How many people remember the black front page of the Israeli press on July 25th?
Why was that? It was black because the government had passed the Justice Reform Act. This week’s reading of Korah allows us to see the state of division and argument in society. But it also reminds us of the urgent need for unity and truth in the face of hatred toward Israel. Let’s draw strength from our shared beliefs and be inspired to strive for unity.
Before October 7th, we had seen a combination of continuing protest against the government, which then turned into a state of division, an argument in this country culminating in the court ruling banning public prayer with mechitzahs, and these mechitzahs being torn down in Yom Kippur public prayer services and other disgusting acts. We all wondered how low we could fall.
October 7th gave us the answer. Can we draw a line to the period of hatred and disunity? The government and people were not focused on more important causes. We could draw a line between the Justice Reform and the errors of judgment, our arrogance, and our lack of unity to the terrible events of October 7th. This was a reason for a black page headline, not July 25th.
If you forgot what the argument was about, look at this link.
Korah and the Absence of Sincere Debate: A Call to Action for All of us
In this week’s portion, we have the famous story of Korah. I’m going to refer to Rabbi Sacks’ words. He wrote, “The ground swallowed up Korah, but his spirit is still alive and well. In the unlikeliest of places, the British and American universities.” These were written three years ago, four years ago. And how true this is. So, let’s continue and see what Rabbi Sacks writes. Korah was the embodiment of what the sages called argument not for the sake of heaven.
The argument not for the sake of heaven is the argument for the sake of victory and power. There are two different things. The argument for the sake of heaven is the argument for the sake of truth. Let’s be inspired by this and always argue for the sake of truth.
So, R ‘Sacks writes, “I believe that what is happening at universities, turning the pursuit of truth into the pursuit of power, demonising and no-platforming those who disagree, is the core phenomenon of our time and very dangerous indeed. An old Latin motto says that to secure justice, listen to the other side. We shall walk the path to truth by listening to the other side. We are living in an age where the facts don’t matter. ”
And in our case, this black page headline embodies that.
The Power of Hate to Unite
Interestingly, the followers of Korah came from three distinct groups: those seeking power, the common crowd, and the leaders from prestigious institutions. The Torah passage writes:
וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י וְדָתָ֨ן וַאֲבִירָ֜ם בְּנֵ֧י אֱלִיאָ֛ב וְא֥וֹן בֶּן־פֶּ֖לֶת בְּנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵֽן׃
Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Aviram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben —
וַיָּקֻ֙מוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַאֲנָשִׁ֥ים מִבְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם נְשִׂיאֵ֥י עֵדָ֛ה קְרִאֵ֥י מוֹעֵ֖ד אַנְשֵׁי־שֵֽׁם׃
to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of reputation
Similarly, today, people from disparate backgrounds unite in their opposition to Israel, often hiding behind “pro-Palestinian” slogans to disguise their hatred against Jews and Israel. These modern-day haters of Israel also come from three groups that would typically never align. The first group comprises Muslim extremists. The second group includes left-wing academic institutions and liberals in the U.S. and Europe. The third group consists of far-right extremists.
What binds them in unity is their shared desire to see the end of Israel, believing that this will bring a new utopia to the world and rid it of all perceived evils
Interfaith Tensions and Misunderstandings
In a conversation I had with Harris on Shabbat, he mentioned his son, the youngest president of the Jewish Board of Deputies in the UK (aka proud father), who was invited to a mosque as a representative at the Iftar feast at the end of Ramadan. This invitation sparked a significant outcry. I asked Harris whether the controversy was about Jews or Israel, and he explained that the deep-seated hatred was directed at Jews, not just Israel. The Jewish religion itself is perceived as a thorn in the side…
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