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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Korach
In Parshat Shlach, the majority of the greatest spiritual leaders in the nation (the M’raglim) conclude that the time was not right to enter Israel. Only Kalev & Yehoshua – who were of lesser stature than several others around them – took a minority view & recommended Aliya. And Hashem approved of their "anti-Establishment" position.
Yet here in our Sedra, Korach also goes against the "Establishment" when he takes on cousins Moshe & Ahron. He, too, stands up to the leadership of the nation, to men greater than he, arguing that radical changes in the system must be made & a new direction followed. And opposed to the M’raglim dissenters, he’s swallowed up by the Earth, condemned to eternal damnation!
So how do we decide when to "go against the grain," & when to respect the existing status quo? This is not just some theoretical issue; it involves real choices in the real world. The subjects of these Parshiyot – Israel & Jewish leadership - are as crucial today as they were then.
Do we follow the dictates & personal example of leading Rabbinic figures who do not lead us to Israel – bodily or Halachically – or do we reject them & go our own way, even if that way is a minority position? How do we determine who is a Moshe, & who is a M’ragel?
Might I be so bold as to suggest that there are times when we must follow our own spiritual compass. When we must "ask a shayla" of our own conscience & spirit, & have the courage to follow the answer our soul tells us is right. Yes, we must have authentic Rabbinic backing to lean on, but even if our choice is a minority view, we may follow it, if our neshama tells us that it is the proper path.
Is that not what Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi did when he went against tradition & wrote down the Mishna, the Oral Law? Or what Rav Yochanan ben Zakai did when he disobeyed orders from the ruling authorities & met with the Romans to plead for "Yavne & its Sages?"
Ultimately, of course, we must be prepared to be held accountable for our decisions. We know that it is Hashem who will judge us & ultimately rule if we acted correctly, l’shem Shamayim, or were just "rebels without a cause." Jewish leadership requires a combination of conscience & courage, with hard choices & substantial risk. But it also determines who is a Korach & who is a Kalev.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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