What is the legitimate exercise of power? When do our leaders exercise power in service of the community and the common good and when do they do it for their own needs and purposes? With the rise of so-called “populism,” and authoritarian leaders here at home and around the world, these are significant questions for our time; neither are they new questions. Our Torah addresses this issue in this week’s Torah portion, Korach. Korach, is a member of the Levites and thus a high leader among Israel, challenges Moses for the leadership of the community. He recruits a group of elders, gathers 250 followers and together they challenge Moses’s authority and demand to lead the Israelites in his place, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and ADONAI is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above יהוה’s congregation?” (Numbers 16:3) It would seem from his challenge that Korach is speaking up for the people and questioning Moses’s legitimacy, the basis of his power, claiming it is Moses’s ego that has made him claim leadership. Of course it is the opposite. Moses was chosen by God. He did not want to lead the Israelites and tried to refuse the position. Commenting on this verse our sages taught that Korach was accusing Moses of the very thing that drove him to seek power, his ego. He did not care about the welfare of the Israelites nor that God had selected Moses because of his humility. Korach was driven by his need for power and affirmation, as are all narcissists and authoritarians. Throughout history we have seen that when so-called populists are put in power, it is we, the people, who suffer. In the end they do not care about what is best for society and lead it to ruin. In our Torah, Korach and his followers are destroyed by God. We do not enjoy this luxury and must make the choices and take the actions necessary to keep authoritarians away from the institutions of power they do not respect.
Korach, Numbers 16:1-18:32, Parshat Hashavua for Shabbat, July 2, 2022
July 1, 2022 by Dean Kertesz • Drashot
What is the legitimate exercise of power? When do our leaders exercise power in service of the community and the common good and when do they do it for their own needs and purposes? With the rise of so-called “populism,” and authoritarian leaders here at home and around the world, these are significant questions for our time; neither are they new questions. Our Torah addresses this issue in this week’s Torah portion, Korach. Korach, is a member of the Levites and thus a high leader among Israel, challenges Moses for the leadership of the community. He recruits a group of elders, gathers 250 followers and together they challenge Moses’s authority and demand to lead the Israelites in his place, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and ADONAI is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above יהוה’s congregation?” (Numbers 16:3) It would seem from his challenge that Korach is speaking up for the people and questioning Moses’s legitimacy, the basis of his power, claiming it is Moses’s ego that has made him claim leadership. Of course it is the opposite. Moses was chosen by God. He did not want to lead the Israelites and tried to refuse the position. Commenting on this verse our sages taught that Korach was accusing Moses of the very thing that drove him to seek power, his ego. He did not care about the welfare of the Israelites nor that God had selected Moses because of his humility. Korach was driven by his need for power and affirmation, as are all narcissists and authoritarians. Throughout history we have seen that when so-called populists are put in power, it is we, the people, who suffer. In the end they do not care about what is best for society and lead it to ruin. In our Torah, Korach and his followers are destroyed by God. We do not enjoy this luxury and must make the choices and take the actions necessary to keep authoritarians away from the institutions of power they do not respect.