Parshas Korach: How Could He Do It?

HOW COULD HE DO IT?

By Roy S. Neuberger

How could Korach and his followers have rebelled against Moshe Rabbeinu?

It is so obvious! Moshe Rabbeinu is the representative of the Ribono shel Olam, who stood alone with Him on Har Sinai! He took us out of Mitzraim!

My friends, I wish it were difficult to understand, but in fact it is so easy to make egregious errors of judgment. They say, “Hindsight is 20-20.” In the thick of action, our judgment is frequently flawed or completely turned off. Sometimes, we just do not use our brains! 

In Mitzraim itself, at least eighty percent of Am Yisroel never left with Moshe Rabbeinu! (Rashi to Shemos 13:18 & 10:22) Because they preferred the foreign culture, they perished in Makkos Choshech!

Today, a similar nisayon exists with regard to the culture of Esav which surrounds us.

In my own life, I can think of countless instances in which I have been seriously wrong on vital issues, fooling myself for long periods – with, in some cases, very serious consequences – and at the same time being sure I was absolutely correct. As always, Dovid Hamelech says it perfectly: “Who can discern mistakes? Cleanse me from unperceived faults!” (Tehillim 19)

We have to fear error. 

Recently, I quoted Rabbi Moshe Heinemann’s insight on the death of Rabbi Akiva’s twenty-four thousand talmidim: “There was a subtle lack of kovod for one another which was enough for Hashem to require beginning anew the mission of giving the Torah to the next generation with absolute purity. This is similar to an angle which slants at an eighth of a degree, which is hardly [noticeable at first]. However, after a foot, these lines develop visible differences.” (Halachos of Sefiras Haomer and Shavuos)

I would like also to quote from my own book: “If a Jew deviates by one millimeter from the rules, in the course of time his deviation will become infinite.  Once you are headed in a different direction, you just keep going.  You tell yourself that it’s normal, and you try not to think about whether it’s true.” (From Central Park to Sinai)

The consequences of even a slight deviation are staggering. Look at how we are still suffering from the actions of themiraglim and Korach and all the other rebellions and mistakes our ancestors made over the course of history. We have to try to learn from the ancient advice of our Sages: “Consider the cost of a mitzvah against its reward and the reward of a sin against its cost.” (Pirkei Avos 2:1)

“Had Reuven known that Hakadosh Baruch Hu would write of him, ‘Reuven heard and he rescued [Yosef] from their hand’ (Beraishis 37:21), he would have carried [Yosef] on his shoulders back to his father.” (Ruth Rabbah 5:6)

My friends, we are obligated to act with seichel. Hashem gave us brains. In addition to our hishtadlus, we have to beg, like Dovid Hamelech, that Hashem restrain us from “unperceived faults” as well as intentional sins. In the merit of refining our behavior, may He heal all our tzouris and send the Redeemer soon in our days! 

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Roy Neuberger, author and public speaker, can be reached at roy@2020vision.co.il.

© Copyright 2019 by Roy S. Neuberger