Shabbat Shalom from Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Shabbat Korach
Torah: Numbers
16:1 - 18:32
Maftir:
Numbers 28:9 - 28:15 | Shabbat Rosh Chodesh
Haftarah:
Isaiah 66:1 - 66:24 | Shabbat Rosh Chodesh
“Pathways to
Holiness”
Dear Friends,
How do we Jews become a holy people? In Leviticus 19, the Holiness Code, God tells
the Israelites to become holy through living lives of strong values and right
behavior. Now, in the book of Numbers, Moses and Korach are locked in a battle
of leadership over Israel. One of the
main issues is about how we attain holiness as individuals and as a people.
According to philosopher Martin Buber, “both Moses
and Korach desired the people to be the holy people. But for Moses this was the goal. In order to reach it, generation after
generation had to choose again and again between the way of God and the wrong
paths of their own hearts; between life and death. For Korach, the people were
already holy, so why should there be further need for choice? Their dispute was
between two approaches to faith and to life.”
Korach deceived the people into believing that
there was no need for them to improve their lives. Moses, taught that each and every day, we are
given the choice to became better human beings – through study, worship, and good
deeds we are constantly growing and learning.
Of course, Moses won the dispute and Korach was driven out. Thus, thousands of years later, we Jews are
still learning, praying, and righteous behavior. It is our ongoing path to holiness.
Shabbat Shalom,
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