For the week of July 5, 2024

Korach is a man’s name, and he is a cousin to Moses and Aaron. Chapters 16 and 17 describe his challenge to Moses’ authority, as he and his brother Aaron lead the Israelites through the wilderness. In our narrative God takes Moses’ side, and thus brings about the destruction of Korach and his soldiers. Moses had pleaded with God that the challenge to his leadership was groundless, since he, Moses, is guiltless of accepting bribes or any type of judicial favoritism. Part of the underlying meaning of the story is to reinforce the status of the priestly class, i.e. the descendants of Aaron. More importantly, the saga tells us about the dangers of dealing with a demagogue. Korach’s challenges to Moses seem rather pragmatic on the surface, but there is an insidious undertone to all of his criticisms of the prophet. Join us for a wonderful Torah discussion this Shabbat morning.