Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 29 Sivan, 5783

Today we have a new Parsha.  Parsha Korach.  Korach is a REALLY interesting figure in the Torah.  Almost tragic.  But there is a message for us in Korach’s story.

Korach has good aspirations.  He wanted to be high priest.  His tactic though was not appropriate.  How often do we live lives with really good intent, with good hearts, but our tactics don’t get us where we want to go?

I am driven to look within me – for where I have a Korach.  Something inside me that has good desires – but the tactics being employed don’t get me where I want to go.

I have been doing work on my inner critic.  That voice within me that is NOT kind. Not compassionate. NOT loving.  That voice – if I’m honest – is working for my good.  But it has learned to communicate with me in a way that is NOT helpful.  I have been unwilling to listen to love and compassion in order to change something I am stuck on.  So it has learned to rely on negative talk, guilt, and shame to try and get me to change.

We do this with our kids, don’t we? Our loved ones? If there is something we need them to do – we try doing it with love and compassion – but if it doesn’t work, we default to shame and guilting others.

This journey needs to start within.   We need to learn to love the Korach within.  That responds to our Korach with – “hey – I know you want something good.  Why are you using these tactics that aren’t serving you? How can I support you? How can I love you?  To recognize your desire to be a high priest? To be more sacred? Your position “as high priest” isn’t as critical as being a priest grounded in love, compassion, and empathy.

We can teach our inner critic how to better communicate with us.  It takes time, patience, and energy.  Where do you see this within yourself today?

I’d love to know your thoughts!

My commentary from a year ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 27 Sivan, 5782

This week’s Parsha is Korah.

In many senses, Korah is a tragic figure in the Torah, but there is another side to Korah to consider.

The Chumash I’m reading says this; “Although Korah was wicked, he nevertheless harbored a desire that is appropriate for us to emulate – He wanted to be the High Priest. His mistake was the method of implementation. We can learn from Korah to always desire a higher spirituality and work to achieve that goal.”

That’s a good thought as we jump in:

The parsha starts with an introduction of Korah confronting Moses with 250 men of the congregation.

Rabbi Schneerson had something interesting for us here:

It is written in Proverbs, “The name of the wicked will rot” (10:7), on which the Talmud comments: “Let mold grow upon their names, for we do not use their names” (Babylonian Talmad, Yoma 38a).

How, then, could the Torah eternalize the name of Korah, a wicked man who did not repent in his lifetime, by calling an entire Torah portion by his name?

While Korah was indeed wicked in his deeds, he nevertheless harbored a desire which is appropriate for every person to emulate: He wanted to be the High Priest. Maimonides describes this as something fitting for all human beings: “Any type of person whose spirit inspires him, and he resolves in his mind to set himself apart [from worldly pursuits], to stand before God and serve as His minister, to work for Him, and to know God; who [then acts upon his resolution and he] goes in a morally upright manner–following his inherent, God-given disposition, and he discards all the numerous concerns that people are normally preoccupied with- then he will attain the holiness of the Holy of Holies,” i.e., the spiritual level of the High Priest.

Korah was not corrupt in his ideology, but only in his method of implementation. His desire to be High Priest was well founded, as Moses confirmed, “I too want this” (Rashi to 16:6). His only mistake was attempting to achieve this goal by usurping Moses, rather than following him.”

The confrontation with Moses was regarding how important Moses had become. They argued and challenged why Moses set up Aaron as the high priest.

Moses heard this and he fell on his face. What is interesting here, and Nachmanides writes about this; is Aaron did NOT fall on his face, likely because he felt Korah may have been more worthy of the high priest.

Moses – responded to Korah by putting it back In God’s hands. He tells Korah God will make known who is holy for priesthood.

He tells Korah to do the following:

1. Take fire pans
2. put fiery coals in them and offer incense on them tomorrow before God.

Moses tells Korah he’s Taking a risk – the one God chooses will live, and the others will die.

Moses pleads with Korah to reconcile. He says “isn’t it enough that God has distinguished you?”

Moses tells Korah and the men with him – “When I appointed Aaron as priest it was God’s explicit instruction.” He tells Korah – “you all are ganging up against God and not me.”

He then sent messengers to call Dathan and Abiram (who were backing Korah) to try to reconcile – but they refused to see Moses. They sent the message “isn’t it enough you have brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, that you also seek to be a ruler over us?”

This is an interesting take to close today’s portion.

Dathan and Abiram saw EGYPT as the land flowing with milk and honey. Slavery was better than freedom.

How often do we look at that in our own lives? On our journey to freedom, how often do we look backwards and tell ourselves things were better than they actually were? Just to avoid trusting the future?

That’s what I’m chewing on today. How about you?