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Mina's Musings: Korach 2015

Hatred, Violence, and the Quest for Power

Shabbat Shalom.  Yes, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a Shabbat of peace.  Our world, our country is in desparate need for peace.   Ferguson, Missouri; Cleveland, Ohio; Baltimore, Maryland; Garland, Texas; McKinney, Texas; Charleston, South Carolina.  Each place name now evokes images of violence and mayhem, directed at human beings and property.  The rationale in each case?  Those engaging in wanton destruction and violence often claim it’s a quest for justice.  But the truth is that quite often the violence is just an excuse to attack those who look different, work differently, or frankly just think differently than the ones perpetrating the violence.  It is, for me, hard to believe what has been happening, and my heart has broken repeatedly reading about and worse, seeing on TV, images of the violence in our land.

Not only has my heart been breaking, I have to admit that at times I have become a little angry. I do not like to admit this anger but it is there.  You see, I am angry that these incidents have made me doubt the decency of my fellow citizens and residents.  Looking at the headlines one can jump, wrongfully, to the conclusion that this country is full of people who are overflowing with hate, looking for a reason to ignite a race war, a religious war, a war between the haves and have-nots.  But that is patently false.  The vast majority of the people in this country are NOT racist, do not hate others based on what church, synagogue, or mosque they attend, are incredibly open-minded in their acceptance of non-traditional forms of sexual behavior and identity, and know that someone isn’t evil just because they worked hard, managed to get a decent job, save their money, and live in a decent home.

But I shouldn’t be surprised that the actions of the few come to represent the actions of the many.  This has been a part of Jewish tradition for generations - a single Jew commits a crime and we are all are painted with the brush of guilt.  But it is not supposed to be this way.

Indeed, in this morning’s Torah portion Korach, we read of the complaint of Korach, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron.  The three, along with their 250 followers, accused Moses and Aaron of holding themselves above the congregation, seeing themselves as holier than, better than other Israelites.  In response to these accusations Moses proposes a test for Korach and his followers.  And then, at the beginning of the section we read today, the Torah states that:

 “Then the Presence of the Lord appeared to the whole community, and the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Stand back from this community that I may annihilate them in an instant!”  But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, Source of the breath of all flesh!  When one man sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?”

It is a fair question that Moses and Aaron ask.  It is the question that we have to ask today about what is happening in our own times, our own land.  That is, do we condemn entire communities for the actions of the few.  Rashi answers this by imagining God’s response to Moses as:  “[The Holy One said,] “You have spoken well.  I know, and will make known, who has sinned and who has not.”

If that is the case, why then does God threaten to do just that?  Abarbanel, another medieval commentator explained as follows:  “When God saw that all Israel was gathered there, and no one was protesting what Korach was doing, He told Moses and Aaron, “Forget about the test - stand back and let Me annhilate them!”  And Nahmanides was even more clear.  He said:  “At first, the people were behind Moses and Aaron.  But when the 250 men gathered in front of the Tent with their fire pans, Korah called out to the community and told them he was doing this on their behalf.  They approved of this, and gathered around (v. 19) to see whether God would also think it right....This made them deserving of annihilation....But Moses and Aaron defended them, saying that Korah, who had misled them, was the only one who had sinned.  Only he should die, in order to make his punishment known to the masses...This is exactly what those who pray for God’s compassion do.  They pray that the burden of sin be removed from the people and placed squarely on the shoulders of the individual responsible for causing it.”

Nahmanides may have lived 900 years ago, but his words are still appropriate today.  There are people in this country who have taken it upon themselves to foment hatred and mistrust among the various groups of Americans - men vs. women, LGBT vs. straight, black vs. white, Republican vs. Democrat, rich vs. poor, Muslim vs. Christians and Jews, and on and on.  We cannot let those who want us to hate and fear one another succeed.  No, we must do as Moses and Aaron did - praying for God’s compassion and love, and praying for a time when we will all be blessed with not only a Shabbat of peace, but a country and world of peace.  Amen.

 

 

 

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784