Torah Readings
Numbers 18:20-32 - Tithes due to Levites and Priests
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Numbers 18:1-32
Haftarah Reading
Nehemiah 10:29-40 - Maintaining Temple services
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Ezekiel 45:1-9 - Inheritance of Levites, ethics of leadership
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Who ought to have power? This is one central question of the story of Korach and the rebellion of some of the Children of Israel against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. They stood up to ask why Moses and Aaron should lead, and not them.
Korach's rallying cry certainly has an appeal to it. "All the community are holy, all of them, and the Eternal is amongst them. Why then do you raise yourselves above the Eternal's congregation?" (Numbers 16:3).
It is interesting that, whilst having all the hallmarks of a popular uprising, those who followed Korach in his rebellion are described as being chieftains and people of renown. Korach was from the tribe of Levi, a tribe already given a special place in the community. Moses mentions this in his reply, asking if this position of esteem is not enough for them.
It is this context which can help us to better understand the motivations of the rebels, and point to why they end up being dealt very harshly with - famously being swallowed up by the earth according to the text.
In Pirkei Avot, the collection of wisdom from our early rabbinic thinkers, the rebellion of Korach is the example of a conflict which is not for the sake of heaven. Rather than being motivated by the good of the community, they were motivated by their own pride and ambition. On the flip side, the conflict of the rabbinic schools of thought of Hillel and Shammai are cited as a conflict for the sake of heaven - where the arguments were motivated by a search for truth and making decisions for the good of the community.
It is an important lesson in looking beyond the surface for the real motivations and purpose behind everything. Korach talked a good game, but our Torah text gives us the hints to see through a popular appeal and a call which initially seems for the benefit of the community, to see the selfishness at its roots. It is a reminder as well to us to ensure that we genuinely pursue the common interest - not just use it as cover for other motivations.
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Make sure to check out our podcasts, including "Rabbiting On" with Rabbis Debbie Young-Somers, Miriam Berger and Robyn Ashworth-Steen discussing events in their lives, the Jewish world and the wider world, and "Progressively Jewish", our weekly podcast in conjunction with Liberal Judaism.
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Next week, 14-18th June, is Loneliness Awareness week in the UK. The period of almost a year-and-a-half which has just gone by has been an especially tough one for many as they have been cut off from family, friends and community physically - this has had an especially large impact for those less capable of using technology. According to one study, loneliness can be as bad for one's health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. The ageing demographic of the Jewish community has meant this issue has resonated particularly with us - with a number of special reports in our communal newspapers over the last five years. Loneliness is something Reform communities have been tackling since long before the pandemic - including through the Communities that Care initiative and the conference on combatting loneliness held in 2018. It is perhaps as good a week as any to check in on those in each of our communities who may feel isolated, and to redouble our efforts to connect with one another even as we are restricted in a number of ways.
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Many of our communities are sharing their events and inviting you to join. Have a look at the listings on RJ Communities TV to see which events might appeal to you.
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RSY-Netzer, the youth movement of Reform Judaism, is currently accepting registration for Shemesh, their summer camps. We're sure all of our young people are even more keen than usual to have a fun adventure this summer, so please share the details with your communities.
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It is certainly an interesting time in Israeli politics. After successive elections where it seemed everything was on repeat and the stalemate would never be broken, there are now new and surprising developments. A potential coalition stretching from the right-wing Yamina party to Meretz on the Zionist left and Ra'am, an Islamist party, has been agreed in principle. Whilst it still needs to be approved in the Knesset, if it is successful then it will spell the end of Bibi Netanyahu's tenure as Israel's Prime Minister. The coalition gives even more prominence to new MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv. He is the first Reform Rabbi elected to the Knesset and, as a member of the Labour party which is part of this proposed coalition, he is being talked about as a potential Diaspora affairs minister. He will be speaking with Mosaic Reform at 7.30 on Thursday 10th June in what should be a very interesting conversation, especially right now given how events are developing. You can join the event at this link.
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