Albert Einstein offers us the timeless wisdom that “the greatest tragedy of human existence is the illusion of separateness.” If only his words could have reached Korach, the rebellious namesake of this week’s Torah portion, who incites an uprising against Moses and Aaron, out of jealousy and determination to stand apart from the community. In a scene of great drama, the earth opens up and swallows Korach and his rebels, who are never to be seen again.
What are we to understand of this divinely inspired demise? I do not interpret our Torah to be warning against all forms of spiritual resistance or peaceful protest. Rather, I hear in this parasha a strong critique of an approach to systemic change that is twisted with greed and personal ambition.
“Korach took” are the first words of this portion, notes Rabbi Shefa Gold. Grammatically, the “taking” in this verse has no object. Rather, taking here describes Korach’s consciousness –
a greed for power based on the misconception that his interests are not the same as the community’s. Takers, notes Rabbi Gold, exert their power by consuming the world. Our Torah calls us to challenge the impulse in our society that operates on a premise of a “dog eat dog” world. To be takers is to deny the interdependence that every living organism is a part of.
While we see far too many examples of this behavior in our day-to-day, I draw hope that embedded in Korach’s legacy is another way of leading and loving that we can learn from. Strangely, for a figure who appears to be a classic villain, Korach is afforded the great honor of having his name associated with twelve of the most beautiful psalms in our tradition. They are said to have been written by his children and contain this powerful line that I love from Psalm 85: “Kindness and truth are met together, justice and peace shall kiss.”
While Korach may not have had the wisdom to wed his own sense of righteousness to a vision of peace and kindness, I take heart from his children’s message. Perhaps a new generation can learn a way of standing up for themselves without losing sight of the whole community’s wellbeing. It is their vision I wish for our community. In order for justice and peace to kiss, we must embrace a power-with, rather than a power-over mentality, and celebrate not only our independence, but our fundamental interdependence – on each other, and on the planet. May we remember: we belong to each other.