Story of Moses and Korah reminds us of the need to weed our gardens

I have often said that if there is one thing you learn from reading the Bible, it’s that human nature hasn’t changed all that much in the last 3,000 years.

Confirmation of the veracity of this assertion is found in the portion from the Book of Numbers (Chapter 16) that is ritually being read in synagogues throughout the world this morning.

From it, we learn that in every generation, there are inevitably those among us who grumble, complain and even take delight in quickly tearing down something that someone else so patiently labored to build up.

What’s more, many of these same people tell you that their complaints are actually designed to help you, while their real intention is to solicit followers and wrest away power for themselves.

According to the text and in the midst of ancient Israel’s journey through the wilderness, Korah — a disgruntled Levite — and his two primary accomplices, Dathan and Abiram, managed to persuade about 250 people into believing that Moses was clearly guilty of failing to bring them into “a land flowing with milk and honey,” as he had promised.

They very publicly marched as a horde to Moses in an attempt to persuade all of the other people who now gathered around that Moses was just using them for his own selfish gain, and characterized him as a cruel leader who only cared for his own welfare.

Korah easily won the support of his own tribe of Levi. The duties of the priesthood, he asserted, should not be performed by Aaron and his sons, but rather by the tribe of Levi. Pandering to the crowd, Korah sneered, “What makes Moses and Aaron think that their family is better than ours?”

For his part, Moses immediately realized that he had a serious revolt on his hands, but he was not the type of person who would just capitulate to and cower before any old wanna be.

Perfectly willing to let God be the ultimate arbiter, Moses calmly said to Korah and his company, “In the morning, the Lord will show who belong to him, and who is holy.”

In the dawn’s early light and in plain view of the entire congregation, God stood behind the leadership of Moses by suddenly creating a huge sink hole beneath Korah and his accomplices that just swallowed them alive while fire consumed the 250 who stood with them.

At that point, it was crystal clear that it was Moses, and not Korah, who was truly God’s elect.

Later talmudic insight and tradition teaches that “the children of Korah did not die.” Instead, they are always around trying to undermine leaders in whom people have confidence and trust by spreading untruths and malicious gossip. Such individuals typically come with “peace” on their lips, and self-promoting and self-aggrandizing agendas in their hearts.

Such people were likened by the rabbis of old to weeds in a garden; weeds that are of no real use whatsoever except for choking the life out of the loveliest flowers around. The rabbis admonish us always to be on guard and never to allow them to root and take hold.

This story was originally published June 25, 2017 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Story of Moses and Korah reminds us of the need to weed our gardens."