Words From Rabbi White

This week, we read of the great rebellion, led by Korach against the leadership of Moshe.

Over the years, as I have come to know many congregational rabbis, I have seen that members of shuls will often grumble about their rabbinic leadership (Fortunately, not here!!)

For the past two weeks, I have mentioned a thought by Rabbi Dr. Lamm, who, before becoming the President of Yeshiva University, was the rabbi of the prestigious shul known as the “Jewish Center” in mid-town Manhattan. He was preceded in that position by Rabbi Dr. Leo Jung, who served there for over 60 years!

Rabbi Jung, in his preface to his book Men of the Spirit, offered the following wise insight:

“The halachah does create recurrent personalities. Its genuine disciples, upheld by a pervading sense of responsibility, are learned, pious, upright, and kindly. But they differ in method and attitude; their particular emphases reveal the social, spiritual, or intellectual milieu in which the accidents of history have placed them and which accounts not only for reaction to special problems or challenges but for some singular excellence.”

In other words, just as people differ one from another, so do rabbis differ one from another.

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Now, let’s take a look at the parasha: Among the prominent followers of Korach was a man named On, the son of Pelet.- Yet, when Korach and his entourage were punished, On’s name was not on the list. How did he get saved?  There is a well-known midrash that explains that On’s wife told him to extricate himself from the group of sinners.  He told her that he can’t, because he had sworn allegiance to Korach. So, she cleverly got him drunk, he fell asleep and by the time he woke up, Korach and his followers had already been punished.

This is another example of the rule that Rabb Lamm had mentioned 2 parashiyot ago: don’t be swept along by groupthink, learn to swim against the current. And, perhaps that was the life lesson that Mrs. On was trying to tell her husband, and in so doing saved his life.

Shabbat shalom