I am very excited for the opportunity to share words of Torah with you. Each week, in this spot, I look to share an idea I've found that speaks to me and that I think will resonate with you as well. This week, I share an excerpt from an article by Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy entitled 'Look Who's Talking', which, through the commentary of Rashi, gives a glimpse into appreciating HaShem's judgment.
[...] When someone wants to bring down a leader, their weaknesses are scrutinised and exploited. According to Moses himself, he had objective leadership faults in that he was by no means an eloquent orator. Korach could have picked on this overt weak point, or alternatively borrowed Moses’s sibling’s slander (Num. 12:1-3). No man is perfect, and Moses was no exception, but why did Korach pick on that character trait, which Moses excelled in above all other men? [...]
Sometimes, before we look at who is being talked about, we need to look at who is talking. In a discussion of declaring deficiencies in others, the Talmud stated: ‘he who invalidates [others]... does so with his own blemish’ (Tractate Kiddushin 70a). In psychology, this is termed projection bias; a defence mechanism where one denies personal attributes and ascribes them to others.
Of all the potential flaws at his disposal, perhaps the reason that Korach accused Moses of a superiority complex was that he possessed an inferiority complex – he projected his pursuit for honour onto Moses. Moses responded subtly with the identical syntax that Korach used to accuse him, reversing Korach’s terms and insinuating that perhaps his accusation represents his own flaws: ‘It is much for you (rav lachem) sons of Levi!’ (Num. 16:9).
In a society where often the greatest way to the top is on the back of others, we must be critical thinkers and consider the slanderer, not just the slander. When we ourselves perceive flaws in other people, whether true or not, we must be very careful to analyse if we are the true possessors of these flaws. Ultimately, Korach’s pivotal position as a sage and Levite was not enough and he wanted more. Whilst Moses did possess certain flaws, honour seeking was not one of them. The key to the Torah’s juxtaposition of the two primary protagonists was that whilst Korach needed to have what he wanted, Moses wanted what he had and the difference of these two positions is the key to contentment.
Perhaps the reason why the parsha is named of Korach is to teach us that we should all be wary of the bit of Korach that we contain within us. If we focus on ourselves and are happy with who we are, then we can aim to perfect our own flaws rather than projecting them on others.
Have a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Davies
Rabbi@SOICherryHill.org
