Rabbi Yaakov Gloiberman’s column: Korach’s Great Mistake and the Lesson for All of Us

Seek what unites, distance yourself from discord, increase peace and love of fellow Jews, and remember that division brings destruction, while peace brings blessing (weekly Torah portion).

Rabbi Yaakov Gloiberman’s column: Korach’s great mistake and the lesson for all of us | Watch.

In this week’s Torah portion, Korach, we read about one of the most difficult stories in the Torah, Korach’s dispute with Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron were chosen by the Holy One, blessed be He, to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian slavery, through the splitting of the Red Sea, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and 40 years of wandering in the desert. It was a difficult and weighty mission, to take a broken and frightened people out of the iron furnace of Egypt, strengthen them, lead them, and bring them to their destination.

Moses did not seek honor or pursue authority. On the contrary, when the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him to Pharaoh, he said with humility, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh.” But the Holy One, blessed be He, chose דווקא him and his brother Aaron. Korach, a man of status and wealth, failed to understand that true leadership is not acquired through money, honor, or standing, but through divine choice, humility, and mission.

The dispute that Korach ignited caused a great disaster, and from this we learn how much one must distance oneself from discord, especially when it stems from pride, jealousy, and a desire for honor. The message of Parashat Korach is clear: seek what unites, distance yourself from conflict, increase peace and love of fellow Jews, and remember that division brings destruction, while peace brings blessing.