Dear TBZ Community,
Each year as I encounter the story of the rebellion of Korach, which we read this week, I need to look into the text and its interpretation to remind me of the dangers of Korach. It is not always easy to be persuaded that he actually did wrong and deserved the wrath of God. Korach and his followers rebel against Moses, and on the surface of the story it is hard to see why this is so wrong. Korach and his followers make some arguments in their own defense; they argue that “all the community are holy” (Numbers 16:3):
וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל־מֹשֶׁה וְעַל־אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם רַב־לָכֶם כִּי כָל־הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם יְהֹוָה וּמַדּוּעַ תִּתְנַשְּׂאוּ עַל־קְהַל יְהֹוָה
They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and Adonai is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above Adonai’s congregation?”
How is rebellion a problem? And how is Korach’s rebellion so wrong? Israel is a nation born in rebellion against Egypt. Abraham became the first monotheist (the first “Jew”) when he rebelled against his father. We can go through our stories and history and see clearly the value of rebelling against evil, against injustice, against those who try to oppress us. Isn’t that the work we try to do when standing against injustice? Isn’t it also through rebellion that we heal this world? Of course, not everything is about rebellion: perhaps it is about discerning when to rebel, when to stand up. As Nikki Decter beautifully said last Shabbat in her blessing to Ari at her bat mitzvah, “May you understand society’s rules and customs – know when to keep them and know when to break them.” Perhaps the question of rebellion is not just when, but why and for what purpose.
And this is, for me, the crux of Korach’s story: what was the purpose of his rebellion? Can I criticize Korach for standing up for what he believed? The text makes it even harder for me by quite literally “disappearing” Korach as punishment for his rebellion: the earth opens and swallows Korach and his household (Numbers 16:32).
But through a different interpretation of our text we learn that the purpose of Korach was one of self serving his own ego. The Israeli scholar Nehama Leibowitz wrote, “Korach’s ranting contains the familiar rabble-rousing ingredients of demagogy.” She continued with Rashi’s exploration:
“…[Korach] seduced the people. Many will ask how is it possible to conceive that the people who had been redeemed from slavery, for whom the waves of the sea had parted, who had received the Torah at Sinai, amidst thunders and lightnings, led by the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night – how was it conceivable that a people granted such miracles could succumb to the guile and abuse of one such as Korach?”
As I reflect on the ways that I, and we as a community, stand up against injustices, I think that Korach is a reminder to ask the question of “why?” For what purpose? What is that which guides our indignation?
Our prophetic tradition is very clear regarding this: Isaiah tells us to “learn to do good, devote yourself to justice, aid the wronged, uphold the rights of the orphan; defend the cause of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). Jeremiah berates the people for not giving “a hearing to the plea of the needy” (Jeremiah 5:28). Amos famously cries, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24). For me, the prophets become a guide to answering the question of why and the purpose of our actions, our indignation, and our work to heal this world.
This Shabbat we mark a year since the Supreme Court overturned Rose v. Wade, which had guaranteed our federal right to abortion access for half a century. The National Council of Jewish Women is inviting communities to pause to reflect all we have suffered in the year since the Dobbs decision. We remember those who have died or been harmed due to unjust abortion bans. We hold them in our hearts.
Dr. Judith Rosenbaum, TBZ member and CEO of Jewish Women’s Archive, wrote in her essay, “The Brownsville Legacy: Judaism and Reproductive Rights,” for the book, Righteous Indignation: A Jewish Call for Justice, published in 2008:
Why should we, as Jews, be particularly committed to the issue of reproductive rights? Beyond the historical legacy we bear, we are also in the unique position of being able to advocate for reproductive rights from a religious standpoint. In the United States, debate over reproductive rights has often aligned along religious/secular lines, with opponents cloaking themselves in religious language about the “sanctity of life” Judaism, however, unlike Christian tradition, provides us with religious frameworks for supporting reproductive right”
Judaism calls us to stand up, to stand up for the most vulnerable. And at TBZ we have joined the effort to work for reproductive justice. We have formed an “Abortion Access Defenders” group led by Fram Adams, Sara Smolover, and Bobbi Katz, with actions and different ways to get involved. Please be in touch with any of our leaders if you would like to hear more.
On the anniversary of the death of a loved one, we recite the Mourner’s Kaddish prayer, a traditional Jewish prayer recited by those mourning a loss. This practice is done in the quorum of a minyan (ten people), a powerful practice that teaches us that we do not mourn or cry alone. We do it in community, perhaps with the hope and trust that by being in community we can move forward and take the next step of healing. As we mark a year of this tragic moment in the history of the United States, I take this teaching as one of inspiration. One that says we do not stand alone. We need a quorum to stand up, to cry out, and especially to move forward to fight for justice.
Back to our Torah portion: we ask why, what guides us when we stand up? And we hope that all our actions, crying out, and rebellions, are one for the sake of the heavens, for the sake of good and love, for the sake of beauty and healing, and not for the sake of power, control, or ego.
May we all merit to discern and clarify our purposes when standing up and rebelling against oppression.
May this Shabbat bring renewal and blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May we find strength, courage, and patience, and open our hearts with generosity.
May all those who are ill find healing. And may we have a joyful, sweet, and peaceful Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rav Claudia