Here we go
again. It was only a matter of time
before another rebellion ensued. As our
medieval commentator, Rashi, counts, this is the fourth outburst among the
people: they rebelled at Sinai by building that molten calf, they whined over
their living conditions in the Sinai desert, and just last week, they caved in
to the pessimistic and insolent reports of those 10 scouts. Now Korach.
At the start of this Shabbat’s Torah reading, Korach incites the community with what appears
on the surface to be a demand for a more equitable sharing of power, “You have gone too far,” they cry out
under Korach’s leadership, “For all the
community are holy, kulam kedoshim, all of them,…why, [Moses & Aaron] do you raise
yourselves above the Eternal’s congregation?”
No wonder, Moses falls on his face.
Like Rashi, I imagine Moses was fed up, frustrated, and feeling powerless
in his role as leader of this community.
Recall, he was no eager candidate for the job. He was called to serve and honorably stepped
up to the task for the sake of his people.
Despite the quarreling and
uprisings, Moses continues to do what he has been tasked to do, namely lead. Here
in response to Korach, Moses could have thrown up his hands at the repeated
challenges he faced; but instead, he asks for patience – let’s wait til’ morning – and strives to keep the channels of
communication open by addressing Korach directly and requesting meetings with
his two subordinates, Dathan and Aviram, reminding him of their role and
important contributions to the community.
Moses’ leadership isn’t at fault.
Yet, Korach isn’t satisfied. He wasn’t simply seeking a voice; he sought
power for his its own sake and became a divisive figure splintering the
community. He may appear to be seeking a
more democratic model of leadership for the Israelites, but our Talmudic
tradition argues repeatedly that Korach was motivated, not by what was best for
the community, but by his own ego and evil impulse. He is viewed by the wealth of Rabbinic
literature as a principle example of disharmony and conflict. In one colorful Midrash, a regretful Korah is
imagined to be heard long after his death.
If we listen closely enough through the cracks of the earth where he and
his compatriots were swallowed, we are told, we would hear Korach praising
Moses and Aaron and acknowledging that he was wrong to incite the community
against them. (I do love the midrashic imagination!) Entirely deserved or not, the amount of
attention spent on Korach’s character underscores how he is viewed so
thoroughly as the ultimate rebel without any reasonable cause to substantiate
his insurgence.
As
Progressive Jews faced with the challenge of reconciling the received tradition
of this narrative with our modern views of equality and democracy, we are
confronted with a number of questions as we read and study Parashat Korach. Most
pointedly: how do we voice our opinion, perhaps even challenge authority,
without becoming Korach? How do we speak
up, enact change, without becoming divisive and destructive? We value the individual and reject overly
hierarchical models of leadership. We
all want a say. We all demand a vote.
Lucky for us,
at least here in America, we get that opportunity for a vote. Often our impatience and immediate
self-interest, our Korach, gets in the way of our remembering that our leaders
are not divinely appointed; we choose them.
We put them in office. It is easy to second-guess those in
leadership. It is easy to point fingers when
we are not satisfied with how things are functioning, especially at those who
forward different policies than ours. That’s
our Korach. We must not be so quick to attack those whose opinion
differs. We must strive to restrain that
Korach impulse, trust the choices we as a larger community have made, and allow
those individuals that we have elected to lead, to do just that.
It is fully
our responsibility to speak out and be proactive when we see injustices
unfolding before us. We must express our
voice. But to paraphrase political
satirist John Oliver, we should “focus [what is often our] indiscriminate rage
in a useful direction.” (Last Week
Tonight, published 6/1/2014). Even
an equitable justice system, a democracy, where power is shared, requires a
degree of hierarchy. We need competent
and confident leaders to guide who then require others to support them in that
task. Our government may not always
function perfectly or even to our liking, but it isn’t the enemy. It’s there to bring identity, cohesion, and
benefit to our society. Moreover, We have a responsibility to help it
function well by being informed citizens, by channeling our opinions
passionately, but also productively, by taking the time to vote in our
elections, to choose those whom we feel would govern with righteousness and
compassion as their prime motivations.
Lucky for us, this Tuesday offers us the chance to speak out without
becoming Korach. Take it!
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