Sunday, June 2, 2013
Parshat
Korach
Bamidbar 16:1 -18:32
30 Sivan 5773 / June 7 – 8, 2013
Bamidbar 16:1 -18:32
30 Sivan 5773 / June 7 – 8, 2013
Between
Life and Death
by
Zvi Bellin, MHHQ
This
Torah Portion is infamous for the challenge that Korach and his band of
rabble-rousers raise against Moshe and the miraculous punishment of the Earth
opening its mouth and swallowing these dissenters. On the surface, Korach’s
claim is not so strange. He wants to know why Moshe and Aaron are given a
higher status of leadership than other people of their own Levite tribe. Upon
deeper exploration it seems that Korach’s intentions were not to increase justice,
but rather to usurp power.
As
the Earth licks its lips after a satisfying meal, there is yet another conflict
in the Israelite camp. The entire Jewish people are now scared of Moshe and
Aaron, faulting them for the death of Korach’s crew. They assemble against the
Dynamic Duo (Moshe and Aaron) and shout with raged fists, “You have killed the
people of God!” According to the text, their mob mentality strikes up another
punishment. This time it is a mysterious plague that begins to spread
throughout the camp, killing people instantly (the death toll reached 14,700!).
God too seems to be infected with the fury virus and is ready to demolish all
the Jewish people.
Fear
not Israelites, Moshe knows how to stop this plague! He tells Aaron to take
incense and burn it amongst the people and atone for them. Aaron does just this
and the Torah states beautifully in verse 17:13,
“He
stood between the dead and between the living and the plague was halted.”
I
read this verse as saying that Aaron was able to stand between life and death
and that his ability to hold these two extremes ended the plague. Aaron is able
to dive into the plague -- into the anger, fear, and death -- and bring the
remedy, his very own life and presence, and this calms the Divine rage.
We
can see the above episode as the people being infected with a rage that is
composed of maddening fear and despair. You are in the middle of the harsh
desert and a large group of people have suddenly perished. And worse yet, you
cannot trust your leaders. God has turned against you. Your world is
shattered and your sanity broken. I imagine the people in a hysterical panic,
trampling each other, fighting, lashing out, lost. (Think of some recent zombie
movies.)
Aaron
comes out with the sweet smell of the incense. He immerses into the mob and
feels his own pain and hopelessness. He begins to panic, to feel the cold
creeping hand of death tightening around his throat. He inhales deeply and
smells the incense. The smell pacifies him, reminds him of his purpose and of
the spirit which makes all things possible. Aaron rediscovers his own vitality
and remains infectiously calm. The raging Israelites draw near to descend on
Aaron. They are halted by the smell of incense and become infected with Aaron’s
hope and peace of mind. There is no longer room for rage … the plague
is halted, though not entirely obliterated.
We
still encounter the same plague of hysterical fear and doubt today. We point
similar fingers at our leaders, and react in unhealthy ways when our
experiences do not make sense. We often react with extreme behaviors that are
detrimental to our own and our community’s stability (i.e. addiction, suicide,
homicide). Aaron offers one model to help us ignite the spark of life that can
temporarily calm this anger and doubt. Using the burnt incense as a tool, which
serves as a reminder of the soul and soothes the spirit (just like we do today
in the Havdalah ceremony), Aaron was able to reintroduce order into the chaos.
This is not an easy task and exemplifies big shoes to fill - a direction to
grow in.
May
we all be blessed to connect with the resources in this world and within
ourselves that strengthen and stabilize us so that we might beneficially face
our plagues and find comfort even in the times of utmost chaos.
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