בקש שלום

  How one approaches something may very well determine the success or failure of the mission. 

  This reminds me of an amusing story that I would like to share with you - A little girl was standing by the elevator in a department store crying and the security guard asked her what was the problem; “Are you lost?” “No”, she replied between sobs, “I am here, but my mother is lost.”

    Too often in life we feel lost and find it very difficult to find our true self.

   This Shabbat we will read the infamous story of Korach, a man responsible for destroying the harmony among the Jewish people. He was lost in his own narcissistic needs, self-centered, mean spirited and not afraid to propel his personal agenda at the expense of the unity of Am Yisrael.

  He tried to accomplish his hateful scheme by openly and vehemently disagreeing with Moshe and made libel accusations against him in public. And for this he was punished severely. Why was Korach was punished merely for disagreeing with Moshe?

    The Magid of Meszrich, saw this opposition as a compliment, for he says, in an analogous way, ‘that a robber will only attack a person who is carrying jewels, but will never waste his time and effort on someone who is carrying straw.’

      In a like manner Korach attacks Moshe, for he represents the Jewels of Judaism. I don’t see the harm in disagreeing with someone as long as that disagreement fulfills the dictum which is stated in Pirkey Avos;  כל מחלוקת שהיא לשם שמים סופה להתקים

    “A controversy which is for the sake of heaven in the end will endure”.  Korach’s controversy was merely to argue and to be divisive and to create disruption, not for the purpose of finding the truth and surely not for the betterment of K’llal Yisrael. Our aim in life is  סופה להתקים that the end result is to achieve a glorious future for the Jewish People and not  to cause confusion and dissention. 

    In fact, Moshe tried, desperately, to appease Korach and to bring him to the negotiating table.  Korach’s response to Moshe’s overture was       לא נעלה  “We will not go up. We will not talk to you, because we have nothing to say to you. We are right and you are wrong and therefore we will not even entertain a visit with you.” 

   These words   לא נעלה   are the most disastrous words when it comes to negotiations and acts of rapprochement.

   Korach and his like, are people who think they know everything and always think they are right. Such a people have difficulty in relationships. They are not acting with the intention of achieving a just conclusion to their conflict and therefore will never achieve the proper relationship with others.

   We must live life of togetherness and to respect others as we wish others to respect us.  Only G-d knows everything – we must always be open to the ideas and thoughts of others, bringing about the true Ahavas Yisrael and Ahavas Habriot.

“Bakesh shalom v’rodfeihu,  Seek out peace and chase after it’ – seek it with your friends, chase after it with others.  Don’t ever give up, rather chase after it until you find it.”