Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland
Our parasha starts in the middle of the story that concludes our previous Torah portion and talks about the Israelites getting involved in an idolatrous cult:
While Israel was staying at Shittim, the menfolk profaned themselves by whoring with the Moabite women, who invited the menfolk to the sacrifices for their god. The menfolk partook of them and worshiped that god. Thus Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and יהוה was incensed with Israel. (Num 25:1-3)[…]
The main theme of our Torah portion is the story of Balak, the king of Moab, who summons the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel. Three times, from three different vantage points, Balaam attempts to pronounce his curses; each time, blessings are issued forth instead. One of reasons Balaam brings to justify his inability to curse the Jewish people says the following:[…]
Moses and Aaron were probably the greatest Jewish leaders of all times. Both of them commit a sin in our parasha, are punished for it and die. What was their actual sin for which they were to die? Everyone who read or studied this story thinks they know and that it is obvious: they were both told to order the rock, to speak to the rock to yield water, but Moses instead struck the rock with his rod, and struck twice. But I don’t think that this most common explanation reflecting the pshat level – the simple, literal meaning of the story is valid. Why? Let me ask you a question: which of the laws of the Torah Moses and Aaron transgressed? Is there a law to prohibit striking the rock in order to get water from it? None that I know say anything like that. And that’s exactly the common explanation of what was[…]
The name of our parshah refers to a man whose name was Korach, who headed the rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Korach incited a mutiny challenging Moses’ leadership and the granting of the kehunah (priesthood) to Aaron. He was accompanied by Moses’ inveterate foes, Dathan and Abiram and was joined by 250 distinguished members of the community, who offered the sacrosanct ketoret (incense) to prove their worthiness for the priesthood. At the end of this story the earth opens up and swallows the mutineers, and a fire consumes the ketoret-offerers.
