Standing idly by

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. 16:21-22 “Whereupon Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and pleaded with God: ‘O God, Source of the breath of all flesh! When one man sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?... ‘Speak to the community and say, ‘Withdraw from the abodes of Korach, Datan, and Abiram.’”

            In the initial confrontation between Moses and Korach, only the principals are named. Here, in the subsequent confrontation, all of the people are present and are threatened by God. Moses intervenes, and the devastation is limited to Korach and his followers.

            But why does God want to destroy the entire nation ? After all, the threat was only by the rebellious followers of Korach, Datan, and Abiram. Perhaps it is because the others were indifferent to the evil surrounding them. 

            This is a reminder: for evil to triumph, all that is required is that people of good will stand idly by. 

The Edah

Sh’lach

Num. 13:1-15:41

Précis: Moses is ordered to “send out” (sh’lach l’cha) spies to examine the land. Representatives of each tribe go out, report on its bounty, but also report about its fearsome inhabitants. The People are frightened, and their “murmuring” turns into something close to panic. God tells Moses that He will destroy the People, but Moses intercedes; the People are sentenced to spend 40 years in the wilderness. The parasha then returns to matters concerning the Tabernacle, with a discussion of the offering for unintentional sins. Near its end, the parasha discusses the wearing of tzitzit, a paragraph which is part of the traditional recitation of the Sh’ma. This is the 27th of 54 parshiot, marking the half-way point in the yearly reading.

Num. 14:27 “How much longer will that wicked community keep murmuring against Me?”

Here, God complains about the “murmuring” by the people following the dour report of 10 of the spies. The word for “community” in Hebrew (“edah”) which here numbered ten was used by the Rabbis as the basis for creating the requirement of a minyan, the Jewish quorum needed for communal prayer and observance. This fact has been powerfully driven home in recent months by the pandemic, when “virtual” services have been attempted as substitutes for the communal acts we would ordinarily engage in together.

The Conservative Movement has recently issued a legal opinion (t’shuvah) stating that certain rituals, including Shabbat and holiday services, may be conducted virtually. Some congregations, such as my own, have decided that they will begin to stream services provided that a minyan is present in the sanctuary. Some members of my congregation (including myself) have already been participating in “Zoom” services on Shabbat together, with the kind of substantial two-way interaction which a one-way stream does not offer. This is a matter of deep concern to those who feel torn between the need for observance of traditional halacha and the real need for “edah.”

I would also note that this week’s reading takes place during a time of heightened awareness of institutional racism which is part of America’s DNA. “Murmuring” about its impact is not sufficient. We, as a community - an edah – need to be outspoken and supportive of equal rights for all.