Power Failures

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Episode Transcript

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Thank you for joining me. I'mRabbi David Lyon from Congregation Beth Israel in
Houston. Reading Torah is not assimple as it looks, even into a
good English translation. Reading the textalone doesn't give access to all the commentary
and the brilliant insights that centuries andcenturies of rabbinic and other discourse have permitted

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us. Because as we turn theTorah again and again, we're always looking
for new insights, some that havealways been there for us to discover,
and sometimes because we've changed over theyears and certainly over the centuries, and
suddenly we begin to discover more.And the same is true in the portion
that we call Korach. Korach isthe rebellious character in the Torah that we

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read about in the Book of Numbers, chapter sixteen. If you know about
Korach, then you know about hisdemise too. But if you don't know
about Korak, it's time to openyour Bible to the Book of Numbers chapter
sixteen to read all about it andTorah, even a single word can capture
the attention of commentators of old andof the present. And in the portion

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called Korak from Numbers, chapter sixteen. The very first verse begins with a
couple of words that capture the attentionof commentators and Hebrew. The words are
bayikak Korak in means in some translationsnow Korak betook himself or Korak took,

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But due to syntax challenges, theexact meaning of the word bayikakh, which
we translate to mean he took inthis sentence, is uncertain. So going
back, as we often do,by looking to the past first, the
biblical commentator named Rashi from the eleventhcentury explained that Korak betook himself to the

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sad in order to separate himself fromthe community. This way he could protest
against Moses, who appointed his brotherto the priesthood. Other commentators agree the
Korak's sewed dissension by standing apart fromthe community and winning over others with clever
words. In effect, it wasKorak's plan to separate the people from the

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rest of the community too and claima holy role for himself. So I
hope that you're beginning to hear thecontext of this dilemma. Moses, Aaron,
and Miriam leading the people from Egyptinto the wilderness, standing at organized
in the community into a holy communeand community of deeds responding to God's commandments.

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But Korak, feeling separated and separatinghimself even further, felt that Moses
was giving over roles and responsive abilityto those in his favor, and Korak
wanted some of that power, someof that holy rule too well. As
you might already know, the planbackfire. The earth opened up and swallowed

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Korak and his unfortunate followers. There'sa hint in Rashi's commentary that reveals more
about what Korak took as that versebegan. You see the Missiona and the
third century teaches, and Rashi alreadyknew do not separate yourself from the community.
It's a fundamental verse that has alwaysbeen reflected in Jewish communities, so

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that Jews don't live alone, theydon't live apart. There are no Jewish
monks. More often than not,Jews live close to their synagogue, to
sources of education and food and medicalhelp, etc. Places where Jews can
thrive. So do not separate yourselffrom the community was spiritual and emotional,

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but it was also practical, livingplace where you can have what you need
in order to thrive, to live, to make a contribution, to make
a difference. Rashi knew this anddrew Korak's bad example to its logical conclusion.
Nothing good would come, Rashi suggested, from anyone who thought he could

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thrive by setting himself against the community, and a faithful community at that.
So it's one thing to separate yourself. We would say good luck, best
wishes to you as you make youway alone. But it's not a safe
thing to do ultimately. But toset himself against the community was even worse,

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and to make things even worse afaithful community at that. The Israeli
community then and Jewish communities even today, are faithful. Not everybody gets it
right, but they aim for thetarget, which is to build sanctity and
holiness in the community by being mindfulof God's commandments, teaching of Torah,

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general secular expectations of good behavior andgood manners in the city. Karach only
made matters worse by fomenting rebellion amongthe people. It's no wonder then,
In Numbers, chapter sixteen, versefour, it says Moses, after all
of this fell on his face,though we might render it as his face

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fell to fall on your face tous sounds very literal and a little comical,
like a practical joke. But hisface fell is something we can relate
to. After all of this,all of this work and effort that Moses
undertakes with other leaders, Kara pullsthis rebellious stunt, separating himself from the

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community, pulling others away, anddemeaning and maligning the people, and trying
to claim power and holiness for himself, which was unwarranted and certainly unearned.
Moses face fell, we can relateto the feeling. According to Rashi,
this was actually the fourth time thatthe people rebelled, or at least some

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of them did. These are thefour times Rashi highlights. First in Exodus
chapter thirty two, when the peoplesinned by worshiping the golden calf, Second
in Numbers chapter eleven, when thepeople complained and murmured against Moses, Third
in Numbers chapter fourteen when the spiesthe scouts reported on the land, And

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fourth this example in chapter sixteen ofthe Book of Numbers. Now at the
rebellion of Korah. While finally,after four brushes with rebellion, it was
clear who caused the trouble and whospread an ill report among the people to
separate them from the Holy community.In Numbers chapter fourteen twenty two, we
read hash echad. It means inEnglish this one. In context of the

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verse, it was asked of Godwhen one man sins, will you be
wrathful with the whole community? Ina midrash In a rabbinic interpretation, the
God's full replies made clear. Youhave spoken well, God said, I
know and shall make known who hassinned and who has not sinned. So,

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in the context of the tory verseand the midrash the rabbi's interpretation of
what was going on in that section, God replies, this one and the
others. God knows this one andthat one. They were known to God
as they always are, not justonly in biblical stories, but in any

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time and day. And so evenas we might become frustrated or impatient that
justice is inhappening, sooner God knows, and the ark of justice ultimately bends
in our favor to be sure thatright is right and wrong is wrong.
And so the biblical story unfolds.Those who rebelled this one and that one,

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who were named by God would paythe price for driving wedges between the
people and separating them from the holycommunity. The earth, once called to
bear witness to God's covenant we readabout it in Deuteronomy, chapter thirty,
verse nineteen, was summoned now todemonstrate the final verdict against those who went

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against God and God's faithful people.Korah and his followers last stand ended in
an earthly grave. As the Torahreports, the earth opened up and swallowed
them. They aren't remembered even tothis day for their power grab. They're
only remembered for their horrific demise.Today. There are no similar biblical acts

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of justice, but that's not tosay we wouldn't benefit from some, or
even a little. A day doesn'tgo by without horrific acts of defiance,
civil unrests, and unholy deeds.We have only to open the paper,
look on the internet, read socialmedia, and if we can find your

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way through the facts and the untruths, the near truths, and discover what
is probably happening. We would beappalled by so many efforts to upend society,
good manners, holy deeds, everythingthat those of us who adhere to
some semblance of a covenant with Godwould find abhorrent, and so as it

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was, then ours is not totake on anything that separates us from a
community of commandments, of good deeds, of holy works. Rather, ours
is to advocate for justice. BecauseTorah and other sacred texts in your own
faith community and their teachings are sacredsymbols of power that are uniquely related to

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ethical striving and moral responsibility individually andcollectively. So even those who may not
be mindful or knowledgeable of the teachingsand their own sacred texts doesn't mean that
those sacred texts aren't worthy of understanding. And even when we find ourselves in

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conflict with or confuse by some ofthose sacred teachings and what they might mean
to us today, they still areour sacred symbols of power that offer us
lessons if we can interpret them andturn them, so to speak, to
understand them in our own day.Because they are uniquely related to ethical striving,
it doesn't mean that they are lawcodes that always have the same answer

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or the right answer for any timeor experience. But they do reveal to
us how we can strive ethically andadhere to and accept our moral responsibility to
get it right. So when Iopen the Toro or other teachings, there
may be some that are perfectly clear, how can you go wrong with honor

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your father and your mother? Oryou shall not kill? But there are
other teachings which feel a little outof place or out of time for twenty
twenty three. Nevertheless, there issomething that they were aiming to accomplish in
ancient times that we might be ableto discern for ourselves even today. And
therefore it isn't our duty or ourprivilege to say I reject it, but

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rather it's our moral responsibility to discoverwhat is the essence of this lesson?
What is men to be taught?What were they intending to accomplish by inserting
this into our sacred text that itmight be preserved for centuries? Why are
we reading it now? And whatdifference does it make? I, for
one, I am afraid of heights, and according to the Korak story,

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I would say I'm equally afraid ofdepths, and have always favored truth and
wisdom even when it's difficult to findtruth and wisdom worth the search and the
rewards. And that's why one ofour favorite teachings in the Missioner from the
third century says to turn it andturn it again, for all it's contained

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within it, wax gray and oldover it. It means to open the
sacred text, to open the Torahitself, and to turn it. As
we continue to read it from anancient scroll, we do turn it physically,
and we bring ourselves to it tobe sure that even as we reread
the same text every year, weappreciate that we are growing and we are

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changing. I would urge you,too, in your own faith tradition,
to open the book and not readit to say this is right or this
is wrong. I accept this,and I don't accept that. But rather,
what was the essence, the natureof it that they were trying to
accomplish and bequeathed to us by wayof a sacred inheritance. If we can

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get to the core of it,or even as close to it as possible,
we might discover that we don't haveto act badly or even usurp authority
or grab power to make our wayor to make a name. Rather,
to be part of a sacred communityis a better way to feel part of
something great, something enduring, andcertainly something holy. And Rabbi David Lyon

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from Congregation about Israel in Houston.To listen again or share this message,
please find it my podcast called Heartto Heart with Rabbi David Lyon. You
can find it at sunny com oron the iHeart media app. As the
news continues to be filled with challenges, look for the bright spots. Catch

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somebody doing something good, and whensomething is troubling or challenging, try to
take the high road. Turn thetemperature down, so to speak, and
remember before you point your finger atsomebody else, or when you do,
know that three other fingers are pointingback at you. When we point at
others and blame them for what wecan be or can do, we must

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take a look deep within ourselves tobe sure that we aren't also responsible for
what we can do or can't be. But finding our way through and by
turning down the temperature and accepting someresponsibility, provides an opening for that which
is sacred to make a difference ina community of which we are still apart

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and should be contributing to by wayof good deeds, sacred thoughts, and
good intentions. And so as theweek continues, please bring some of this
with you, share it with others, and let's be sure that the community
that we are aiming to build isnot filled with those who are rebellious or
trying to separate ourselves from others whoare also aiming to do good. Let

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it's be a good week, asafe week, a peaceful week for you
and all who are touched by yourlife. Thank you for joining me.
I look forward to being with youagain next time.