Hello Friends and welcome to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa, based in Mason City. A quick word about our June schedule: Erv Shabbat Services will be held on Friday (23 June) starting at 7:00PM and our Midrash (Study Session) will take place on Shabbat (24 June) starting at 10:00AM. Hope to see you in Shul! Thanks for reading and, as always, if you find this interesting and worthwhile or if you have questions or comment. Feel free to reach out.
Parsha Korach
This week we read about one of the most dramatic stories in the Torah. Korach (Num. 16 - 18) is named after the man who challenged the authority of Moses and what happened to him and his followers. When we read the account of this story we are truly astounded by what went on. Not only was Moses the one who led the Jews from Egypt, but all the Israelites were eyewitnesses to the many miracles that were wrought through him. They saw him wave his staff over the Reed Sea, causing the waters to divide. There could be no doubt that he was commissioned by G-d to be the leader. How could anyone question the authenticity of Moses' leadership? It simply defies all logic.
Rashi quotes the Midrash which raises this question: How could Korach, a wise and learned person, act so foolishly? The Midrash answers that Moses had appointed another Levite to be leader of the tribe of Levi, and Korach was envious of this. But would envy really be the cause of such a lapse in judgement?
Envy
Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz helps us understand this. He cites the Talmudic statement, “Envy, lust and pursuit of acclaim remove a person from the world” (Ethics of the Fathers 4:28). The expression “remove a person from the world” is rather strange. Rabbi Shmulevitz explains that the usual deviation from proper behavior is a very gradual one. The Talmud says that the tactic of the yetzer hara, the evil inclination, is to seduce a person to commit a very minor infraction, then lead him on to progressively more serious transgressions. It's one small step at a time. The yetzer hara will not entice a person into doing something patently absurd.
If a person is overtaken by envy, one is no longer bound by logic. The passion of envy can be so great that it can overwhelm all rational thought, and leave one vulnerable to the yetzer hara's seduction to behave in the most irrational manner. Envy indeed removes a person from the natural order of the world.
That is what happened with Korach. Moses understood this, and delayed the trial until the next day. (Num. 16:5)
The Lesson
According to the great Rabbi Avraham Twerski: The Korach episode conveys a most important teaching. We are all vulnerable to envy, and envy is not a difficult emotion to identify. If you feel yourself being envious, do nothing for a while. Envy can suspend all logical thinking and make one do things that one will regret.
If you feel envious, ventilate your feelings to a friend or write them down. Read one of the ethical works about envy. This will help you realize that envy is a futile and destructive feeling. Before doing anything foolish that may be a reaction to your envy, seek the counsel of a friend or mentor. You may avoid making serious mistakes.
Thank you for reading and Shabbat Shalom. See you in shul!
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