…members of the secret police in the last years of Czarist Russia it made very good sense indeed. It was a projection onto an outsider of a fantasy they themselves held. If you seek to understand an accusation, look at the accuser, not the accused. The Korach rebellion, the most serious of the many challenges to Moses’ leadership, was a…
…I have found favour in Your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” Num. 11:11-15 And this was said, don’t forget, by the greatest Jewish leader of all time. Why are Jews almost impossible to lead? The answer was given by the greatest rebel against Moses’ leadership, Korach. Listen carefully to what he and his associates say: They…
…“will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 3:24). The estranged will be reunited in faith and love. [1] Note however that Rashi interprets the curse as limited specifically to Zimri descendant of Shimon, and Korach, descendant of Levi. [2] See Rashi on Numbers 3:1. [3] Rashi on…
…not do so, he is seized (i.e., punished, held responsible) for that sin.[1] Did, then, the idea of individual responsibility come late to Judaism, as some scholars argue? This is highly unlikely. During the rebellion of Korach, when God threatened to destroy the people, Moses said, “Shall one man sin and will You be angry with the whole congregation?” (Num….
…They debate for three and a half years whether it’s better to be born or not to be born and after three and a half years, they come to the conclusion, “You know what? It’s better not to be born. But how many people are so lucky?” [Laughter] Then the Rabbis gave Moses and Korach, or Korach and his band…
…based on the remark Moses made during the Korach rebellion: “I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.” Num. 16:15 Accusations of corruption and personal enrichment have often been levelled against leaders, with or without justification. We might think that since God sees all we do, this is enough to…
…from father to son. Yet there is a staunchly egalitarian strand in Judaism from the outset. Ironically, it is given one of its most powerful expressions in the mouth of the rebel, Korach: “All the congregation are holy and the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you (Moses) set yourselves above the congregation?” Num. 16:3 But it was…
…They had panicked and made a Golden Calf. Even when he was present, there were times of strife, and in recent memory, the rebellion on the part of Korach and others against his leadership. The possibility of rift or schism if he died without a designated successor in place was immense. So he said to God: “May the Lord, the…
…so than anyone else on earth” (Num. 12:3). The name given to this is servant leadership and its origin is in the Torah. Lessons in Leadership – Korach: Servant Leadership Core Questions During which part of Moses’ career can we find these key verses describing his leadership style (clue – which books from Tanach are they from)? Were there any…
…Miriam’s criticism of him, of the spies who lacked the courage to come back with a positive report, and Korach who challenged Moshe’s leadership. We read of Yehoshua and Calev, Eldad and Medad, Datan and Aviram, Zimri and Pinchas, Balak and Bilam, and others. That is the context of the claim of Tzelophchad’s daughters. They were claiming their rights as…