Korach: The Tragedy of Unity

Tragedies happen. The space shuttle ruptures upon reentry into the atmosphere. A plane vanishes over the Atlantic Ocean seemingly without a trace. Grief ensues. Hard questions are asked. Difficult issues immerge.

The necessity to research the anatomy of a calamity is imperative regardless of its unpleasant nature. The future is at stake.

Korach threatened the foundation of Jewish peoplehood; unity. Mt. Sinai was the utopian juncture of Jewish history. God revealed Himself and conferred a directive. Rashi (Exodus 19:2) writes that at that moment the Jewish people were ‘like one man with one heart’.

The citadel of peace and unison was shattered by the ambiance of dissent and quarrel. Moshe’s realization that the seeds of this horror were sewn stirred him to collapse. (Numbers 16:4)

Korach companied all night. He involved everyone. (Rashi, ibid verse 19) He forced Moshe’s hand. The inevitable occurred. The rebellion was pulped. No one was unaffected. Their unity crumbled. Nothing remained the same.

Consequently, our task is rebuilding peace and unity.

“Rabbi Shimon Ben Halafta said, ‘God found only one vessel that contains blessing; that is peace.’” (Uktzin 3:12)

“God’s blessing is peace.”(Megilla 18a) We beseech God to bless us with peace three times a day (Silent Prayer). “Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel said, ‘the universe is sustained by three entities; judgment, truth and peace.’” (Ethics of Our Fathers 1:18) Unity is the key to survival. (See Rashi, Genesis 11:9)

But traversing into an exalted future necessitates understanding the mechanical failures of the past. If we ignore them they will hoist their ugly head again.

What was the problem? Sometimes the obvious stares us in the face. Darash Moshe (at locum) by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein points out that Korach’s statements were indicative of the problem.

“The whole congregation is holy. Amongst them is God. Why do you raise yourselfs above the congregation of God?”(Numbers 16:3) Korach’s message; we don’t need you. We’re the same. We understand God’s world equally. A teacher, guide and leader is futile. We can guide and teach ourselves.

That attitude is akin to claiming one doesn’t need a karate sensei. I can master it myself. All I have to do is visit the library and purchase Karate For Dummies. We all know that such perspectives are fallacious. It’s not enough to read and see diagrams to master a skill. One needs apprenticeship. Literally and figuratively, a teacher takes a student’s hand and guides him through motions of standing, striking and defending. Tradition passes from teacher to student.

But where there is smoke there is fire. Korach challenged the actual word of God. He asked Moshe if a house full of Torah books requires a Mezuzah. Moshe answered yes. Korach laughed. If one mezuzah is sufficient for a house that has no Torah books, certainly a house of Torah books doesn’t require a mezuzah? (Medrash Rabba, Ibid 18:3)


Korach’s challenge was emblematic of dissenters of God. They say I know better. “Elazar Ben Puria suggested to Yanai the Monarch that he murder all the Jewish Sages. If I do how will Torah be studied, he inquired? This evil man replied that the Torah Scroll is rolled up in the Ark. Whoever desires to study it can do so.” (Kiddushin 67a)

The truth is we don’t know better. We can only continue to climb the mountain of spiritual triumph towards unity and peace if we grasp that we stand on ground that was laid by those that came before. When this realization surfaces in our consciousness the road to revival of unity will be paved and we will again merit the utopian state of our people.