Parashat Korah: Kosher and Unkosher Disputes

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Video Transcript

Shalom I am Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg. This video is about the Torah Parshat Korah which occurs in the book of Numbers. It is a very important and interesting story. While the Jews are wondering in the desert, and by the way if you want to know the verses for this, this is chapter 16 through 18, verse 32. While they were wandering in the desert, an important member of the Israelite community named Korah starts a rebellion against Moses. Now we have a kind of rebellion last week in shelach lecha with Miriam and Aaron complaining about who is Moses. Well, this week it goes to a new level. The Korah actually starts subordination. He challenges Moses' authority. And he gets a big group to be with him.

Now, Bible scholars believe there are two different rebellions distributed all over into one story. The orthodox believe it is one story. Any case, Korah becomes very famous for this challenge. Could you might say it is legitimate? We have democracy in America and we have votes, and elections, why could one guy challenged another for authority? Promise that this was a different experience. There was a board of directors, but the Torah is not a democracy in that way.

God picked Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was the leader, he took them out of Egypt, the hand of God and by challenging Moses here, Korah has really in any ways challenge guy. And it looks when you read the text carefully that he is not doing it out of a motive of altruism, to better the Jewish people. He is doing out of personal envy, jealousy, and the desire for personal ego endorsement. Now, what happens to the story is that he and his followers were swallowed by an earthquake which is fascinating. But what I want to really explore with you is that later Jewish tradition uses this as a parenting manic example of debate and discussion. It says, that there debate is okay.

There are some disagreements that serve the purposes of heaven, they are called, La shame, shammai, for the sake of heaven. The sign should be the disagreements between Hillel and Shammai in Mishna, when they disagree on most issues. And the Rabbis discussed it and conclude what they conclude primly discern God's will. Do you promise as straight upper sideways? When we compromise we just put the difference. Do you light Hannukah Menora first by one candle, then two, and then eight and seven, and six, all kinds of rules. And it said that they disagreed, but their children still married one another. In other words, they disagreed with their both trying to do so La shame Shammai. However, Korah's disagreement according to the Talmud here was not La shame Shammai. It was for Korah's own sake. It is the pragmatic example of a controversy and rebellion not for any higher purpose but for his own personal endorsement. And so, the major message of Korah that is something to contemplate is you reflect on this is we live in a democracy. We have this mutual all the time. We have disputes in our workplace and our family. We usually know disagreements about matters. And there was nothing more of that.

I was a former national high school debate champion. I was trained in debate. I think debate is one of the best ways to arrive at the truth or arrive at a better conclusion. The main question that was not rather debate is good or bad is clearly important and something that we figure is part of attaining wisdom. We call God the God of truth. The question is what is the purpose behind the debate? Is it to show yourself up. It is personal endorsement. Is it to win? Is it your ego? Or are you really doing for the purposes of heaven for a higher purpose, to get to a higher proof. That is the question that motivation behind the debate and certainly, all of the personal attacks that our comment and discussion in debate are completely unnecessary and pointless and bad.

One of my favorite expression as regard is that we should learn to disagree without being disagreeable. Focus on the issue, not on the person because really what is at stake here is divine truth, it is wisdom. And so Korah reminds us of somebody who was out not to help, but simply for his own gain and then ultimately, got swallowed up by an earthquake. And, according to Jewish tradition, if you stand and men follow, he was swallowed up. He hears a voice from underground saying that he was wrong and Moses and God will be right.

That is a little bit about this great story Parshat Korah.