Korach - Appreciating America

We must cherish the freedoms we are given in our remarkable country.

Each year on July 4th weekend, it is our custom to pay tribute to our country, the United States of America, by looking for a related message in the Parsha. Society is always mired in controversy about various aspects of American life, especially our politics. In particular, we hear denigrating remarks about the often messy workings of our democracy, including glib characterizations of other countries' supposed advantages over the United States.

It’s hard not to notice the glaring irony in such rhetoric:  those very criticisms could not be freely voiced under many other regimes. I think there are certain times, like July 4^th weekend, when it’s important to take a step back and look at our country from a broader perspective. The proof is in the pudding: some of our fiercest critics do not, and would not, choose to live elsewhere. The reason we face overwhelming immigration is that so many people wish to move to the United States.

I think the story of Korach offers valuable insight into this theme of disparaging our democratic system because Korach tries to change the governance of the Jewish people in a similar way – he wants to redesign the status quo. His utopian tagline, so to speak, is that since all Jews are holy, there should be no hierarchy.

כָל־הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים

For all the community are holy, all of them [Numbers 16:3]

It's worth mentioning that although we now think of Korach as notorious, our Sages teach us that in his time he was considered a great man, as were his followers, who were dubbed Anashim, men of stature.  As the Talmud says, hindsight is easy, but in truth, none of us can be certain we would have resisted his demagoguery.

It’s too simplistic to sum up the Parsha’s message by saying, Don’t fight God’s system, or Don’t second guess the interpretations of leading Rabbis.

Being in exile, we can’t even claim to comprehend God’s system, so that can’t be the message. We must look deeper to find the underlying lesson of Korach.

In the end, Korach’s idealistic scenario was doomed to failure because it was unworkable and therefore self-destructive. History has shown that no matter how much organizers insist on total devotion to an egalitarian group cause, someone always ends up seizing all the power and money. Korach was more than happy to assume that role.

Additionally, many commentators point out that the Mishna in Pirkei Avot does not say that Korach fought with Moshe. Rather, we are told that the battle was between Korach and his followers because the group argued among themselves.

אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת קֹרַח וְכָל עֲדָתוֹ

Which is the controversy that is for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai. And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his congregation. [Avot 5:17]

Unlike Hillel and Shamai, who were said to disagree לשם שמים (for the sake of heaven), Korach and his group engaged in infighting for selfish purposes. This internal dissension was the inevitable result of Korach’s attempt to wipe out differences among people, thereby destroying their individuality.

That’s why Korach’s name, with a different vowelization, "keireiach," means bald. Hair has always been an important symbol of individuality in both Torah and secular culture. For example, rebels often grow their hair to express individuality, while the military requires shaving to emphasize uniform obedience.

This idea is addressed in the theme of the entire book of Bamidbar, which explores how we maintain national cohesion while respecting our identities as individuals. Korach’s solution to the challenges of hierarchy was to eliminate individuality and declare that we’re all the same. He refused to accept the way God created human beings—as creatures who seek individual fulfillment along with group identity. If we look around the globe, we see many countries governed by both left- and right-wing extremists who follow Korach’s political philosophy. What they all have in common is the suppression of individual opinions, rights, and freedoms.

This weekend, let us remember that Jews have flourished in the United States because of our freedom to act as individuals, practice Judaism, and thrive in the secular world. That is the lesson of our Parsha. Our country will always be a work in progress, but one thing should remain constant: we must appreciate and cherish the freedoms we enjoy in our remarkable country, the United States of America.

Happy July 4th and Shabbat shalom,

Eliezer Hirsch