July 1st: Korach
THIS WEEK IN THE TORAH
Rabbi David E. Ostrich
For fans of Moses, the story of Korach is a vindication—an example of God’s extreme support for those doing the work of the Divine. For those looking at the story more objectively, the episode can be quite disturbing.
Korach, you may remember, is a cousin of Moses. Their fathers, Izhar and Amram, are brothers and grandchildren of Levi. In Numbers 16, Korach bands together with some 250 disgruntled Israelites and launches a rebellion against Moses. The details of their complaints are unclear, but they are generally unhappy with Moses’ and Aaron’s elevated positions. “You have gone too far! For all of the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourself above the Lord’s congregation?!” (Numbers 16.3)
Moses is hurt by this personal attack, and he responds by reminding the rebels that Aaron and he are not in charge. God is in charge. This important fact is accentuated as the story continues with a kind of priestly challenge. If Korach and his band offer sacrifices of incense, will God accept them? The answer is a decided No, and God is tempted to destroy the whole Israelite community because of Korach’s effrontery. Moses and Aaron defend the community, falling on their faces and importuning God, “O God, Source of the breath of all flesh! When one man sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?!” (Numbers 16.22) So God instructs everyone to move away from Korach and his followers. Most of the people follow the Lord’s order (warning!), but some stay with the rebels.
Then, God gets downright “Old Testament” on the rebels. “The ground under Korach and his followers burst asunder, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all Korach’s people and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol, with all that belonged to them; the earth closed over them, and they vanished from the midst of the congregation.” (Numbers 16.31-33)
(I have serious theological objections to the term “going Old Testament” and am generally offended by its use. However, it can be quite the dramatic turn of phrase.)
As I said, the details of Korach and Company’s complaints are not specified in the text, and this leads many of us to wonder whether Korach is treated fairly. What is the problem with challenging authority? Why does God get involved in a human conflict? Why does God come down so hard on Korach and his followers? Why are their families and children included in the punishment?
This story is particularly difficult for those in their teenage years. As teenagers seek to understand reality—a world that, due to their increased brain power and experience, gets larger every day, they often question assumptions and authority. This is a normal and appropriate part of their learning process. So, when a famous figure is shut down for questioning authority, many find Korach’s plight personally challenging. When Abraham argues with God about Sodom and Gomorrah—“Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly,” he is praised. (Genesis 18) Why then is Korach’s argument so unacceptable? Would not a more appropriate response be to explain God’s reasoning—or to let him learn from his mistakes? (If teenagers’ challenges to authority and convention were punished with death, few of us would survive until our twenties.)
Balance this ambiguity in the story with the unequivocal message that Korach and his followers are devastatingly wrong, and we are face to face with the Rabbinic dilemma. In the absence of a textual explanation, the Rabbis are left searching for Korach’s sin.
The best the Tradition can figure is that there is a big problem with Korach’s motivations. He does not object—as Abraham does in re Sodom and Gomorrah—on the basis of a righteous principle. Rather, the Rabbis infer, he is jealous of Moses and Aaron and selfishly wants their power and status. His motivation is, in the Rabbinic parlance, Lo Leshem Shamayim / Not for the Sake of Heaven. As the Talmud explains, “Every dispute that is for the Sake of Heaven will in the end endure; but one that is not for the Sake of Heaven, will not endure. Which is the controversy that is for the Sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai. And which is the controversy that is not for the Sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korach and all his congregation.” (Pirke Avot 5.17)
This notion of conflicts being Leshem Shamayim / For the Sake of Heaven or not is, admittedly, a hard quantity to parse. So often, those who take an intense stance couch their ferocity in the importance of their principles. Are they sincere about these principles—or are they using the principles for more nefarious purposes? Are they well-informed, or are they responding from ignorance and superstition? Are their sources of information trustworthy and sincere?
And, what about us? Are we sincere and well-informed and depending on sources that are trustworthy and sincere?
In so many ways, the Rabbinic teaching about a Mach’lochet Leshem Shamayim / Controversy for the Sake of Heaven is a direction for introspection and self-evaluation. We may try to judge others, but we never really know what is in the heart of another—or lurking behind it. Sometimes our judgement is accurate, and our trust is well-placed; other times, we are played. Some people deserve the benefit of the doubt; others use our trusting natures (gullibility?) to continue the con.
Ultimately, the only heart anyone of us can know is our own. We must look inside and ascertain the sincerity and truth of our beliefs. Are our causes and the way we pursue them Leshem Shamayim / For the Sake of Heaven or not? Are we bringing forth the purity of godliness, or are we allowing ourselves to be diverted by greed and less noble motivations?
As for Korach and his guilt, we are left with no more information than the ancient Rabbis, and thus perhaps we can understand their reasoning. We may not know what is truly in Korach’s heart, but God does. God knows the workings of our inner hearts, and God’s judgment, we trust, is fair, just, and true.