Strength and Power (and The Difference Between Them)
D’var Torah for Parashat Korach
By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman
June 29, 2022
This week’s Torah portion is Korach, Numbers 16:1—18:32. This highly dramatic portion describes the rebellion against Moses and Aaron instigated by Korach, a fellow Levite (and member of the second highest class among this chosen tribe, the Kohathites, just lower than the priests themselves).
Ostensibly a family matter that got out of hand, Korach accuses Moses and Aaron of usurping and abusing power. He enlists the help of co-conspirators, leaders of the tribe of Reuben, first-born son of Jacob and therefore by custom and common practice entitled to leadership. Basing his claim on Moses’s wish, “Would that all God’s people be prophets” (Num. 11:29), Korach and his cohorts accuse Moses of unjustly elevating himself above all others.
This uprising comes shortly after the incident with the spies whom Moses sends out to scout out the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve spies give a demoralizing report. Only Joshua and Caleb remind the Israelites that they are headed towards a land “that flows with milk and honey” (Num. 14:8). As part of the uprising described in this week’s portion, Dathan and Abiram, leaders of the tribe of Reuben, turn this vision on its head, claiming that Egypt is that rich land (Num. 16:13).
In politics it seems that there are always two directions that candidates want us to choose between: forward and backward. Only in this case it isn’t politics as usual. The storyline of this portion tells of a dangerous coup attempt against Moses. Ultimately, its lesson is about the key difference between strength and power.
The question of historical validity is always upmost in Biblical research. In this famous story, God shows displeasure by commanding the earth to open up and swallow Korach and all his companions. It’s hard to imagine a less scientific description of the end of the rebellion. However, the moral cautions that this dramatic tale conveys are real and valid even today.
Several events in the portion highlight the legitimacy of Moses’s and Aaron’s position. Leadership is earned—if not through miracles, then through faith and courage. True leaders not only establish order, they also give us a vision of a better future and chart a path toward it. Korach and his cohorts point to the past and counsel returning to it. That they remind the people of the riches of Egypt but actually leave out the worst of their experience there—slavery and genocide—says much about them.
Korach reaches for power by using people’s confusion and fear. His motivation was never really about the people. It was all about power, power for its own sake, power for his own sake.
Moses’s achievements on the other hand, are not only in leading the Israelites out of slavery and toward the Promised Land. Where he succeeded above all else was in unifying the Jewish People, not only by giving us goals and aspirations, but also by showing us how to get there. His strength is based not on fear and control, but rather on the power of love and caring. His courage is drawn not only from his faith in God, but also from the faith he has in the people and in our intrinsic ability to overcome challenges and difficulties.
Power for its own sake is a dangerous tool. Used by tyrants and demagogues, it is destined for failure. Strength founded on vision, faith and courage is the sign of true leadership. The proof of Moses’s success is shown not only through stories and miracles, but also by the undeniable historical truth of the ongoing existence of the Jewish People.
Korach is a story about power and politics. Its lessons are no less valid today than they were thousands of years ago.
© 2022 by Boaz D. Heilman
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