בס''ד
It seems everybody wants
to see their name in lights and Korach was apparently no exception. The irony
is that despite his ignominious end, being that there was a Parsha named after
him, he ultimately achieved his goal. It is rather curious then that when Moshe
in Sefer Devorim castigates the Jewish people for their various indiscretions
during his era as leader, Korach's name is conspicuous by its absence. In fact
the one Posuk that references the calamity that took place, mentions only Doson
and Avirom’s descent into the pit. There
is no allusion to Korach at all!
Korach's brutal demise and
the miraculous manner in which he met his end leaves us in no doubt as to the
folly and sinful nature of his actions. Yet despite the tremendous mistake that
he made there are perhaps glimpses that point to good intentions on his part. When Moshe elects to construct a situation
that will prove who is truly chosen by Hashem to be the Kohen Godol, Korach
assembles all the congregation to witness it.
Incredible as it might seem, it appears that Korach was entirely
confident in the rectitude of his actions.
Why else would he risk being proven wrong in front of the whole
assembly! Perhaps this is the semblance
of good within the actions of Korach.
Despite in reality being led by his desire for honour and prestige, his
one redeeming quality was that he truly believed he was doing that which was right. This, in contrast to the wilful rebellions of
Doson and Avirom, irrespective of the terrible damage he caused and the crime
that he committed, was perhaps what spared him further infamy in the rebuke of
Moshe.
The answer I have suggested could be used to
convey the message of the value, not of one intentions, but of the essential
correctness of what one does. Ultimately
Korach perished due to his sin, even if he did begin with noble motives. But if it is true that his one saving grace
was indeed the fact that he truly believed in his undertaking, then perhaps we
should learn to at least try and see this in the actions of others. If something is wrong, there is no evading
that fact, and it can never be stated to be anything but that. This does not however prevent us from trying
to see the good in others and their aspirations. If we only look with care, we will see that
most of us are the same, trying to do what is right, but not always right in
what we do. This ability to look for
that which is commendable, even within errant acts, may be that which helps us
to look upon those that stumble with compassion and understanding; the only way
we can ever hope to inspire change.
*May the
radiance of Shabbos help us see the beauty in each other*
לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם
לרפואה שלימה: שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר
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