Dear TBZ community:
What was Korach’s sin? Was Korach so wrong, what was so bad?
Every year I ask these questions again, and this year it feels more relevant than ever.
In this week’s parsha, Korach, a leader among the people, stood for what he thought was right. Korach seemed to believe that all were equal. Korach wanted his voice to be heard. Korach wanted to change the system. So what was wrong with Korach and his followers that they should die?
כָּל מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, אֵין סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלוֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלוֹקֶת קֹרַח וְכָל עֲדָתוֹ
Every argument that is for the sake of heaven's name, it is destined to endure. But if it is not for the sake of heaven's name -- it is not destined to endure. What is an example of an argument for the sake of heaven's name? The argument of Hillel and Shammai. What is an example of an argument not for the sake of heaven's name? The argument of Korach and all of his followers.
In explaining arguments and disagreements, the rabbinic tradition uses Korach as the example of an argument which is not for the sake of Heaven.
The fifteenth century Italian. Mishna commentator,
Bartenura
, explains:
וְהַמַּחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, הַתַּכְלִית וְהַסּוֹף הַמְבֻקָּשׁ מֵאוֹתָהּ מַחֲלֹקֶת לְהַשִּׂיג הָאֱמֶת, וְזֶה מִתְקַיֵּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַוִּכּוּחַ יִתְבָּרֵר הָאֱמֶת
וּמַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, תַּכְלִית הַנִּרְצֶה בָּהּ הִיא בַּקָּשַׁת הַשְּׂרָרָה וְאַהֲבַת הַנִּצּוּחַ, וְזֶה הַסּוֹף אֵינוֹ מִתְקַיֵּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת קֹרַח וַעֲדָתוֹ שֶׁתַּכְלִית וְסוֹף כַּוָּנָתָם הָיְתָה בַּקָּשַׁת הַכָּבוֹד
וְהַשְּׂרָרָה וְהָיוּ לְהֶפֶךְ
And with the argument which is for the sake of Heaven,
the purpose and aim that is sought from that argument is to arrive at the truth
, and this endures; like that which they said, "From a dispute the truth will be clarified,"
And with argument which is not for the sake of Heaven,
its desired purpose is to achieve power and the love of contention
, and its end will not endure; as we found in the argument of Korach and his congregation - that their aim and
ultimate intent was to achieve honor and power, and the opposite was achieved.
When we stand up for what we believe is right and enter a conversation, a discussion and a disagreement, we ought to ask ourselves, “What is the purpose and what we are trying to achieve? Is it truth? Is it contention itself? Is it honor and power?”
When we approach a disagreement thinking we already know the truth and when we enter that disagreement without the willingness to listen or the humility to learn, we are led, easily, to what Bartenura calls “an argument for the sake of power.”
I think this teaching can also help us frame a great challenge around the work of racial justice. It is easier to look outwards, to judge others -- those we believe are right, and those we believe are wrong. And it is all too easy to call those we judge wrong -
racist
. But in that one word, we can set ourselves apart -
It is not I who is racist, it is them
. But judging others can send us down a path of self-righteousness and divorce us from our own responsibilities. It is difficult to be open to finding in ourselves the behaviors that we would judge in others. It is difficult to dig deep into our own selves.
As I read this parsha, I am challenging myself and I challenge all of us to see Korach as a warning to our own self-righteousness, our righteous indignation, our own activism. This parsha offers, perhaps the most radical example of a leader, Korach, and his followers, standing for values of equality and losing their purpose and message by a desire for power. Korach’s weakness is within us all. It is part of the human condition. This week's parsha is a warning for all of us.
So how can we make sure that we stay on track? That our arguments and our standing for what is right is guided by truth and not by power, not by ego? By love and not by hate and guided by the belief that all humans are created in the image of God.
This parsha invites us to look inwards, to look at ourselves, to all the parts of Korach in ourselves, that believe in standing up and rebelling and changing systems, and stop for a moment and ask, what is the purpose and what are the values we stand for? Can we fight for what we believe is right
leshem shamayim
, for the sake of Heaven?
May this Shabbat bring blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May we find strength, courage, patience and open our heart with generosity.
May all those who are ill find healing.
May we have a joyful Shabbat!
