It was Father’s
Day this past Sunday. No I didn’t get to
play golf, nor did I even get to watch the U.S. Open (albeit a rather
uncompetitive U.S. Open). I helped kids pack for camp. Then I went with my wife
and kids to the mall in order to finish up camp shopping. In fact it wasn’t
much of a Father’s day at all. However
there was a brief moment when my children appeared to feel somewhat
disappointed on my behalf because we didn’t do anything “special for dad”. During this brief moment between running
errands, they asked me what I wanted for Father’s Day. I told them that the
best gift would be for them to listen when I asked them to do something. Normally they will ignore me or tell me that
they are doing it but invariably forget to do it. But to ask my children to
pick up their shoes so that no one trips over them, put something away so that
it doesn’t get ruined, or to turn off the TV and study in order to do well on
the math test, or to ignore the kids who teases rather than picking a fight; to
have them listen would be amazing. To have my children listen and realize that if
only they listened they wouldn’t trip over the shoes, they wouldn’t get into
the fight, they would do well on their test. Oh if they would heed my words,
their lives would be easier, things would turn out for the best. When I asked
them why they don’t just listen to me, knowing that unfortunate things happened
when they don’t listen, our son innocently looked at me and said that a sign
reminding them of their father’s common sense and prophetic nature would be
helpful. Are you kidding?
This week we
read from Parsha Korach. This week's Parsha is Korach. Korach was a relative of
Moshe's. They both came from the tribe of Levi. Korach questioned Moshe's
authority. He did not do this during a private meeting between individuals.
Rather, Korach gathered 250 supporters, and then publicly challenged Moshe.
Moshe tried to keep peace within the community, but to no avail. A divine test
is administered, and Korach and his supporters fail. The earth swallows them
up. However God is angry and a plague falls upon the people. They are
communally punished for Korach's actions, their passive support, and their
failure to bond together against Korach. Yet the people are still not convinced
that Moshe and Aharon should remain in charge, only that Korach was unworthy.
So a second divine test is administered this time with 12 rods stuck in the
ground and almond branches resulting in Aaron’s staff, thus symbolizing that
God has chosen Aharon to be the Kohen Gadol.
The Parsha concludes with God speaking to Aharon, and re-iterating his
obligations in terms of the Mishkan, the Altar, and the Tent of the Meeting.
Moshe Rabeinu
must have felt as if he was at wits end in dealing with B’nai Yisroel if he
needed “divine intervention”. There he
was surrounded by Korach, Datan and Aviram and many unhappy people. All reason
had failed, negotiations had broken down. Moshe had lost people. They ceased to
listen. So Moshe tells them: V’Im
Briah Yivrah Adoshem U”Fatztah Ha’Adamah et Piha U’VaLA Otam v’Et Kol Asher
Lahem V’ayardu Chayim Sheola ViDatem Ki Ni’Atzu HaAnashim Ha’Eilah et Adoshem –
But if Hashem will create a phenomenon,
and the ground will open its mouth and swallow them and all that is theirs, and
they will descent alive to the pit – then you shall know that these men have
provoked Hashem” (Num. 16:30). The last time Moshe needed Divine
Intervention was back in Egypt when dealing with Pharaoh. However, even that
was part of God’s plan of hardening Pharaoh’s heart. These people had seen sign
after sign after sign of God’s power, God’s kindness, and God’s desire to be
engaged in a covenantal relationship. They had experiences the ten plagues,
they revelation at Sinai, Miriam’s well, the Divine Cloud, the Pillar of Fire,
and the Manna. Yet Moshe still needs to invoke the “awesome” with a Divine
Test. Ramban explains that Moshe’s request was to prove the integrity of his
words and that God had chosen him. The request was not to convince B’nai
Yisroel to believe in God, rather it was to prove that they should believe in
Moshe, trust Moshe, and listen to Moshe. Rather than B’nai Yisroel learning to
listen to Moshe by falling down, getting hurt or failing, Moshe hoped that a divine
sign would suffice.
Sadly, B’nai
Yisroel were precisely that, Children. Listening, trusting and believing in
Moshe Rabeinu, a fatherly figure was a struggle for these Children. For Moshe,
he had to constantly earn B’nai Yisroel’s trust, and belief. Eventually, B’nai
Yisroel, the second generation born in the wilderness will learn that good
things happen when they listen to Moshe and bad things happen when they fail to
heed Moshe. Until then, Moshe can either say “I told you so” when bad things
happen to his people, or he can continually defend the people against God’s
wrath and try to remain patient. No I
don’t get to invoke a divine test or sign. Hopefully, our children will grow up
and pass the tests and see the signs that exist every day, the signs of common
sense, the wisdom of experience and the faith in those who are trying to pass
it down in a non-threatening, loving manner.
Peace,
Rav
Yitz
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