Parashat B’shallach

by Rabbi Kathleen de Magtige-Middleton

Summary

Korach was one of the most elite group of the Levites, the sons of Kehat, whose duty it was transport the various holy objects from the Tabernacle. Dissatisfied with this honour, however, he sought to challenge Moses for the leadership of the Israelites. When Moses realises that his kinsman will not be satisfied with anything less than direct confirmation from God, he sets up a trial through which God might demonstrate the Divine Will. At Moses’ bidding, God causes the earth to open up and swallow Korach and his primary followers, while a Divine fire goes forth and consumes the 250 co-conspirators.

Instead of being appropriately chastened by this, the wider Israelite society complains that Moses and Aaron have brought death and destruction upon the people. In anger, God sends a plague upon the people, which is only stopped by Aaron’s prayerful intervention. Aaron is subsequently confirmed in his role as High Priest by Divine acclamation through the miraculous flowering of his staff, which alone among the staffs of the twelve tribes puts forth shoots and almond blossoms. The portion ends with a confirmation of the various rights and privileges that are to be bestowed on Aaron and his sons in perpetuity.

Commentary

The Biblical writer’s message in this week’s portion is quite clear. Don’t mess with Moses – and, by extension, don’t challenge the appointed priesthood and the social hierarchy. Even grumbling against God’s chosen ones is a very dangerous act. It’s hardly a surprising message, given that the likely redactors of the Bible were precisely from the priestly caste. It is very useful to have a text that you can quote endlessly to support your own power base. “Don’t be like Korach and his followers” became a maxim that shored up the Jewish establishment for millennia. It was even the text that was used against the early reformers in the 19th century, who were accused on splitting the Jewish people. To this day, there are those in the ultra-Orthodox world who claim that the Holocaust was a modern-day plague brought upon the Jewish people by progressive Judaism.

But for me, the wonderful thing about the Biblical text is its ability to transcend the intentions of its all too human authors. In the language of modern literary criticism, we can say that the text “deconstructs” itself. On close examination, another message – a far more important one - comes through.

Moses’ action doesn’t stop the problem. He asks God to intervene and have the earth swallow up his opponents. God does – but the underlying problem remains, and in fact, gets worse. The plague rages throughout the people and threatens to decimate them all. The action that ultimately stops the cycle of death is taken not by Moses, but by Aaron. Moses directs him in what to do, but cannot fulfil the role himself. He has been too personally involved. He needs someone else to intervene, someone with the power to petition God to soften strict justice with compassion. For the job of reconciliation, he needs Aaron.

Instead of sitting back and watching his enemies suffer and die, Aaron calls upon God to stop the cycle of retribution. This cycle may serve justice, but it does not serve peace. Aaron goes and stands between the living and the dead and makes a simple offering to God. It is his way of saying, “Please, no more.” Because of this action, the plague stops. Is it any wonder that the sign that Aaron is the chosen one is life from dead wood? He hold the key to the promise of the future – a future that not only blossoms but also bears fruit.

I have met some of the people that I would call the modern-day equivalents of Aaron. They were representatives of the Bereaved Families Forum. This group is made up of Jewish and Arabic fathers and mothers who have lost children in the conflict in Israel and the occupied territories. Their message was a simple one, as simple as Aaron’s: “Please, no more.” They said, “If we, who have lost so much, who have suffered so much, can sit down and talk together, surely our leaders can do the same.” If we insist on strict justice, on retribution – the death and destruction will continue. What we need is compassion to recognise that lives are worth more than “rights.”

We sometimes would like the earth to swallow up those who challenge us, who threaten us. We would like to call down swift and decisive punishment. It’s natural enough, especially when we have been wronged. What we must remember, however, is that this response is shown as inadequate. It didn’t even work for Moses. How much less should we expect that it would work for us!

We have to get beyond what is natural and go to what is holy – the plea for compassion and a cessation of violence modelled by Aaron the priest. May God give us the humility and the courage to make this leap. Amen.

Rabbi Janet Burden

Ealing Liberal Synagogue &

West Central Liberal Synagogue

Rabbis Janet Burden and James Baaden will be offering the Jewish contribution at the main 7/7 Interfaith Commemoration service this week. It will be held on Friday, 7/7 at 12:30 pm at St. Pancras Church on Euston Road, at the corner with Tavistock Square. It would be wonderful to see the Jewish community represented in numbers at such an event, and you would all be warmly welcomed.