Voices of WRJ: Korach

by Lori K. Alter This week, we read the story of Korach's rebellion, found in Numbers 16:1-18:32. In a nut shell, Korach rebels against Moses's rule. Korach gathers 250 followers and accuses God's divinely chosen leader of running a despotic regime. Fast forwarding a bit, Korach and his entire entourage get swallowed up by the earth. The easy lesson is: don’t be like Korach. I read of one rabbi who based all his sermons and speeches on Korach. When asked why, the rabbi stated that he could “count on the message,” be it to congregants, Rotary members, or the Girl Scouts. It makes for an easily digestible lesson: if you make bad choices, you must deal with the consequences. So that's the simple reading, that's the p'shat (literal meaning). But I wonder what other lessons we can learn from this Torah portion. After reading a number of arguments, I believe Parashat Korach provides us with an opportunity to really look at the concept of leadership. What does it mean to be a leader? What is a leader's role? How does one lead? What kinds of leaders are there? Creating leaders is a huge part of our mission as part of WRJ. Where better to address the issue of leadership than during a dispute? First of all, who was Korach? It appears that he was an influential figure during the Exodus. He is listed among the chief men of Israel and is one of the first Levites appointed for service in the Tabernacle. He was an important person. Did he desire to displace Moses as leader or be equal to Moses? If all people are created equal, he argues in Numbers 16:3, then why should any one person have authority over another? Korach's challenge echoes throughout history. In fact, leaders of every recent generation have fought for the assertion that each person has intrinsic worth and that all people have equal value. As few of us would challenge this claim, Korach's disobedience strikes a chord within us. And yet, Korach is unquestionably the bad guy. His argument may be sound, but his motives and his methods were flawed. Korach's defiance appeals to values cherished by American sensibilities. All people are equal in the eyes of God who created us, but that does not mean we are all the same. To be equal in worth does not mean we all have the same God-given skills. Korach’s flaw, perhaps, was that he confused equal worth with equal ability. In this world there are people with varying degrees of intelligence, strength, wisdom, insight, character, size, and prowess. Korach misunderstood equality and sameness. By contributing our talents to the world, each of us adds to humanity by living the values and practices that make for a society of sacred learning, divine service, and deeds of love. We are not cut out to be the same. There are many styles of leaders, and as leaders we must remain distinct. Not better, not worse, but distinct. Just as we needed Moses to function as a leader who was a part of the people, yet distinct from them, so too the world needs all people with our distinct role to play. At times we may feel the desire to be in control, to take the reins, to be the head honcho. But sometimes being a leader means following someone else's leadership. That does not make us lesser, just different. The Hasidim tell a story of Rabbi Zusya, who after his death went to stand before the judgment seat of God. As he waited for God to appear, he grew nervous thinking about his life and how little he had done. He began to imagine what God was going to ask him: "Why weren't you more like Moses, or why weren't you more like Solomon, or why weren't you more like David?" But when God appeared, the rabbi was surprised. God simply asked, "Why weren't you more like Zusya?" Lori K. Alter is a WRJ Board member and member of Temple Emanuel Sisterhood in Beaumont, TX.