracle takes place behind the curtain of the Tabernacle. Aaron’s staff turns into a flowering and fruit bearing almond tree! Clearly, God has lighted upon a different tack. Perhaps the hearts of the people can be won over through softness rather than force.

This miracle can be placed beside earlier miracles that transformed Moses’ and Aaron’s staffs. Earlier, at another time when their leadership needed clear confirmation, to be proven before the enslaved Israelites and before their oppressor, Pharaoh, the miracle was for the staff to turn into a serpent and devour all other competing snakes. Holding the staff became the symbol of holding fearsome power. It was a symbol of leadership that would inspire Israel with confidence and Pharaoh with fear and respect. Yet the success of those symbolic demonstrations was spotty, at best.

This time, after it has become clear that fearsome power has not produced fear of God or respect for God’s representatives, the direction of the symbolism is reversed. The staff turns into flowers and then into nourishment. And this process is closely related to our sense of time. The almond tree’s blossoming signals the new season of renewal, of the arrival of spring. This image of leadership is very different from the earlier model. This image is one of nurturance and hope.

What was the Israelites’ reaction? “And Moses took all the other staffs out from before God’s Presence, [and returned them] to the children of Israel; and each one took his staff.” (Num. 17:24) There is not a word of acknowledgment or thanks or praise or apology. The people take back their sticks in silence and turn away. Yet the wondrous miracle that ensued was more long-lasting and more mysterious than any of the previous miracles wrought by God. After the silence – even in silence – somehow we kept on going, following the Cloud of Glory.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Greenstein


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Image: “Aaron’s rod from BL Add 11639, f. 519v” is licensed under PDM 1.0

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