Compassion in an Unjust World

Photo by Quaid Lagan on Unsplash

Parashat Ki Tetse, Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

by Rabbi Paul L. Saal, Congregation Shuvah Yisrael, West Hartford, CT

Recently I went on a picnic with my wife and youngest daughter at a local park well known for its exceptionally groomed rose gardens. I was reminded of a time over two decades ago, when I took a leisurely walk with my wife and in-laws at the same park and we happened upon an understated and unpublicized public demonstration. At the time we went down a path that led to a small, shaded pond where we would sometimes go to relax and feed the ducks. That day the pond was crowded with about fifty participants launching tiny replica sailboats. Several spectators like ourselves probably happened serendipitously upon the event. It was not immediately apparent what the significance of the boats was until a series of speeches were given which proclaimed the activity as a commemoration of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima by the U.S. military. I was immediately impressed by the passivity of the demonstration against war in general and nuclear proliferation specifically.  

My father-in-law, though, was visibly upset. Though he was not a hawkish type at all, he reacted to what he understood as a simplistic and naive demonstration, which had failed to acknowledge the lives saved by the historic bombing. One of those lives saved might have in fact been his own, since he had just finished boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi, at the time of the unprecedented military action. It did not escape me then or now that the horrific attack on Hiroshima may have ironically saved not only my father-in-law’s progeny but by extension mine as well. We might ask if it is necessary to take such drastic measures in dealing with the present injustices that exist in the world to fulfill a mandate of compassion. 

This moral conundrum is still pressing today. Though I do not believe just civilizations desire to be involved in continuous and protracted violence, some would say it is often necessary for the greater good. It should be taken into account that the decision to escalate the response using weapons of mass destruction changed the history of violence exponentially. President Harry S. Truman wrote concerning the decision to drop the bomb, “I felt to extract a genuine surrender from the Emperor and his military advisors there must be administered a tremendous shock which would carry convincing proof of the power to destroy the Empire. Such an effective shock would save many times the number of lives, both American and Japanese, than it cost.” Yet reasonable people cannot be comfortable with the nuclear proliferation that has followed that initial action, as well as the use of chemical weapons and other WMDs. How should true believers feel when attempting to hold hatred of violence and compassion for those victimized in creative tension with contempt for evil and the necessity in this world for swift and proportionate justice? 

This week’s parasha, Ki Tetse, begins, “When you go to war against your enemies.” The realities and assumptions of the ancient world are expressed in this statement from God by the mouth of Moses. Notice it says “when” and not “if.” This does not mean that the Holy One universally advocates war; rather that he recognizes that in this age there will be war. In the ancient world, life was governed and patterned by morally capricious and mean-spirited deities, not a benevolent and purposeful God. The message then was clearly understood – grab what you can when you can. But Torah initiates a change in how first Israel, and then the other nations, would begin to understand and incorporate mercy and compassion into the fabric of society.  

Of course, this can be hard to observe from the first command given in this parasha. Roughly paraphrased, if a man takes a woman as a spoil of war, he is commanded to give her a place in his harem rather than merely discarding her, in this way domesticating and systematizing war rape. But there is also a caveat that if the man should grow weary of the woman, he may dismiss her, but he may not sell her into slavery. Certainly, these practices would not be deemed acceptable today anywhere in the civilized world. The men of Israel are told how to treat women captured in war, but are never told to keep their hands off, instruction which, from our ethical vantage point, would be considerably better. But within a world system where women were considered weak and inferior, valued only for their physical appeal and procreative abilities, the laws of Israel provided much greater protection. In the ancient Near East, when a woman’s apparent fate was captivity, she would beautify herself in hopes of being accorded mercy by her captors. Only in the Torah of Israel are war captives afforded this level of civility, and given an appropriate length of time to mourn their dead while being cared for and protected. Only then could they be “married” by their captors.  

Though it may sound ludicrous on the surface, the biblical narrative and stipulations do describe a process of taming an already chaotic world. Israel and its law system are radical and transforming to the ancient world of the Bible, but they do not immediately overturn the entire social order of the existing world system. To say they did not go far enough might seem like an extreme understatement from our contemporary vista, but they introduce standards of mercy that were previously absent in the ancient world. Torah describes the entrance of God’s cosmic ordering into the socio-moral plane. Israel in turn acts as the conduit of God’s principles to a world already filled with disharmony, violence, and inequality.  

Ki Tetse continues to lay out an array of commandments all concerned with ethical and moral treatment, and compassion for all. The favoring of siblings (Deut 21:15–17), dealing with unruly offspring (21:18–21), honoring the deceased (21:22–23), compassion toward animals (22:6–7; 10; 25:4), and the proper treatment of hired help (24:14–15) are all covered in this portion. Like the treatment of women, the statutes contained in this portion may at times seem inadequate, dated, or irrelevant to us. But in fact, they represent a code and trajectory that has changed and transformed the world and continues to do so, when God’s people understand and apply the intention of these commands, ordinances, and judgements. They suggest to us that first and foremost our creator wishes us to imitate him by bringing a touch of mercy into an already unjust world. Only in Torah can mercy and justice be held together in such a delicate tension.  

An ancient midrash tells of a king who possessed a delicate set of glasses. He desired to pour hot drinks into them but feared they might expand and shatter. He wished to pour cold drinks into them but feared they might contract and break. So, he chose to mix the hot and the cold beverages and pour them into the glasses, leaving them intact. In the same way, the midrash continues, the Holy One, blessed be he, mixes together mercy and justice, for if the world were filled with only justice who might stand? – but if it were filled with only mercy, evil would proliferate.  

Above all God is the Merciful One. If we wish to imitate him, we must bring compassion into all of the circumstances of life. The High Holidays are approaching, a time of reflection and introspection. This is a time when we ask the Holy One how we might better reflect his glory in the coming year.  

Rachmunas – compassion – is what we see in the Torah passage, because God is a compassionate God. If we want to make him smile, we ask ourselves the question, “How can I be a more compassionate human being and bring mercy into an often-unjust world?” As moms, dads, friends, neighbors, employers, and children of God – how can we live and act more compassionately? Through the month of Elul as you hear the shofar, and into the Days of Awe, Torah compels us to answer this question.

Are You a Perfectionist?

Parashat Shoftim, Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9

Dr. Vered Hillel, Netanya, Israel 

I am a perfectionist! For as long as I can remember, I have been a perfectionist with a passionate love of God. Together, these two characteristics have helped me be a healthy perfectionist, which is a person who has high standards and good organizational skills, is persistent, and adheres to a set of goals that energizes them but does not make them feel overwhelmed or paralyzed.  

The Bible calls us to be perfectionists. Its understanding of perfectionism, however, is quite different from that of the world in which we live. In the Bible, a perfectionist is one who walks blamelessly or wholeheartedly before Hashem, or who is whole, complete, or perfect (Gen 17:1; Josh 24:14; Psa 18:23, 26; Matt 5:48; Rom 12:2; and so forth). The command to be “perfect” is buried among the responsibilities for civil and religious authorities in this week’s parasha, “You must be tamim (perfect, blameless, wholehearted, completely loyal) before Adonai your God” (Deut 18:13). The key, then, to understanding the biblical view of perfection is the word tamim. Let’s take a brief look at various uses of this word in the Tanakh. 

We are probably most familiar with the term tamim from the Pesach (Passover) lamb, which is to be “perfect (tamim), a male one year old” (Exod 12:5). In fact, all of the sacrifices are to be tamim, meaning they are to be “unimpaired,” or “flawless,” with no blemishes, diseases or physical defects. Tamim also describes a complete year (Josh 25:3) or a complete/full day (Josh 10:13). We begin to see that tamim indicates something that is complete, or whole. When tamim is used in relation to people, however, the word refers to ethical and moral behavior related to one’s walk with God and is often contrasted with behavior that Hashem deems abhorrent or unacceptable. Scripture says that Noah was tamim in his generation and walked with God (Gen 6:9). Hashem commands Abram to “walk before me and be perfect (blameless)” (Gen 17:1). Walking with/before God indicates proper worship of and relationship with him.  

In Parashat Shoftim, B’nei Israel is standing on the other side of the Jordan River about to enter Canaan. In the midst of Moses’ farewell speech to Israel, Hashem warns B’nei Israel not to learn and imitate the behavior of the people in the land, which includes divination, sorcery, necromancy, augury, and soothsaying. Instead, B’nei Israel is to be wholehearted/ blameless/perfect before him (Deut 18:9–14). In these verses, tamim is connected with behavior; don’t behave like the world around you but be tamim. Behavior and its consequences are further contrasted in the wisdom books. Psalm 37:18–21 contrasts the consequences of the tamim with that of the wicked; Psalm 101 contrasts a person who walks in the way of tamim, which includes integrity and honesty in every area of life, with those who are proud, deceitful, dishonest, and slanderers (cf. Psa 15:2[1]— one who walks in tamim does what is right and speaks honestly). Hashem watches over the tamim and withholds no good thing from them (Psa 37:18, 84:12). Proverbs 2:21 and 11:5 contrast the tamim with the wicked.  

Hashem’s ways and Word are perfect (tamim): “As for God, his way is perfect (tamim)” (Psa 18:31) and “the Torah of Hashem is perfect (tamim) and restores life” (Psa 19:8[7]). People who walk in the ways of Torah are blessed for their actions: “How blessed are those whose actions are blameless (tamimei), who walk in the Torah of Adonai “ (Psa 119:1). Psalm 18:24[23], 26[27] also explain that a tamim person keeps Hashem’s commands and does not violate them. Psalm 119 expresses the psalmist’s plea to Hashem, “May my heart be tamim to your statutes, so that I might not be ashamed (Ps 119: 80). 

From these verses we learn that being “perfect” directly relates to our walk with God, which includes our relationship with and worship of him, imitating him and not the world around us, and loving his Word and keeping it. One who is perfect (tamim) in this manner is blessed; their soul is restored, and they lack no good thing. Notice that nothing is said in these verses about doing things wrong, or sin, or failure, or judgment. The Bible’s view of perfection is a wholehearted commitment to Hashem and his Torah. Being tamim means that a person is undivided in their loyalty to God, relying on him alone, and serving him with undivided loyalty (be-tamim u’ve’emet, Josh 24:14). Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us that Hashem’s deeds are perfect (tamim). He and his deeds are reliable and faithful, completely loyal. 

Yes, the Bible teaches us to be perfect; to be perfectionists who seek Hashem with our whole hearts, mind, and soul, and who loyally and faithfully walk with and serve him. Our perfectionism lies in imitating Hashem and his ways and not the ways or standards of the world around us. This understanding is echoed in Rav Shaul’s command, “Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect (teleios=tamim).” 

As I said at the beginning, I am a perfectionist by nature. Both my perfectionism and love and desire for Hashem are gifts from him. My God-given desire for him led me to be a perfectionist by his standards and not by the world’s. I still sin, do wrong, and unintentionally struggle with the ways of the world as listed in Psalms—pride, deceit, dishonesty, and slander. But they are not who I am. I encourage all of us to be perfectionists for Hashem; to be people who imitate God with our whole hearts, mind, and soul, who with undivided loyalty and faithfulness walk with and serve him, and who are not conformed to this world, but are continually renewing our minds so we can be tamim before him.

Check Your Idols

Parashat Re’eh, Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17

Rabbi David Friedman, Jerusalem

In today’s portion, Moshe continues his exhortations to the tribes before they enter their land of inheritance.  

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot [instructions] of Adonai your God that I am giving you today; and the curse, if you don’t listen to the instructions of Adonai your God, but turn aside from the way I am ordering you today  and follow other gods that you have not known.

When Adonai your God brings you into the land you are entering in order to take possession of it, you are to put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount ‘Eival. (11:26–29 CJB)

Moshe explains to the people how to enter into a life of blessing. The Hebrew word “blessing” (berakha, ברכה) comes from the word for “knee.” In the ancient Jewish mind, to be blessed was to be given reasons to bow one’s knee in thanksgiving to the Almighty. This is what Moshe was helping the nation to experience. The other option was to live lives full of cursing. The word for “curse” (kelala, קללה) comes from the word “lightweight,” reminding us of the properties of a feather. So if one is cursed, one’s life has the effect and influence of a feather. Everything one does comes to naught. So Moshe pulls no punches here. He makes it quite clear that there are two options for the twelve tribes in the Land of Israel: a life of obedience and blessing or a cursed life.  

The first exhortation is to listen to God’s instructions as they are taught by Moshe. “Listen,” or shema (שמע) in Hebrew, is best translated as “physically hear with the intention of carrying out what you hear.” That is, put yourself in a position to do what you are taught. The word is in its plural form, so Moshe was addressing the entire nation: all twelve tribes are being exhorted to do what they are learning and hearing. 

Then Moshe tells them that they are to have a ceremony at the site of Shechem (close to today’s modern city of Nablus). This ceremony will have part of the people stand on Mt. Gerizim, and the others on Mt. Ebal, reciting the blessings and curses involved in obeying or disobeying God’s instructions. We later read about that ceremony in Joshua 8. It is a testimony to the enduring power of God’s words that even in modern times, the area around Mt. Gerizim (the hill of blessings) is green, while the area around Mt. Ebal (the hill of curses) is much dustier, much more desolate. That is how those two high places looked when I went there on a personal pilgrimage just one month ago. “When Adonai your God brings you into the land you are entering in order to take possession of it, you are to put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount ‘Eival” (11:29 CJB). 

Moshe concludes this section with his constant and repeating point: “And you are to take care to follow all the laws and rulings I am setting before you today” (11:32 CJB). 

It is amazing how heartfelt obedience to God influenced matters then (and now, too!). It is perhaps paralleled, to some degree, by the parent-child relationship. Those of you who are parents know that nothing is more pleasing than when your child does something they know will please you with all their heart. It makes us parents happy, grateful, and pleased. I imagine God looks at things similarly when his people do what pleases him with all our hearts. 

It is worthwhile to note the very first thing on the to-do list of God’s instructions is to deal with idolatry. It is written: 

You must destroy all the places where the nations you are dispossessing served their gods, whether on high mountains, on hills, or under some leafy tree. Break down their altars, smash their standing-stones to pieces, burn up their sacred poles completely and cut down the carved images of their gods. Exterminate their name from that place. But you are not to treat Adonai your God this way. (12:2–4 CJB)

 And again, Moshe re-emphasizes this need:

Be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” You must not worship your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things Adonai hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. (Deut 12:30–31)

He continued, in this talk, to emphasize this line of thought:  

If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to them or listen to them. (Deut 13:6–8)

We can see how crucial it was to eliminate all traces of idolatry. Idolatry is one thing that God would not tolerate, the quickest way to threaten the covenant relationship with him. Even the former places of Canaanite idolatry were to be destroyed. God did not want his beloved people to be tripped up and have their lives ruined by idolatry. Entrance into the Land of Promise was only the beginning. The presence of Jacob’s descendants in the Land was to be anchored by a covenant-based faithfulness to God. That is, their blessings would depend upon how well they followed God’s instructions, as explained in the covenants. It really wasn’t hard to please God: love him will all one’s heart, love one’s neighbors, and keep God’s instructions. That was the winning formula. And it is this winning formula that Moshe now takes pains to carefully impart to the people. This is what we see in our parasha this week.

Today’s parasha also contains part of Israel’s economic structure that is simply marvelous. Let’s remember that it was God who conceived this structure: 

At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because Adonai’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. . . . However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land Adonai your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey Adonai your God and are careful to follow all these instructions I am giving you today. For Adonai your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. (15:1–6) 

In today’s world, there is much ado being made about viable economic structures and policies. Countries really struggle to find a system that promotes national wealth and doesn’t bankrupt their citizens. In ancient Israel, all people were considered valuable; their economic welfare was to be a concern of everyone. A key to economic blessing was forgiveness of debts. God never meant for there to be poor people anywhere in the nation.   By including these instructions, Moshe was tying together how doing what the Torah instructs promotes blessing in all of society, for everyone.

 I get the feeling that after hearing this set of talks by Moshe, the prevailing attitude was an enthusiastic “Yala, kadimah” (Modern Hebrew for “let’s get up and go”). Moshe instilled confidence in God by his words. And we are told that that entire younger generation did indeed keep the Torah as they settled the Land: “Israel served Adonai throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything Adonai had done for Israel” (Joshua 24:31). 

Moshe is a master instructor, and that is what we see him doing in today’s parasha. We would do well to pay attention today to the messages found in our still-precious Torah. 

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture citations are the author’s translation based on the NIV.

Our Heels or Our Hearts?

Parashat Ekev, Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25                                                                     

Rabbi Dr. John Fischer, UMJC President

As frequently translated, Deuteronomy 7:12–13a reads: “If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you as he swore to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you.”

This text begins with the word “Ekev,” the title of this week’s parasha. Although often translated “if”—as it is here—this term is far richer than its usual translations. In fact, it is not even the normal Hebrew word for “if”; that term is im. Actually, ekev is much better translated “because” (as per Ramban) or “when.” The idea then appears to be an encouragement, namely, that the people (we) will in fact follow God’s instructions and reap the benefits God has committed himself to lavishing on us. Moreover, according to several rabbinic commentators (Saadyah Gaon, Ibn Ezra, and Onkelos) there is a suggestion or connotation of reward inherent in the wording here. So the thought in our text more fully is: “Here’s the reward when(ever) you pay attention to these guidelines.” Later, in chapter 28, this idea is reinforced when Moses lists the many blessings God will rain down on his people whenever they follow him.

And, in our parasha, the rewards are great as well! “He will love you and bless you.” Interestingly, these verses sound almost identical to Yeshua’s statements in John 14:21: “Whoever has my commands and obeys them is the one who loves me. The person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Certainly this is the ultimate in “blessing.” In fact, there’s a strong likelihood that Yeshua is referring to Ekev at this point.

There is a further dimension to the term ekev; it also means “heel.” On the significance of this meaning, the Artscroll Chumash perceptively notes:

Midrashically, the word “ekev” . . . alludes to the sort of commandments that people may regard as relatively unimportant, so they tend figuratively to “tread on them with their heels.” Thus, the Torah assures Israel that if they are careful to observe even these neglected commandments, they can be certain that God will reward them.

This, too, sounds just like Yeshua, as he reminded us:

Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices theses commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:19)

God wants us to be very careful to follow him fully, even in the least of matters.

Then, there is an interesting connection of our parasha with Jacob. Ekev (ayin-qof-vav) is also part of Jacob’s name. His name more accurately means “May he (God) be at your heels,” as in your “defending rear guard.” His name and its meaning are alluded to in a strategic text found in Isaiah 52:12: “For the Lord God will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard (i.e. your ‘Jacob’).” This verse immediately precedes the introduction to the classic text of Isaiah 53, which unveils the ultimate way in which God went before Jacob (and his descendents) and protected us! It is the core of the blessings God showered on Jacob the man and Jacob the people. And, if the Jacob story is properly understood, Jacob (the ish tam or “complete person” of Gen 25:27) serves as the pattern of the kind of God-expected lifestyle described in our parasha; he is faithful to God (Heb 11:21).  

But there’s more in our text, which can be translated, “God will safeguard (rather than ‘keep’) his covenant of love with you” (Deut 7:12). The Hebrew translated “keep” is the word (shamar) used to describe the watchmen or guards on the ancient city walls, or, later in history, the sentries protecting Israel’s early kibbutzim. They were responsible to be alert and to keep the city’s inhabitants safe. That is precisely how God will watch over the covenant he made with our ancestors (and with us), alertly and faithfully, and lovingly. In fact, the covenant itself is characterized by and described as a “covenant of love,” a covenant of deep, abiding love as the Hebrew hesed (profound, faithful love) indicates. And, our responsibility is similar, since the same Hebrew term (shamar) is used for our response to the covenant (“careful to follow”). We must alertly and lovingly treasure God’s guidelines. As one response at the presentation of the Torah during Shabbat services puts it: “The ark now unveils its treasure. . . . The Torah stands there in all its richness . . .” (Siddur for Messianic Jews, emphasis added).

Notably, the covenant found in our passage is the very one God made with our ancestors at Mt. Sinai, and it is called a “covenant of love” (not law!). Hesed is a very strong word used to describe God’s unlimited graciousness, overflowing compassion, and unconditional commitment to us. If we truly realize that God’s covenant with us at Sinai is a covenant of love, we should be even more anxious and eager to carefully safeguard and gratefully follow it.

One further thought, in the Torah scroll itself the passage in this week’s parasha is directly adjacent to the text of the Shema. It even begins with tishm’un (“pay attention”), which contains the same letters as shema. The implication seems pretty clear. If I’m really sincere about the Lord being my God, the only one whom I will serve—if I’m serious about loving him with my whole heart, strength, and life—I will, then, more carefully, enthusiastically, and gratefully follow all his instructions in the Torah.

So, we do need to be far more careful to treasure and follow God’s guidelines in the Torah because we love him. And, he guarantees that the reward will be great!

All Scripture references are NIV.

The Groan of Redemption

Thoughts on Tisha B’Av from Jerusalem

Dr. David Friedman, UMJC rabbi

Director, Bet Midrash Lev Zion

Tisha B’Av is upon us—the ninth day of the month of Av, commemorating the destruction of the Holy Temple. While I don’t relish a day of pain and sadness, performing a good cleansing tshuvah (repentance) is always in order. Being honest, however, the prevailing emotion I experience on Tisha B’Av is indeed one of pain. 

I hurt for my nation. I hurt that we as a nation turn to God on a couple days of the year like Tisha B’Av, but find it difficult to do so on many of the others. We sit in humbleness on Tisha B’Av when we recite the Book of Lamentations. But as abortion, hatred, slander, our international enemies, and now disease harass our very existence as a country, we do not call upon God as a nation to help us. How strange! How sad. We have our box that we put him in; he goes in there on Tisha B’Av. We call on him on that day, but then. . . . I hurt when half of our population views God as far removed from us, and does not consider him as any part of their lives. His people, his covenant people, adrift in a sea of relativity, of humanism, and of factions that are among us.

I hurt when many of our people who do want to keep Torah and be faithful to God, keep Torah in such a way as to alienate other Jews; there is sometimes a harshness, a nastiness, and a hardness among such persons.   

On Tisha B’Av, I can only imagine how the Almighty himself must feel about all of us in his beloved land. Heartbroken? Yes, and yet full of the most incredible hope, because he knows the future. So Tisha B’Av is about failure, but it also encompasses hope. And in the words of a famous prophet, we Jews are “prisoners of hope” (Zechariah 9:12).  

Rabbi David Geffen of modern-day Israel wrote: “Tisha B’Av is always about loss and hope.” Regarding this year, Tisha B’Av 5780, he added: “This year there is an emotion never felt before. Our deep mourning on Tisha B’Av in the soil of suffering is the prelude to our hopes for a better world.” 

When I immigrated here some 40 years ago, we knew all the others who believed in Messiah like we did. There weren’t many of us; we could all meet in one facility at the same time. Today? Today I constantly hear of new congregations or home groups; I constantly hear of new individual Messianic Jews. Something has been afoot here that carries the mark of God’s work over these years. And that is encouraging. He will do what he will do in spite of us, who can only see through a smudged up mirror:  

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (1 Cor 13:12 NLT)

Maybe these feelings that I have this Tisha B’Av are part of the pains that Rav Shaul mentions in Romans 8:22: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” 

I groan on Tisha B’Av. I groan for the nation of Israel to be what we were created to be. And we will get there. I groan on Tisha B’Av for the nation of Israel to be the society that we have been called to be: full of love, justice, in pursuit of truth, and shining God’s light to the world. And we will get there, too. I groan while I stand at the banks of the Jordan River, waiting to enter the Land of Promise and to live as our holy Torah instructs us to live (to use images from our parasha of this past week).

Tisha B’Av this year feels like one big groan. But it’s a redemptive groan. It comes from the kishkes (Yiddish for “gut level”). Perhaps it’s as the prophet Zechariah pictures. Everyone in Jerusalem is standing at Messiah’s future appearance in the Holy City:

Then I will pour on the House of David and on the residents of Jerusalem the spirit of favor and of comforting mercy. So they will look on me, the one whom they stabbed through, and mourn for him, according to the mourning rites for individuals, with bitterness concerning him like bitterness over a first born. (12:10, my translation)

Zechariah envisions us all crying, groaning, weeping, wailing, as we do on Tisha B’Av. But this time the cries will be different, as they will directly precede the most redemptive period in the history of Israel, may that day come soon. This series of lamentations will lead to our national destiny. 

Living in Israel is an exercise in patience, in endurance, and in bearing a certain amount of Tisha B’Av-like pain every day. When I board a bus here, which I often do, I look at every person who boards. I cannot help but to offer a prayer on each one’s behalf, that they would come to know Messiah, that they would be spared the pain and death that so many people would like us to experience again, Tisha B’Av style. That’s not easy to do: the bus moves fast and people get on and off. On the other hand, it’s nice that people can and do pray openly in buses in Israel, so I can do this and not look like a crazy man.

When some people talk about future events in Israel, they talk about how many dead Jews there will be; they talk about the coming partial destruction that awaits Jerusalem and modern-day Israel. To such persons, we are numbers in their theology. My neighbor with five children, my friend down the street, my former student, my former player (I was a   coach here for over 20 years), my son’s friends, my son’s classmates, my grandchildren’s friends and playmates . . . we are Israel.  

We are those who get assigned the task of dying and suffering in the previously mentioned theology; we are the numbers that get thrown around (not to worry, I don’t necessarily hold to any such theology, but that’s another discussion for another time). Hearing such talk pains me. And the reality of our future suffering, be it mild or harsh, be it long or short in duration, makes me groan, too. 

Tisha B’Av can spark our minds about our future redemption. Otherwise, it is about mourning events and dates that we cannot ever change or improve upon; it goes nowhere. “Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you” (Zech 9:12). 

That hope captures us, indeed; the hope that all Israel will see our true identity as a people, understand who our God really is, and who our Messiah is. And that hope, “does not make us ashamed” (Rom 5:5). Zechariah pictures the Ninth of Av in the future as a day when Israel will rejoice! “So declares Adonai of the Heavenly Armies, ‘the fast of the fourth (month), fifth (month), and the seventh (month) and tenth (month), will be for rejoicing and joy’” (Zech 8:19, my translation). 

Medieval commentator Rashi identifies the fast of the fifth month as Tisha B’Av. In the future, when Israel takes her rightful role as God’s priestly nation and his holy people, as his international servants and emissaries, when Messiah rules from Jerusalem, we will experience Tisha B’Av like never before . . . with smiles on our faces. There will be happiness in our hearts. And I will not ever have to pray for the safety of my fellow bus travelers again. 

Repeat That

Parashat Devarim, Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22

Rabbi Aaron Allsbrook, Ohev Yisrael, Springfield, VA

Many of us who are parents know that we have to repeat things a lot. This is summed up well in the all-too-familiar question, “How many times have I told you that?!” It seems like every time you say it is the first time you’re saying it. It can become very frustrating and make you feel like your children aren’t listening. Then there’s the follow up question, “How many times do I have to say this until you get it?!”

Well, the fact of the matter is, we have to say things a lot, and we have to keep saying them, and this is not something new to us. This has been a struggle since the beginning of the Jewish people. Moses knew this very well, as did God (and still does). The very book we begin this week is called—in the transliteration of its Greek name—Deuteronomy, meaning, “repetition of the Torah.” Moses gives a holistic recall of all that Israel has endured from leaving Egypt to standing at the threshold of the land of Canaan, the land of promise. He repeats what they’ve been through and what they’ve been taught, so that when they do enter, they will know how they got there, who got them there, and how they’re to live once they’re in there. He repeats all of it because it’s really important.

The fact is that we all repeat things that are really important. Think of actors or musicians: how many times must they repeat their lines or their music so they not only know them by heart, but know what they mean, how to interpret them, how to make them their own? Repetition is a good thing, a necessary thing. Repetition can also offer security, solidity, confidence. How many times must an athlete perform certain movements, certain plays—the fundamentals? John Wooden, the famed UCLA basketball coach, said, “I believe in learning by repetition to the point that everything becomes automatic.” He certainly knew what he was talking about. He did win ten NCAA championships along with boasting of four perfect seasons. Repetition is a good thing.

What happens if we don’t repeat, if we ignore repetition? Well, let’s turn to the biblical text. Moses recalls to the people how, when they came to Kadesh-Barnea, the people wanted to send in spies to check out the land they were about to inhabit. Moses had no problem with that, so he complied. When these spies came back, they reported just how big the people were, how big the cities were, even how big the fruit was! The people, however, did not respond well. Moses recalls,  

Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of Adonai your God. In your tents you grumbled and said: “Because Adonai hates us, He has brought us out from the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites, to destroy us! Where are we going? Our brothers have discouraged our hearts saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we are! The cities are great and fortified up to the heavens! Besides, we have even seen the children of Anakim there!’” (Deut 1:26–28)

 Moses is frustrated and responds,

Then I said to you, “Don’t tremble or be afraid of them. Adonai your God, who goes before you, He Himself will fight for you—just as He did for you in Egypt before your own eyes, and in the wilderness, where you saw how Adonai your God carried you as a man carries his son, everywhere you went until you came to this place.” Yet for all this you did not trust in Adonai your God—the One who goes before you on the way to scout out a place for you to camp and to show you the way you should go, in fire by night and in the cloud by day. (Deut 1:29–33)

In other words, he said to them, “Had you repeated to yourself what God has already done for us, you would know that this is not going to be a problem!” The people needed some repetition in their lives.

Moses recalls when Israel was about to engage in war against King Og of Bashan. This guy was huge, even bigger than Goliath! In the natural, the people surely had something to fear. Through repetition, however, God encouraged the people through Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have handed him over and all his people and his land. You will do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon” (Deut 3:2). King Sihon was no joke, and King Og was something even greater, yet God had proved that, through him, the people could overcome.

Now, standing at the River Jordan, ready to enter the land of promise for which they’ve endured 40 years in the wilderness, the people hear Moses repeat to Joshua virtually the same thing God had said to him: “Your eyes have seen all that Adonai your God has done to these two kings. Adonai will do the same to all the kingdoms you are about to cross into. You must not fear them, for it is Adonai your God who fights for you” (Deut 3:21–22). Moses learned the lesson of repetition and taught it to Joshua. This empowered Joshua in faith to overcome an enemy that once frightened an entire nation.

The fact of the matter is that we all need repetition. We constantly need to be reminded me of what God has done, which is a lot! We live in a world where everything is transient, everything is changing; old is bad, new is good. While innovation and change have their value, the historical faithfulness of God is what anchors us in the storm.

We certainly do live in a tumultuous time, so it is incumbent upon us to repeat to ourselves what God has done to our people, what he has done for us as individuals, and how he took his Son out of the grave, which brings us to the ultimate statement of Messiah we need to repeat, “In the world [we] will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33). Just as God encouraged Moses and Joshua by repeating what he had done to kings greater than they, Yeshua encourages us that he has indeed overcome all things on this earth; therefore, we too can overcome. I’ll repeat that, he overcame, so we can overcome!         

All Scripture references are from the Tree of Life Version (TLV).

A Perfect Itinerary

Parashat Mattot-Masei, Numbers 30:2–36:13

Dr. Vered Hillel, Netanya, Israel

Life is a journey! Much like a train ride, life’s journey has stops along the way, but when the whistle blows, we move forward toward our destination. The Tanakh records many journeys. For example, Abraham journeyed to a land Adonai showed him, and B’nei Israel, the people of Israel, journeyed from Egypt to the land of promise. Like all of us, both Abraham and B’nei Israel made important stops along the way. However, they did not dwell at the stops, but continued forward to their final destination. Parashat Masei records the itinerary of Israel’s journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab (33:1–49), enumerating forty-two encampments, during the forty-year period of wandering in the wilderness in accordance with the number of days they spied out the land (Num 14: 34–40).

On the Jewish calendar, Masei is read together with Mattot, Numbers 30–32, except in a leap year. Together the two portions portray the final months of B’nei Israel's journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan. The itinerary in Numbers 33 ends with B’nei Israel in the plains of Moab near the Jordan river. With the exception of a few digressions that recall an incident that befell B’nei Israel in the course of their journey, the itinerary lists only the place names. Why did Adonai include all these names of places? What is their significance?

To begin with, the itinerary anchors Israel in history. It points out that Israel was on a real, historical, flesh-and-blood journey. Additionally, the structure and presentation of the itinerary reveal things about B’nei Israel’s spiritual journey, about their relationship with Adonai and the calling they would embody once in the Promised Land.

Each stage of Israel’s journey was determined by the “commandment of Adonai,” who planned and directed every move. When it was time to relocate, the cloud that hovered over the encampment moved, and the entire camp would pack up their belongings and move on, following the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was stationary, B’nei Israel stayed put, and when the cloud moved again, they moved on. This process demonstrates the sovereignty of Adonai.

The forty-two stages or encampments also declare the mercies and compassion of Adonai. Rashi, citing Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan, points out that fourteen of the encampments were in the first year of Israel’s wanderings and eight were in the last year. This means that B’nei Israel only moved twenty times during the intervening thirty-eight years. Although Adonai decreed that they would wander for forty years, he enabled them to rest and settle down for extended periods of time. This demonstrates the great love Adonai has for his people.

Additionally, the itinerary functions as a reminder of all that happened to B’nei Israel during their forty-year journey, thus enabling them to appreciate both the love and fear of Adonai and the security he provides. Midrash Tanhuma relates a parable to explain this point. Once there was a king whose son was ill. The king took his son to a distant place seeking a cure. When they returned home, the father began to enumerate to his son all the stages along the way, saying “here we slept, here we caught cold, here you had a headache,” and so on. Midrash Tanhuma explains that the itinerary in Numbers 33 was written to remind B’nei Israel of both favorable and unfavorable events of their journey. After they settled in the land of their inheritance, the itinerary would serve as a reminder of Adonai’s lovingkindness, as well as the sufferings they endured as a result of their disobedience. In turn, Israel would be prodded to act rightly and not sin. The itinerary contains a message of historical continuity that evokes memories of Israel’s physical and spiritual journey and encourages all of us to continue our journey in the love and fear of Adonai.

Just as B’nei Israel did not settle in one place on their journey to the Promised Land until they reached their destination, we too press on toward the goal, which is the heavenly call of God in Messiah Yeshua (Phil 3:14 ), without settling in any one stop along the way. We may encamp for a season at specific place where we experience Adonai’s rest as well as favorable and unfavorable events. Through each of these stages we grow and change and in the process learn more about the character of Adonai and ourselves. God created each of us for a purpose. Our journeys help us discern that purpose and become the men and women of God we were created to be. The different stages and seasons of our lives prepare us for the next step along the way and the new opportunities awaiting us. Our specific encounters along the way, both favorable and unfavorable, work together to make us who we are and to prepare us for the rest of the journey.

Remember, we cannot take our goals and achievements with us to our final destination; they are temporal achievements measured by temporal standards. This world is not our home; we are simply passing through, pressing on to a higher calling (Heb 11:1–16, 13:14–21; 1 Pet 2:11; 1 John 2:15–17). As we move from place to place on our journey through life, let us not become distracted by fleeting temptations and desires that can damage us spiritually and physically. Let’s be on guard against desires that lead us astray from Adonai and his word and from desires that cause us to sin and be exiled from him. Remember we are not alone in this journey. Adonai walks with us and guides us.

At each point of the wilderness wanderings, B’nei Israel encamped and moved forward by the word of Adonai. May Israel continue to do so! May we, as individuals journeying through the stages of our lives, also remember that Adonai directs our steps. May we all walk in the places Adonai directs us, because that is the perfect place to be.

Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek! Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened!

The times they are a changin’

Parashat Pinchas, Numbers 25:10–30:1

Michael Hillel, Netanya, Israel

When I volunteered to prepare a study on this week’s Torah portion, in the back of my mind I was thinking about Pinchas’ zeal for the honor and holiness of Hashem (Num 25:10–11), or maybe about the covenant of shalom and everlasting priesthood that Hashem would establish between him and Pinchas and his descendants forever (Num 25:12–13). As I sat down to begin writing, however, the Ruach took me in an entirely different direction. 

An October 2015 Forbes article entitled “When And How To Hand Over The Reins To Your Business” asks, “How do you know when it’s time to step aside and make room for a new generation of leaders? And what’s the best way to handle the transition?” Of the five points in the article, two struck me as relevant to this week’s readings: 1) prepare the next generation of leaders, and then 2) move aside and stay there (on the sidelines). 

In Parashat Pinchas, Hashem tells Moses that it is his time to step aside, but Hashem doesn’t say who is to take over. 

Then Adonai said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and look at the land that I have given to Bnei-Yisrael. When you have seen it, you will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered.” (Num 27:12–13; cf. Deut 32:48–50)

Because Hashem does not tell Moses who is to take over, it appears that Moses will be unable to train the new leader or to prepare the best manner of transition. So Moses does what had become his pattern when he had to deal with things beyond his control, he prays. 

“May Adonai, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community to go out and come in before them, who will lead them out and bring them out so that the people of Adonai will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” (Num 27:16–17)

Immediately Hashem responds with the answer. 

“Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Ruach, and lay your hand on him. . . .” Moses did as Adonai commanded him. He took Joshua, stood him before Eleazar the kohen and all the entire assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him just as Adonai had spoken, by Moses’ hand. (Num 27:18, 22–23)

Not much is said in this passage about Moses’ preparing Joshua, but earlier in Numbers we are told that Joshua son of Nun was Moses’ assistant since Joshua was but a youth (Num 11:28) and that Joshua had already proved himself faithful when he gave a good report upon returning from spying out the land  (Num 13). From these accounts it is clear that Moses has been mentoring Joshua for years. 

Likewise, in this week’s haftarah, 1 Kings 18:46–19:21, Elijah’s replacement is sprung on him with little to no preparation. Hashem’s command to Elijah to anoint his replacement almost reads like a passing thought, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place” (1 Kings 19:15–16). According to tradition, Elijah then mentored Elisha for six or seven years. 

The second point gleaned from the Forbes article seems simple; the outgoing leader is to move aside and stay there (on the sidelines). This point is not an issue for either Moses or Elijah, since when the time comes to turn over the reins, Hashem takes them both away. Granted, this is not an ideal manner of being sidelined that most leaders would want to face. A much better way is for the outgoing leader to be able to say like Rav Shaul when he was preparing to go up to Jerusalem the last time, “Take care of yourselves and all the flock of which the Ruach ha-Kodesh has made you overseers, to shepherd the community of God” (Acts 20:28).  

Rav Shaul was speaking to friends, disciples, and co-workers, ones he had mentored and trained “for such a time as this.” Although Rav Shaul was not going to his immediate death, most of the individuals he was addressing would never see him again. Like Moses and Elijah, Rav Shaul had to trust that the training and mentoring each had received over the years would be enough for them to become the successful physical and spiritual leaders that their communities needed. It is safe to assume that all three of these outgoing leaders knew that there were gaps in their replacements’ training that would leave them unprepared to handle some of the situations they would face. Each of these three men had to trust that in times like these others would step in: Moses trusted that Eleazar the kohen would assist Joshua; Elijah, more than likely, trusted that other prophets would assist Elisha when he had to deal with the unknown; and from the tone of Rav Shaul’s exhortation, he expected the various communal leaders to stand together to supply what the other might need.  

Today, in many of our Messianic communities, our leadership is growing older and, well, the times they are a changin’. What worked in the past doesn’t always work today because society has changed drastically over the last few decades. Technology and social media have changed the way today’s generation reacts and responds to the world around them. Hopefully we have been training or mentoring younger leaders, preparing them to step in when it is our time to climb the mountain like Moses or to hand over the mantle like Elijah. However, if we have not yet started this process, it is not too late! We simply need to follow Moses’ pattern to pray and seek Hashem’s choice of whom to mentor and then to pour into their lives. Finally, no matter where in the process we find ourselves, we are to commission these appointed leaders and release them to do what Hashem has empowered them to do.  

My hope and prayer is that we are preparing the next generation of leaders to step in and that we step aside and let them take the reins when the time is right. 

All Scripture references are from the Tree of Life Version (TLV).

Donkey Wisdom

Parashat Chukat-Balak, Numbers 19:1–25:9

Rabbi Stuart Dauermann

In this week’s parasha we meet the pagan prophet Bil’am, hired by Balak, king of Moab, to come and curse Israel, because Balak has heard concerning Bil’am, “He whom you bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed.” But Bil’am warns Balak’s messengers who come to hire him that no matter how much they pay him, he can only say what Adonai puts in his mouth.

On the way to the rendezvous with Balak, Bil’am’s donkey stops in its tracks three times, finally pressing Bil’am’s leg against the wall of a vineyard. When Bil’am beats the donkey, God “opens the donkey’s mouth” (gives her the power of speech), in a rather comical interchange that results in Bil’am recognizing that the Angel of Adonai is barring his way. Why this strange story? In part it is a set-up for the grand prophecies that are to follow, mapping out the destiny and majesty of God’s chosen nation. Torah is telling us that the God who could speak truth through the mouth of a donkey, can also speak true prophecy about his chosen people through the mouth of a pagan prophet.

Bil’am blesses Israel four times:

FIRST BLESSING: How am I to curse those whom God has not cursed? How am I to denounce those whom Adonai has not denounced? From the top of the rocks I see them, from the hills I behold them yes, a people that will dwell alone and not think itself one of the nations. Who has counted the dust of Ya’akov or numbered the ashes of Israel? May I die as the righteous die! May my end be like theirs! (Num 23:8–10)

Here we see Israel as a unique people who shall “not think itself one of the nations,” a blessed people with a holy destiny. A people whom God has not cursed, but blessed. Historically, how have the Jews stood out as a differentiated people?

SECOND BLESSING: No one has seen guilt in Ya’akov, or perceived perversity in Israel; Adonai their God is with them and acclaimed as king among them. God, who brought them out of Egypt, gives them the strength of a wild ox; thus one can’t put a spell on Ya’akov, no magic will work against Israel. It can now be said of Ya’akov and Israel, “What is this that God has done?!” Here is a people rising up like a lioness; like a lion he rears himself up – he will not lie down till he eats up the prey and drinks the blood of the slain. (Num 23:21–24)

Here we see Israel as the heirs to God’s promises, a people strengthened by God, mighty and formidable, protected from occult powers. How has demonic power been unleashed on this people throughout our history?

THIRD BLESSING: How lovely are your tents, Ya’akov; your encampments, Israel! They spread out like valleys, like gardens by the riverside, like succulent aloes planted by Adonai, like cedar trees next to the water. Water will flow from their branches, their seed will have water aplenty. Their king will be higher than Agag and his kingdom lifted high. God, who brought them out of Egypt, gives them the strength of a wild ox. They will devour the nations opposing them, break their bones, pierce them with their arrows. When they lie down they crouch like a lion, or like a lioness – who dares to rouse it? Blessed be all who bless you! Cursed be all who curse you! (Num 24:5–9)

Here again, Israel is mighty, strong, formidable against its foes. But in addition, it is fruitful, blessed, and a blessing to all who bless them, while all who seek to curse them will themselves be cursed. How has Israel been a blessing to the world, and curse to those who would curse them?

FOURTH BLESSING: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not soon – a star will step forth from Ya’akov, a scepter will arise from Israel, to crush the corners of Mo’av and destroy all descendants of Shet. His enemies will be his possessions – Edom and Se’ir, possessions. Israel will do valiantly. (Num 24:17–18)

Here we see the one who fulfills God’s purposes for Israel – the Messiah. He will be Israel’s protector and vindicator against her enemies. The nations that plundered Israel will themselves be plundered, and Israel protected by the might of God and the saving work of his Messiah. In what ways has the church from among the nations lost touch with how the Messiah remains Israel’s protector and warrior King?

Our haftarah, Micah 5:6–6:8, adds some not-to-be-missed color as we read of “the remnant of Jacob,” being victor over her enemies like a lion one dares not rouse up. We read of the purification of the descendants of Jacob from all their idolatry and spiritual corruption. We read a synopsis of the saving acts of God in bringing Israel out of Egypt, and of his determination to bless Israel despite her own stumblings, and in the end, what Adonai requires of us is to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.

And just a few verses before this, we read of the one who brings all this blessing, the Messiah, of whom it is written “But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y’hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Israel, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times” (Mic 5:1 [2]). This one, the one called Beth-Lachmi, the Bethlehemite, in our Shabbat prayer “L’cha Dodi” is the one through whom these culminating blessings come over Israel.

Yeshua is the ultimate guarantor that the people of Israel, and with them, the church from among the nations, will at the end of all things, be blessed and not cursed.

Even a donkey knows that! Now you do too!

All Scripture citations are from Complete Jewish Bible (CJB).

Holiness and Difference

Parashat Korach, Numbers 16:1–18:32

Dave Nichol, Congregation Ruach Israel, Needham, MA

Our parasha, Korach, is named for the man whose actions precipitate its primary drama.

Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben—to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute. (Num 16:1–2)

On its face, the narrative seems simple, an old-fashioned rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Korach and his allies can be cast as bad dudes who cause trouble—for whatever reason—and are dealt with. A careful reading of the story, however, leaves questions. And our tradition is all about careful readings—and questions!

The firstborns take a hit

As for these challengers of Moses and Aaron, what is the nature of their beef? Korach and the other Levites seem to be focused on the priesthood:

They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above the Lord’s congregation?” (Num 16:3)

According to the commentator Ibn Ezra (Spain, 1089–1167), part of what’s going on here is the transition from a system where firstborn sons were dedicated to God and had the privilege of bringing offerings on behalf of their family, to a system where the priesthood is consolidated within a single family, the descendants of Aaron.

In Exodus 13:2 God commands, “Consecrate to me every first-born,” but then later he switches them out for the tribe of Levi: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Take the Levites in place of all the first-born among the Israelite people . . . and the Levites shall be Mine, the Lord’s” (Num 3:44–45). Korach is himself a firstborn (Exod 6:21). Ibn Ezra believes that Dathan and Abiram are involved because their tribe of Reuben lost its firstborn status to Joseph. 

Whatever his motivations, Korach’s rhetoric is brilliant: “All Israel is holy!” he says. Why should one group, Aaron’s descendants, be “more holy”? The boundaries don’t make sense to him.  

Moses doesn’t buy it. Korach himself, as a Kohathite like Moses and Aaron, is benefiting from these very boundaries. You may remember that their clan was given special roles in carrying the mishkan (Num 4:1–20). Moses rebukes Korach and his followers: 

Hear me, sons of Levi. Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart from the community of Israel and given you access to Him, to perform the duties of the Lord’s Tabernacle and to minister to the community and serve them? Now that He has advanced you and all your fellow Levites with you, do you seek the priesthood too? (Num 16:8–10)

This language of “giving access”—hiqriv, perhaps better translated “bringing near”—is repeated at various points in the dialog. The debate is over who will have access, be close to God. Forgotten is that it is God who is doing the bringing near: “He will grant access to the one He has chosen” (Num 16:5). 

The fundamental point here is that to undermine the holiness of the priests is to undermine the very election of Israel. The idea that God has a special relationship with a “chosen” people is deeply challenging to some. Even Korach, a Levite—the elect of the elect!—struggles with the idea that God’s mode of redeeming the world is through calling out certain people and not others.

Only last week in Parashat Shelach we read of the mitzvah of setting aside a part of the bread we bake “as a gift for the Lord” (Num 15:19–21). When Paul references this commandment, he is applying it to a chosen segment of the people of Israel: “If the firstfruit is holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches” (Rom 11:16 TLV).

Recall that holiness means “separateness.” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks sees the Bible’s focus on a single people as one of its essential ideas: 

God, the creator of humanity, having made a covenant with all humanity, then turns to one people and commands it to be different, teaching humanity to make space for difference.” God may at times be found in human other, the one not like us . . . the unity of God is to be found in the diversity of creation.” (The Dignity of Difference, p. 53, emphasis original)

Israel must reflect this idea of holiness and redemptive difference both in its relationship to other nations (Num 23:9), and internally. But Korach is not on board with this vision . . . and he’s not the only one.

Moses’ change management problem

Moses is implementing (part of) God’s plan for redeeming the world throughout the middle books of the Torah. In Exodus a people is made separate and pulled out from captivity, and a physical mishkan is built. In Leviticus a sacrificial system is arranged. In Numbers the people themselves are ordered, structured in a way appropriate to their calling. Just as any organization’s structure needs to fit its mission, so Israel needs to be reshaped.

Lest we think that Korach was just a bad egg, we find that even after the ground swallows Korach and his allies, the Israelites continue the revolt, though their complaint has changed:

Next day the whole Israelite community railed against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You two have brought death upon the Lord’s people!” (Num 17:6)

The Israelites’ response angers God, who sends a plague that kills more than 14,000. But even that doesn’t seem to convince everyone, because afterwards we still need a miracle: each tribal chieftain hands over his staff, and only Aaron’s buds and blooms, confirming that God, not Moses, is choosing him (Num 16:21–24).

Indeed, looking for a motive or primary complaint of the rebels may be a fruitless endeavor: it may be simply that people don’t like change. Wikipedia’s article on change management puts it succinctly: “One of the major factors which hinders the change management process is people’s natural tendency for inertia. Just as in Newton’s first law of motion, people are resistant to change in organizations because it can be uncomfortable.”

So as Moses attempts to reshape Israel into a holy nation, one that is even structured in these concentric circles of escalating holiness, he is colliding with established interests and asking the people to change, which, as noted above, people are not always good at. Maybe he would benefit from a crash course in change management.

The most patient CEO

In my experience, the most important characteristic for anyone attempting to make change, is patience. It could be making a company more customer-focused, or addressing systemic injustice in society. Change always takes time. We can imagine Martin Luther King, Jr. and the prophet Elijah commiserating this fact right now—“Man, the moral arc of the universe is even longer than I expected!” “Bro, you have no idea.”

How will it end? When will there be justice, or peace? At some point there’s little difference between having patience and having faith! 

To use corporate-speak, Korach is not aligned with the vision God has for Israel. The big question for us reading his story today is, are we aligned with God’s vision for Israel? If becoming aligned requires us to change, or to forgo privilege that we are accustomed to, can we do it? Do we have the humility to adjust if we suspect we might be missing a part of God’s vision? What if our goals aren’t lined up with His as much as we thought? On the other hand, can we be patient for change, recognizing how rare it is for meaningful change to be achieved in only a generation or two? 

We will be part of this story regardless, for good or ill, with the grain or against it. Whatever our part, the Holy One is still at the work of completing creation, and while we cannot see the end, change is happening. It is not required of us to complete the work, but only to play our part (Pirkei Avot 2:16). Let’s get on board with the vision and do what we can.

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible citations are from the JPS Tanakh translation.