Dear Congregation Kehillah and Friends,
Parashat Korach tells of a major revolt led by Korach against the leadership of his cousins, Moses and Aaron, accusing them of putting their own interests before those of the people. Jealousy, insecurity and misguided ambition were at the source. A much needed lesson we can learn from this
parasha - one that evaded Korach himself as well as so many of our fellow human beings today - is that differences do not necessarily need to cause strife.
We would do well to examine our motives so that the arguments we choose to pursue are
le-shem shamayim - for the sake of heaven and for the betterment of our world. In the heat of the argument it is vital to stop and ask a question: What are my underlying motives? Am I arguing because I truly disagree on some point that merits understanding? Do I need to be recognized and heard and validated? Or is the argument like that of Korach against Moses, filled with underlying agendas and motivations?
None of us can know for sure another person's motives: sometimes, we're not even clear about our own!
A kavannah for candle lighting for Shabbat Korach
Dear God, help me to respectfully articulate the values I hold dear and expand my consciousness, carefully choosing my arguments with others so that my actions will be guided by civility, love and compassion.
On June 21, 1964, three young civil rights activists, two of whom were Jews, were murdered in Mississippi while registering voters there. Fifty-plus years later, what does the right to vote mean for Americans? Last year's Supreme Court dismantled key sections of the Voting Rights Act (the federal legislation enacted after the murders with the intent of protecting against voting discrimination). What does Jewish tradition have to add to the discussion?
Leadership, democracy, voting.... all in this week's parasha. Really! Be part of an amazing 4,000-year-old conversation, as relevant today as it has always been. Join us when Torah Talk resumes for great insights, perhaps just what you've been looking for!
Shabbat Shalom,
