We are taught that it is important to stand up for what we believe in and fight for our dreams and goals. Knowing how to go about this is difficult and challenging. If done the right way it can have marvelous affects, if done irrationally with passion and not enough thought it can sometimes have the opposite effect we want it to. Parshat Korach, our Torah portion this week deals with the issues of effective and ineffective ways of standing up for what you believe in. Korach, the son of Izhar rises up and challenges the authority of Moses and Aaron. Korach accuses Moses and Aaron of being power hungry and placing themselves high above the children of Israel. This immediately starts a chain of events that are detailed in our Parsha all of which lead to Korach’s demise and downfall. It is normal to question a leader and wonder if they have the best interests of the people they are representing. In Korach’s mind he felt that Moses and Aaron were only concerned with themselves and not the needs and desires of the children of Israel. Yet if we look back in previous places in the Torah and even this Parsha we find countless times when God tells Moses and Aaron that he plans to destroy all of the children of Israel. Moses and Aaron intercede and come to the children of Israel’s defense time and time again. The feelings that Korach was experiencing did not begin as feelings of hate or mistrust. They probably began as honest questions and curiosity. As time passed they changed from wandering in the desert and made him frustrated and impatient. Korach had the natural inclination to question authority and stand up for what he believed in. However the way he did it ultimately cost him his life. If he had asked Moses and Aaron questions in a respectful way he could have gained a new perspective and understood why they made the choices they made and what God really wanted of him and of the Children of Israel. How can we know the right way to speak up and make a difference? In the end it all comes down to respect and trust. If we question others about the choices they have made in a respectful way we can have a dialogue and we can be heard. This will help us build a relationship that has trust at its foundation. Things may or may not change the way we would like them to but we can still have discussions and work together instead of pointing fingers. Wishing everyone a lovely Holiday, Shabbat Shalom Cantor Kowitz
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