30 Sivan 5773 / 7-8 June 2013
Torah: Numbers 16:1 - 18:32
Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24 (repeat 66:23)
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Holier Than Thou?
'(Korach and his followers) assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, "There is too much for you; for the entire congregation, every one of them, is holy, and the Lord is among them; then why do you lord it over the assembly of the Lord?"' Numbers 16:3
Rashi, citing Midrash Tanchuma: Much more than necessary have you taken high offices for yourselves. All of them heard the commandments at Sinai from the mouth of the Mighty One. If you yourself have taken the kingship, you should not have selected for your brother the priesthood; not you alone heard at Sinai, "I am the Lord your God"; the entire congregation heard!
Korach's argument, especially as elucidated by the Midrash, appears compelling. What makes Moses and Aaron so special? The problem, of course, is that Korach is not arguing that all of the people should have the rights and duties of the priests - he is not advocating equality. Rather, Korach was trying to usurp power solely for himself, and using this rhetorical technique to incite the Israelites to join in his rebellion. Rashi, again citing Tanchuma, says: Korach spent all night haranguing the Israelites, enticing them: "Do you think that I care for myself alone? I care only for all of you! These people come and take all the high offices, for himself the kingship, and for his brother the priesthood!" - until all of them had been enticed.
We hear this kind of stuff from politicians, snake oil salesmen and others all the time, and it works. We must be saps! Do we think that we are all going to have power? In this particular case, didn't God say to all of the Israelites, "You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy people"? Exodus 19:6 So Korach is partly correct - we are all holy. But we already have the power that we really need. Unlike the priests, who have only ritual power, we the people, each and every one of us, have actual power, through spreading God's word to the world. We do this by caring for the needy, preserving the environment, seeking peace, and observing God's commandments in a meaningful way. It is the holiness of our lives that positively affects the lives of others, and that gives us the real power in the world.
Have a wonderful Shabbat!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom - ZSRS '00
Blogging at: rav-rich.blogspot.com/
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"For the sake of Zion I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still." Isaiah 62:1
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Candlelighting: 7:44 pm
Lunch and Learn is an ongoing program of Beit Midrash Shalom that meets Tuesdays to discuss Jewish texts and other topics of Jewish interest. It is open to all regardless of affiliation. Next meeting is Tuesday, June 11, 12:00 noon, at Congregation Beth Meier. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY FOOD UNLESS IT IS IN ITS ORIGINAL SEALED CONTAINER AND BEARING A HEKHSHER AS DAIRY OR PAREVE. Lunch will be provided by Congregation Beth Meier. Donations gratefully accepted.
This d'var torah is offered in honor of my son, Robert Flom, and my
nephew, Joshua Goodman, who are graduating from high school this weekend. Mazal
tov!
This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Dov Nechemya
Hakohen ben Rachel Chaya Sarah, Eve Beatty, Selby Horowitz, Pamela Huddleston,
Jayne Kaplan, Micah Kosche, Sara Lanxner, Emily Levin, Frank Marcovitz, Phil
Raider, Helen Reiter, Len Reiter, Gil Robbins, Rachel Robbins, Judith Sakurai,
and Kitty Schmerling.
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