Taking the time

Korach

Num. 16:1 - 18:32

Précis: Korach foments a rebellion, claiming that Moses and Aaron have taken too much power for themselves. Datan and Abiram also attack Moses’ leadership, claiming that Moses has brought them from a land of milk and honey (Egypt!) only to let them die in the wilderness. A test of fire offerings is arranged, and Korach and his followers are destroyed as the earth opens and swallows them. The People continue to complain, God threatens to destroy them once again, but Moses and Aaron intercede. A plague takes the lives of 14,000 people. A final test, that of staffs, is performed, and when Aaron’s staff miraculously blossoms on the following morning, it is clear that his status as High Priest is secure.

Num. 16-3:5 “They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and God is in their midst. Why then do you set yourselves above God’s assembly?  When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. Then he spoke to Korah and all his company saying, ‘Come morning, Adonai will make known who is His and who is holy…’”

            Moses’ first reaction is an interesting one. He does not immediately defend himself and Aaron. Rather, as the text tells us, he “falls on his face.” Why? Is it because he is making himself humble before his enemy? Is it because he is so stunned that he feints? One of the Sages suggests that this was Moses’ way of taking a few minutes to reflect before responding. He was faced with a rebellion, and he wanted to respond in the most appropriate way.

            How many of us can stop and take a moment to figure out how to respond before we react to a provocation?

            Next time your child or an employee or an acquaintance begins to “act out,” I suggest that you try to stop for just a moment before reacting. This could be the chance to interrupt what might be a habitual chain reaction: a child disobeys, a parent gets angry; a friend or relative habitually complains, and we get angry.

            One therapist I know sees such interactions as a “dance” and that by changing one’s “steps” the other party is so stunned that he or she is also more likely to change the routine.

            Use this “time out” opportunity to think about what is really going on, and what specific response might be called for. Is this a time for a talk about appropriate behavioral boundaries? Perhaps you indeed are wrong, and it’s time for some concession. Like Moses, stop and consider your best response before acting. A better result than one might otherwise experience may be in the offing.