Korach

Adapted from a d'var by Rabbi Neal Joseph Loevinger

Korach, a cousin of Moshe and Aharon, leads a group in challenging their leadership. Ultimately the challenge is defeated. The Torah presents the group's challenge and Moshe's response:

"'You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above God's assembly?' When Moshe heard this, he fell face down." (Bamidbar/Numbers 16:3-4)

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi writes that Moshe fell on his face because he really had to ask himself if Korach had a valid point. ìMoshe, our teacher, had a feeling that maybe they were asking him this from On High, and Korach was only a messenger. Thus, he first fell on his face for self-reflection, to see if in truth he had any arrogance. After he thoroughly checked himself, and found no trace of pride, he understood that Korah was not a messenger from On High, but was a divider.î

In the rabbinic tradition, Moshe is the archetypal good man, and Korach the very symbol of selfishness and evil. Shneur Zalman, however, resists this stereotyping. He reminds us that all people, even Korach, are made in the Divine Image. Even Korach could have been the agent of holy truth.

Some people may be truly bad, but we must always be open to hearing the truth from any source. Who knows--we might be in the presence of a "divider," or we might be in the presence of "messenger from On High."

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