Words From Rabbi White

Mazal tov to Maggy and Michael Rubin on the birth and berith of grandson Yaakov (in Eng/Fr Ayden,) named after Maggy’s father. Yaakov is baby brother to Leo. Mazal tov to parents Ivana and Ariel Rubin, and to grandmother Ruth Khadouri. To little Yaakov I offer the beracha that I would often hear from his late maternal grandfather, who was a cherished member of the Spanish, Hazzan Emile Khadouri: “ya`avdukha `ammim,” (this was the blessing that Yitschak had given to Yaakov.)

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As we might say in Yiddish, the theme of Korach is an “alte mayseh”, an old story: namely, the rebellion against authority. Korach and his compatriots Datan and Aviran rounded up 250 followers to challenge the leadership of Moses and Aaron. [Perhaps Korach and his gang were inspired by last week’s parasha, when the “meraglim” incited the people to appoint a new leader and to return to Egypt!!] The theme of rebellion continued in what would have been this week’s haftarah, were it not preempted by the special haftarah of Rosh Hodesh: in the regular haftarah, we read that even though the people admit that Samuel had been a good leader, had never oppressed them, had never accepted a bribe, had never taken anything from them illegally, they still rejected Samuel and demanded a change in the type of leadership: from prophet to king.

And, of course, here in the United States many people are unhappy with the leadership of Pres. Biden, as is the case in Canada against the PM and the Premier (and the mairesse de Montreal, who apparently was not troubled by the encampment of hate at McGill.)

Of course, some complaints (as against Moses or Samuel) are not justified, whereas the contemporary complaints against politicians can be certainly justified.

Perhaps the most ominous contemporary manifestation came in France. The headline this week in the New York Post was “Paris is burning. Rioting leftists besiege French capital after populist party victory." [I am scared to think of the potential of rioting in USA by BLM, anti-Israel, and Antifa supporters should Trump win the election.]

Getting back to Korach: The transitive active verb that introduces the parasha is probably intentionally ambiguous: “And Korach took.”  What did he take? One interpretation brought by Rashi is that he took leaders aside and convinced them to join him in his revolt. That indeed is the way of a politician.

The haftarah that we do read this Shabbat offers hope. The prophet Isaiah tells us, in the name of HaShem, “biyrushalayim tenuhamu”, “through Jerusalem you shall be comforted.”

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Rosh Hodesh of Tammuz is this Shabbat and Sunday. Molad of Tammuz is Shabbat afternoon, 9 minutes and 10 halaqim after 1.

Shabbat shalom, shalom `al Yisrael, and, as Yitschak blessed Yaakov, we pray most appropriately, “ya’avdukha `ammim.

Rabbi Menahem White