Parshas Korach is a case study
on machlokes. To understand it satire is an effective vehicle. To begin with
machlokes often starts with an ambitious unqualified person who tries to steal
a position from its rightful holder. Korach was not qualified to be the leader
of the nation of Israel or the Cohen Gadol. He was simply jealous of Moshe and
Aharon and piqued at being passed over for a position that he felt should have
been gone to him (see Rashi on Numbers 16:1).
The first allies of the baal
machlokes are malcontents and troublemakers. In this case Korach’s first
followers were Datan and Aviram, who were always looking for an opportunity to
attack Moshe. After that one needs a large crowd of loud followers. It helps if
they are influential. This is the 250 people who quickly join Korach. They are
also ambitious but unqualified. Their rationale for joining is something like
this. The proper leader like, Moshe, will be difficult to depose because he is
the proper leader. However if he is deposed the position is up for grabs. True
any of them may be less qualified than Korach, however because he is also not
qualified, the position may fall to them either now or sometime later. As long
as Korach is taking the risks, it’s worth it.
After that one needs a
halachic issue. It is important for the dissenters to be materially wrong. If
they are right or it’s not important, the proper leader can concede the issue.
The dissenters will have something to crow about but the rebellion will lose
much of its fire. As a result it must be something with which a conscientious
leader would differ.
The issue of the blue dye in
Rashi is illustrative. In it Korach dresses his band in blue cloaks and asks
Moshe if they require that strings be attached to the corners. Moshe replies
that a tallis requires tsitsis. With that they laugh at him and retort. If a
blue thread fulfills the obligation to wear tsitsis, then certainly a blue
garment containing many blue threads fulfills this mitzvah (see Rashi on
Bamidbar 16:1).
It is important to ignore the fact
that the strings are meant to be a noticeable reminder and without them there
is no reminder regardless of the color of the garment. However the spurious
connection between the blue string in tsitsis and the blue threads in the cloak
will give them ample opportunity for sophistry and mischief. It is also best to
laugh at a proper explanation because an appeal to reason will certainly lose. In
addition others may find the joke funny, too.
Duplicity is also very useful.
For example Korach complains that Moshe has exceeded his authority. In it he
implies that a strong leader is not necessary and that duties of the high
priest should be distributed among all of the Levi’im. Gullible dreamers will
be pleased with this idyllic proposal. However for Korach it’s all just a
subterfuge for him to take over these positions himself.
The claim also has the
additional benefit of being personally embarrassing for Moshe to reply to it.
The reason is because Moshe did not want to be leader but was drafted into it
by the Holy One, blessed be He. As a result he is forced to justify an
assignment he was compelled to accept by a higher authority.
The rhetoric should be
inflammatory and mocking. Instead of accusing the other of being surreptitious
and deceptive say that he’s attempting to gouge out the eyes of the masses. If
the target’s objective was to lead the people to a better land which he
describes as flowing with milk and honey, then accuse him of leaving a land
flowing with milk and honey in order to kill everybody in the desert.
In the end the Gemara reports
that things went badly for Korach and his gang. Raba expounded what is meant by
the verse, “But if the Lord creates a creation, and the earth
opens its mouth [and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they descend
alive into the grave, you will know that these men have provoked the
Lord]", (Numbers 26:30). Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He,
‘If the Gehenna has already been created, fine; if not, let the Lord create it
now.’ . . . A Tanna taught: It has been said on the authority of Moses our
Master, a place was set apart for them in the Gehenna, where they sat and sang
praises [to God]. Rabbah b. Bar Hana said, I was proceeding on my travels, when
a caravan driver said to me, come, and I will show you where the men of Korah
were swallowed up. I went and saw two cracks from where smoke was coming up. He
then clipped a piece of wool, soaked it in water, attached it to the point of
his spear, and passed it over the place and it became singed. I said to him, listen
to what you are about to hear. I then heard them saying, Moshe and his Torah
are true, but they [Korah's company] are frauds. The caravan driver then said
to me, every thirty days Gehenna causes them to return here like meat in a pot,
and they say, Moshe and his Torah are true, but they are frauds (Sanhedrin
110a,b)."
לע"נ, הדוד ,לייב הערש בן אהרון ז"ל
נלב"ע י"ז תמוז תשל"ב
Acknowledgements
to websites: תורת אמת, וויקיטקסט, http://dictionary.reference.com/,
http://hebrewbooks.org/,
וגם בדואר אלקטרוני ניתן באתר http://dyschreiber.blogspot.co.il
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