Dear Friends:
What exactly was Korach’s problem?
Rashi says, “He was jealous…” (Rashi on Bamidbar 16:1)
For us Jews, lack of jealousy is a necessity, not simply a theory.
We cannot survive without being “sameach b’chelko… happy with our lot.” (Pirchei Avos 4:1). The opposite of “sameach b’chelko” is covetousness. The Torah tells us “lo sachmod,” do not covet. Coveting leads to jealousy and jealousy to “sinas chinom,” causeless hatred, which leads to Exile!
Jealousy is poison!
The Haftara for Parshas Korach is a selection from Samuel the Prophet concerning the beginning of the monarchy of Israel. King Saul will be replaced by King David, but the monarchy now begins. What is the connection with Korach?
Monarchy as an institution depends upon lack of jealousy. I am not referring to dictatorship, which is based upon brutal suppression of opposition. I am referring to the peaceful, ideal kingdom as described by Samuel the Prophet, in which “you and the king who reigns over you will follow after Hashem your G-d.” (I Shmuel 12:14) The agreement of a nation to place a monarch over itself requires lack of jealousy.
We sorely need to understand this lesson now, because we are galaxies away from the ideal state. We – as well as the surrounding culture -- are so beset by jealousy that we cannot even comprehend the idea of monarchy! The institution literally does not exist in today’s world. Yes, there are still a few kings and queens, but they are figureheads. The English monarchy, for example, is an anachronism. The monarch does not govern; any consultation between elected officials and the queen is solely ceremonial. The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is worth a lot in tourist revenues, but that’s about it.
The institution of monarchy is basically nonexistent in today’s world, because people find it impossible to submit themselves to anyone above themselves. Thus, our world is filled with strife and hatred, with individuals on every level clawing at each other to reach the top. We live in a world of jealousy, which in common parlance translates into chaos!
The attitude of men towards each other mirrors their attitude toward G-d. Just as they cannot submit themselves to an individual higher than themselves, so they cannot submit themselves to a Power higher than themselves! Thus we live under the false impression that mankind runs the world, and that is how we try to free ourselves from obedience to the King of Kings!
What is the proper attitude? Listen to the words of Aleinu: “Before You, Hashem, our G-d, they will bend every knee and cast themselves down and to the glory of Your Name they will render homage, and they will all accept upon themselves the yoke of Your kingship that You may reign over them….”
Can we really understand what it means to accept sovereignty over ourselves?
Are we prepared for Moshiach?
I have a simple suggestion: look at the world!
Yes, just take an unbiased look at today’s world! Is it stable? Is it under control? Is it heading in the right direction? Or is the pressure cooker about to explode? Does anyone in his right mind really think that mankind has a handle on today’s world?
Look, for example, at the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Whatever one’s views are concerning technology and the “forward march” of civilization, it is clear that mankind in general has no idea whatsoever what it is doing. Our civilization is rapidly reaching the point at which we will not be able to stop the destruction we have unleashed upon ourselves. There will have to come a moment in which the world must do teshuva and cry out to G-d, “You take over! We have failed! Please rescue us! Ana Hashem Hoshia na! Please G-d, save us!”
As we say every day, “What are we? What is our life? What is our kindness? What is our righteousness? What is our salvation? What is our strength? What is our might? What can we say before You, Hashem, our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers … are not all the heroes like nothing before You, the famous as if they had never existed, the wise as if devoid of wisdom and the perceptive as if devoid of intelligence…?” (Shacharis)
Perhaps they will solve the oil catastrophe. If so, something else will follow. Yesterday was the volcano. Today the oil gusher. What will tomorrow bring?
Of course, the Al-mighty watches over His world. He will not abandon us, and the result of teshuva is that He allows us to reset the clock to zero hour and the world itself to the moment before Creation. “In His goodness, He renews daily, perpetually, the work of creation.” In other words, G-d, Who made the world “yesh m’ayin,” from nothing, can re-make His creation once again in total purity just as it was at the very beginning of Creation. And this time, we believe, it will remain that way, because we will at last have learned the lesson from our ancient parents, Adam and Chava, and from all our own mistakes, and we will no longer rebel against the Master of the World.
May we soon see the day when we cease to compete with each other, and -- lehavdil! – with G-d for dominance! Then we will see a new heaven and a new earth, as pure as it was in its ancient beginning, without a drop of sin or rebellion, a perfect world, clean and healed from all impurity.
“On that day Hashem will be One and His Name will be One.”
© Copyright 2010 by Roy S. Neuberger
