June 23, 2023 / 4 Tammuz 5783
רַב־לָכֶם֒ – Too much is yours!
That’s what Moshe and Korah say to one another in the course of their struggle over leadership.
Korah to Moshe: Too much is yours! For the entire community, the entirety of them, are holy, and in their midst is YHWH! Why then do you exalt yourselves over the assembly of YHWH?
Moshe to Korah: Too much is yours, Sons of Levi! … Is it too little for you that the God of Israel … has brought near you and all your brothers, the Sons of Levi, with you—would you seek the priesthood as well?
Are they really so different? The Rabbis say yes! Korah’s leadership is all about Korah; Moshe’s – in contrast – is all about serving God and God’s people. Moshe makes, Korah takes (to paraphrase the famous Trenton Bridge sign!).
Moshe, that is, seeks to lead from the inside (in Parker Palmer’s resonant phrase) while Korah concerns himself, mainly, with the perks and privileges of leadership, all the externals. Any doubts as to why God prefers the one over the other?
Shabbat Shalom!
