Korach:
Prescient Reformer? Traitor? Immature Dreamer?
The namesake of this week’s Torah portion, Korach, challenges what he sees as Moses’ monopoly on closeness to God. A replication of the hierarchical power-structure of Ancient Egypt from whence the Israelite nation had recently fled. Korach offers-up a separate sacrifice of incense to God, arguing (Numbers 16:3), "All the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you (Moses) raise yourselves above the Lord’s congregation,” כָל־הָֽעֵדָה֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים וּבְתוֹכָ֖ם יְהוָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ תִּֽתְנַשְּׂא֖וּ עַל־קְהַ֥ל יְהוָֽה? Korach, his followers, and their entire families, are soon thereafter swallowed-up by the earth. The rabbis interpret this as a Divine punishment for the crime of treason. Why were Korach and his followers punished? Were they not advocating for the very same call for social and political egalitarianism as God had when He ascribed to the entire Israelite people that (Exodus 19:6), "You will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” וְאַתֶּ֧ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת כֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְג֣וֹי קָד֑וֹשׁ? Should they not have instead been hailed as brave, prescient reformers?
Prescient Reformer? Traitor? Immature Dreamer?
The namesake of this week’s Torah portion, Korach, challenges what he sees as Moses’ monopoly on closeness to God. A replication of the hierarchical power-structure of Ancient Egypt from whence the Israelite nation had recently fled. Korach offers-up a separate sacrifice of incense to God, arguing (Numbers 16:3), "All the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you (Moses) raise yourselves above the Lord’s congregation,” כָל־הָֽעֵדָה֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים וּבְתוֹכָ֖ם יְהוָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ תִּֽתְנַשְּׂא֖וּ עַל־קְהַ֥ל יְהוָֽה? Korach, his followers, and their entire families, are soon thereafter swallowed-up by the earth. The rabbis interpret this as a Divine punishment for the crime of treason. Why were Korach and his followers punished? Were they not advocating for the very same call for social and political egalitarianism as God had when He ascribed to the entire Israelite people that (Exodus 19:6), "You will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” וְאַתֶּ֧ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת כֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְג֣וֹי קָד֑וֹשׁ? Should they not have instead been hailed as brave, prescient reformers?