Parshas Korach: Rebellion is Futile

Our Torah portion this week, Parshas Korach, Bamidbar (Numbers) 16:1–18:32, again puts a spotlight on rogue leadership within biblical Jewish culture. Korach, an ambitious Levite, incites a rebellion to usurp the power and position given to Moses and Aaron.

Korach Agitates

Moses, highly respected and trusted as God’s agent, holds the top leadership spot in the newly emancipated society. Aaron, high priest in charge of ritual sacrifices in the Sanctuary, holds the top religious spot.

Korach believes his birthright and his ambition for spiritual leadership entitle him to occupy the high priest position. He promotes overturning the new nation’s social and religious hierarchy. He convinces his family, neighbors, and 250 distinguished judges and highly respected men from the Tribe of Reuben to join in the rebellion against God's appointed authorities.

Korach promises to elevate his followers to priestly status, and vows to create a just and equitable society without class distinctions. Discontents who resent the effort of daily mitzvot tag along, as do troublemakers hoping to cash in on the chaos.

God tells Moses of the fatal consequences awaiting Korach and his rebel friends should they go through with their plan. Moses pleads with Korach to stand down, but Korach ignores his pleas.

Earthquake and Fire

Korach and his 250 aspiring priests gather in front of the Tabernacle holding pans of burning incense, an action reserved for the high priest, Aaron. A crowd of  co-conspirators looks on until a catastrophic earthquake swallows all of them, their families, their houses and their material possessions. Fire consumes the group that covets the priesthood.

Many in the community blame Moses and Aaron for causing these tragedies. More deaths occur when a plague descends, killing the blamers. The rising number of deaths prompts Aaron to offer atonement sacrifices to God on behalf of the rebels. The plague stops.

The portion ends as God mandates that only Aaron’s dynasty is tasked to perform the priestly duties. The Levites are assigned to help them. 

Samuel's Warnings

Our Haftorah portion this week is I Shmuel (Samuel) 11:14-12:22. Samuel is a descendant of Korach and the spiritual leader of the Jews at this time. The people demand that Samuel install the first King of Israel. Knowing his troubled family history, Samuel equivocates.

He warns of problems ahead for his people, who want to rely on an earthly king who demands imperial obedience instead of relying on the King of Heaven who demands moral obedience.

The people ignore Samuel and his warnings until a severe thunderstorm scares them into asking the prophet to stop the storm. This Haftorah portion ends with the clarifying reminder that God's way is the only way to peace and prosperity.

And Samuel said to the people, "Fear not. You have done all this evil, but do not turn aside from following the Lord, and you shall serve the Lord with all your heart. And you shall not turn aside, for then (you would go) after vain things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are vain. For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake; for the Lord has sworn to make you a people for Himself. I also, far be it from me to sin to the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I shall instruct you in the good and proper way. Only fear the Lord and you shall serve Him in truth with all your heart, for see the great things which He has dealt with you. But, if you will do wrong, both you and your king will be destroyed. 1 Samuel 12:19-25.

Saul's Downfall

Samuel's foreboding about Saul eventually comes true. Saul's reign begins successfully but he soon oversteps his role when he assumes the priestly duty to offer sacrifices to the Lord for success in battle. In a military campaign against the Amalekites, God tells Saul to kill King Agog and destroy the spoils of war. However, Saul has his own ideas.

A political strategist, Saul shows off his military victory by sparing King Agog's life and parading him through town. A greedy opportunist, he keeps the spoils of war for his own benefit. When Samuel confronts him, Saul offers Samuel an insincere apology meant only to regain his standing and his crown. He loses both.

Conceit and Chaos

Both Korach and Saul harbor agnostic temperaments. They claim unwarranted authority in Jewish society instead of aligning themselves with Divine appointment. They act upon narcissistic ambition rather than on faith in God's arrangement and moral vision. Their conceit produces immediate chaos and destruction for themselves and those who follow them. 

Our modern day ambitious leaders of agnostic, narcissistic temperament avoid outright rebellion and its immediate and dramatic consequences. Instead, they operate in a subtle way. They pose as religious and civil authorities without pushback.

They ensnare and captivate morally confused followers with legal gymnastics that distort biblical principles, and social justice arguments based on misplaced compassion. The long term harm they produce becomes a normalized maladjustment to life, hidden by those who instill it and unquestioned by those who believe it.

Moses, Aaron, and Samuel warn errant leaders to stand down. They plead with confused co- conspirators to disengage from false authority. They pray to the Almighty for mercy and forgiveness. Though they fail to change minds and thwart disaster, their efforts teach us that we must confront evil or be destroyed by it.

Mercy and Restoration

Last week, we listed Jewish leaders who routinely and capitalize on concocted judicial and religious authority to garner nearly global Jewish support for legal abortion homicide in Jewish and secular law. Their actions constitute rebellion against God and His moral authority in Judaism. 

As the prophesied chaos, destruction and death escalate for Jews around the world, high profile Jewish leaders in politics and the media blame a variety of actors and elements that no doubt appear relevant to some extent.  However, they take no responsibility for their ego centered, ambitious ventures that distance Israel and Jews from Divine protection and security.

The JPLF is the only dedicated public Jewish pro-life voice of sanity and generational integrity in the Jewish community. Though our efforts fall on deaf ears and hardened hearts, we do as Samuel taught us. We confront the greatest human rights evil of our time: the legal killing of millions and millions and millions of innocent human beings in the womb.

We warn against ambitious leaders who claim false judicial and religious authority in Jewish society. We instruct our friends and neighbors of the right and proper way. We speak truth to the lies and the liars. We pray for mercy. We offer healing to those who desire restoration of the Holy covenant. We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”  Eli Wiesel. Romanian born American Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor.

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.

Cecily Routman

Cecily Routman is the founder and president of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation. She opposes abortion homicide in general and among Jews in particular and laments secular policy making in Israel that results in loss of Jewish life and delays the messianic redemption. Cecily envisions a Torah based holy Land of Israel and a world that respects the life of every human being from conception.

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