Parashat Korach, 5771, Tamar Fendel
Parashat Korach
June 25, 2011 / 23 Sivan 5771
Tamar Fendel, Membership Chair
"Korach's Lesson for Netivot Shalom"
Today's parsha is Korach, named after the Israelite arch-rebel, who dared to challenge the authority of Moses and Aaron in the desert.
Why is he such a villain? Because of one supposedly horrible thing he said - he declared that: "the entire people of Israel is holy and God is among all of the Israelites!" He was asking why Aaron and Moses had all the power over the Jewish people, demanding his place as a leader. While this was apparently anathema to the rabbinic commentators, the idea doesn't seem very outrageous from a modern, progressive perspective. In fact, I believe that it's one the most important values of our Netivot Shalom community. Yes, we are all holy! No one of us here is more important than any other. We all have a part to play in creating, building and growing this amazing community we call our own.
Korach's idea that every person is holy is, in my opinion, the single defining 
characteristic of our shul. We were founded on the principles of being participatory, egalitarian, and largely lay-led. From the beginning, every member of this congregation has had a role to play - leading tefillah, serving on a committee or the Board, providing food and drink to an after-minyan kiddush, setting up chairs, etc. We have counted many rabbis as members since the beginning, and for most of our years, have had engaged one rabbi to professionally serve the congregation. But essentially, the congregation is led by all of us.
Given how resonant Korach's statements were about the holiness of each individual in the community, what is the problem with what Korach did? What did he say that was so bad that it merited such stern divine condemnation? He wasn't only told he was wrong, he wasn't only punished, he wasn't only killed for his statements, but a whole new way of killing people was invented - the earth opened up, swallowed him and his followers forever. Can you imagine a more dramatic way of answering who was right in a dispute?
Korach engages in debate, in disagreement with others, known in Hebrew as machloket . According to Rashi, Korach went beyond the fundamental questions of leadership and holiness in the fledgling Israelite community, to ask some pointed 
questions about laws the Jews had been recently given. For example, if a tallit is completely made of techelet, does it need fringes with techelet? And does a room with nothing but torah scrolls need a mezuzah on its door - as a mezuzah just has a few holy lines? True, these questions are a little bit snarky. They actually sound a bit like questions that come out of my 8-year-old daughter's mouth all the time, as they are based on clarifying details in the law, with a little bit of attitude.
Machloket , or argument, is very prominent in Jewish communities. Arguing can be problematic, but is also critical to the way Jews study and learn. We do not learn just by reading a text, or hearing what an expert says and accepting it at face value. Rather, we learn by pulling apart and questioning every word, taking into account multiples points of view and arguing with our chevruta, or a study partner, until we can agree on an understanding. But, machloket has another side as well, and can mean arguments and division within a community. It's like the old saying that any time two Jews get together, you can count on them having at least three different opinions. We take machloket so seriously that we often can't even agree with ourselves!
There are countless stories of Jewish communities falling apart, or coming close, due to intense conflict and debate. The shul I grew up in nearly split over whether or not a microphone should be used on Shabbat! Jews have disagreements about Shabbat observance, dress, marriage, staff hiring, finances, anything you can think of. Often, those disagreements come from a good place- one of standing up for the Torah/Judaism/values/common sense they believe in. Other times, they're really just about arguing, ego, and being right. Even our happy community has had some strong debates, like around our kashrut policy, deciding whether or not to build this beautiful building that we're in, deciding whether or not to open a preschool, the creation of the afterschool program Edah, and more! Thankfully, none of these debates turned out to be so divisive that they have split us. In fact, I would argue that we have grown stronger by struggling through difficult decisions, turning them over and over, and gathering opinions from many stakeholders as we move forward.
Given that debate is not only okay in Judaism, but actually encouraged, why is korach considered to be such a villain? In Pirkei Avot 5:17 we learn:
Any machloket which is for the sake of Heaven will last, and that which is not for the sake of Heaven will not last. What is an example of a machloket for the sake of Heaven? The dispute between Hillel and Shammai. What is an example of one that is not for the sake of Heaven? This is the dispute of Korach and his group.
So, fundamentally, Korach was condemned by our tradition because he was coming from the wrong place with his arguments and his quest for leadership - a place of ego and self-importance. Hillel and Shamai were famous for debating the fine points of various laws, in order to figure out the best way to worship God. One of their best known machlokot was over the order to light the Chanukkah candles, each side 
detailing why their way was the best to publicize God's miracle. What's critical is that their relationship was also respectful, and without insult or superiority. Korach, on the other hand, wasn't trying to really help the Israelites wandering in the desert improve their lives or learn more or be happier. Instead, he was jealous, and trying to get more power and recognition, and make Moses and Aaron look bad. He went so far as to recruit 250 of his friends to turn his criticisms into a rebellion.
The context of time and place matters a great deal in this story. The Israelites were wandering in the desert. They recently dealt with the golden calf, spies, complaining people and many other trials. Later in the parsha there was also a plague that wipes out thousands of Israelites. Given this, strong leadership from Moses and Aaron was really important - I think of it kind of like martial law being imposed during severe riots or political instability. There is no room in the desert for criticism for the sake of ego, or to try to power-grab. It was also a time when God was very present, communicating directly with Moses and Aaron on a regular basis, and teaching the Israelites all about their laws. God's will was more easily apparent than in modern times. Professor Yeshayahu Leibovitz teaches that Korach's real problem is his assertion that "all are holy". According to Leibovitz, it is premature for Korach to be speaking in the present tense, that we read in Leviticus 19:2 that we are challenged to "become holy". In other words, maybe the people of Israel were not yet ready to be a community dedicated to being egalitarian and participatory. Korach had mistaken the process of working to become holy with actually being holy, something that is reserved for God. (After all, only in last week's reading did we see the Israelites argue that, rather than enter the Promised Land of Israel, they should return to slavery in Egypt!)
In addition to the story of Korach, there is a large section in this parsha about giving the first fruits, first animals and even first born sons! to God. This is where we get the instructions for pidyon haben, a redemption ceremony for boys who were the first to exit their mothers womb - we could certainly have a long conversation about how to deal with that in an egalitarian setting, but we'll save that for another day. In this section we also learn a great deal about donating a tenth of our wealth in support of our leadership, who can't have other jobs or land, because they're too busy administering the community and organizing the Mishkan.
I find this particularly relevant right now, as we at Netivot Shalom are asking for a dues increase and a capital campaign - we are just like the Israelites, needing to stretch a little bit in order to provide for the leadership, facilities and programs that we hold so dear. None of what we have in front of us today, and none of the benefits this synagogue provides to each and every one of our lives could be here if we didn't provide financial support to make it happen.
To learn about the work of the CNS Nominating Committee, click here!
Even if Korach delivered his message poorly, and was coming from a place of vanity and ego, and at a time of difficulty and instability for his people, there is still critical value in his message, which is totally pertinent to us as a community at this point in time.
We continue to have hard decisions ahead, especially around our continued growth. We are so blessed to be growing, especially as so many other shuls affiliated with the Conservative movement throughout the country are experiencing contractions in their membership. We now number well over 400 households, which makes us officially a "medium sized" congregation. Just a few years ago we were under 300. This growth is tremendous - and in case anyone wants to volunteer, it probably merits a case study and a write-up in Kolot, the movement's magazine!
I've served as Membership Chair or Co-Chair of this shul for almost 4 years, so I have had the opportunity to speak with many of the wonderful people who have joined our congregation in that time. I love to ask people, "What made you considering joining? Why are you "throwing your hat in" and committing yourself financially and personally to this community?" The reasons vary widely - for some the preschool meets their family's needs really well, others love our spirited tefillah, some are impressed by our social action activities, and many find the adult education classes appealing or are inspired by Rabbi Creditor's teaching and magnetism. Everyone has their own unique reason for joining this shul, but I think that deep down, they like what we represent, a community where all are welcome, and everyone has a role, no matter where they're coming from.
So, my message to each of you is, please, take a moment to think about your role in this holy community. Some things I've done lately to contribute to Netivot are delivered welcome baskets to new members, led Shabbat services for preschool students, baked a cake, coordinated carpools and had new guest over for Shabbat dinner. And now I've given a drash on this bimah for the first time! That is probably not the right combination of activities for any other person, so I challenge you to think critically about your role.
What could you do to participate, to serve, to build Netivot Shalom? What could you do that would be fun, or useful or inspiring? The options for participation at Netivot are endless, you just need to find what suits you best, and also find a way to participate without overextending yourself in terms of time or finances. In addition, what are your hopes, concerns and questions about Netivot Shalom? I encourage you to share them constructively and thoughtfully, in service to our community. And if you are here but have not taken the step to officially join, I ask you to think about what is holding you back - are you getting something special out of this community? If you are, is it time for you to support Netivot and invest in our future?
I strongly believe that we are at a critical juncture - We will not be able to maintain our essence as a kehillah given our rapid growth, if people come in with the attitude of a consumer. We can only be ourselves as a congregation, if everyone works to fulfill their potential of becoming holy, if everyone sees himself or herself as a leader, with a critical role to play in supporting the community as a whole. With a commitment to participation and to approaching concerns and criticisms of the shul from the perspective of "for the sake of heaven" like Hillel and Shammai, rather than for the sake of ego, like Korach, we will become even more of a truly participatory, egalitarian and vibrant kehilla, fulfilling our mission to bring beauty, meaning and service to each other and the community around us.