Eitz Chayim—A Tree of
Life
D’var Torah for
Parashat Korach
By Rabbi Boaz D.
Heilman
Dedicated to the
Board of Congregation B’nai Torah
“The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that
Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted
but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds” (Numbers 17:8 [17:23 in the
Hebrew text]).
The highly dramatic story of Korach (Num. 16:1-18:32) serves
as a fitting conclusion to the 1956 grand movie epic, “The Ten
Commandments.” It comes to solidify
Moses’s authority as the unquestioned prophet, spokesperson of God and
visionary leader of his people through the wilderness.
There is no doubt of the psychological effect that the image
of the earth opening up to swallow Korach and his band of rebels has on
us. It’s one of the more terrifying and
horrifying ends we can imagine, and the lesson it teaches is of unwavering
loyalty to the powers that be.
But the rebellion of Korach has always posed a problem: How did
Moses come to be the undisputed and undisputable prophet and leader of
Israel? What made him better than,
holier than everyone else?
The answer to both these questions can be found in yet
another image that appears in this portion—that of the flowering staff. As proof of the validity of Aaron’s role in
the ritual hierarchy, Moses is told to take from each tribe’s leader his staff—iconic
symbol of power and authority. Moses is
to place the staffs in the Tent of Meeting.
The next morning, a miracle becomes evident: Overnight, Aaron’s staff has blossomed and given
flower, bud and fruit.
It is easy to see God’s hand in this highly potent
image. After all, the staff is not alive
anymore. Cut off from the tree on which
it grew, severed from its roots, to all eyes the branch is lifeless. Yet God’s spirit can bring life even to the
seemingly inanimate object, the miracle proclaims. Aaron’s position of authority is thus validated
by God, the ultimate source of all life.
The venerable Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986) wrote a
beautiful commentary on this miracle and its meaning. Quoting Talmudic sources, Rabbi Feinstein
teaches that it was important that the whole People of Israel witness not only
the fruit of the branch, but also the flowers and buds that led up to it.
Why so?
Because normally we tend to measure success by the fruit of
our labor, not by the process that led up to it. The final result, good or bad, represents the
sum of the parts; the stepping stones that led up to that result are discounted
as mere procedure, the part of an experiment that needs to be tested again and
again, to be thrown out or replicated as necessary.
The flowering and budding of Aaron’s staff are shown as integral
parts of the miracle so that we can learn to appreciate the actual work done in
reaching the final result. Our intent,
the thought, preparation and effort we put into our work should count no less
than the final result.
That is why Moses’s authority cannot be questioned—at least
not by the likes of Korach. To get to
this point in his life and career, Moses had to prove himself time and
again. Throughout his life he was tested
both by the people and by God; and except for one notable exception (when he
struck the rock for water instead of speaking to it), he passed all tests.
Korach, on the other hand, is mentioned nowhere else in the
Torah. All we know about him is that he
was born to the same clan as Moses, Miriam and Aaron (all Kohathites, a clan of
the tribe of Levi). Like all the other Israelites, Korach was witness to the
many miracles associated with the Exodus.
But unlike Moses, Miriam and Aaron, he had no hand in these
miracles. He was a spectator, awestruck
by the miracle but not a participant in the actual process of making it happen.
Moses’s authority was well earned and repeatedly proven. Aaron, however, was of weaker character. His failure of leadership at the incident of
the Golden Calf left an indelible mark in the minds of many. However, like Moses, Aaron persevered. Like a trained athlete or practiced artist,
Aaron proved himself faithful and constant in the service of God. Still, in the eyes of many that was not
enough. With much of his work done
behind curtains, surrounded by clouds of incense, Aaron’s steady hand could not
be seen by the masses. That’s why his
staff blossomed, budded and gave fruit.
To give clear evidence that there was process behind the result, and
that it was all blessed by God.
So it is with us. The
work we actually do is rarely seen and even more rarely appreciated. What people see and reward more often is the
end result, not the long process of trial and error, the endless training and
repetitious practice that precedes it.
To what can the flowering staff be compared? To the Torah.
An ancient, seemingly lifeless scroll filled with words and tales that
go back thousands of years, the Torah does not blossom by itself. However, when it is studied, it blossoms and
flowers. The words might be from God;
the fruit, however, is in the deeds of those who follow it.
Similarly, a temple can be a glorious architectural setting,
or it can be a simple hovel. But what really
makes a congregation strong often remains in the background, unseen by the
many. It’s in the work of the Board, the
group of individuals who lend so much of their time and effort to the
often-thankless task of making sure the programs happen. Events at the temple don’t appear
miraculously out of the woodwork. They
are crafted well in advance, often in the late hours of the day and
evening. There is discussion of ideas and
practicalities, of tasks and coordination.
Phone calls are made, letters sent, provisions procured and set up.
Throughout it all, we all make sure never to lose sight of
the eternal light—our Torah. It is,
after all, the guiding star of our mission, reminding us of both direction and
goal, purpose and intent.
That’s what makes us Congregation B’nai Torah. Like Aaron’s staff, through the work of our
hands we prove ourselves trustworthy of our name and mission. May this work continue to be blessed by God.
© 2013 by Boaz D. Heilman
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