* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
Four of the most optimistic words in the entire Torah appear in this week’s parasha: “U’venai Korach lo meitu" —Korach’s sons did not die.
This short and surprising verse informs us that, at this point in the narrative, the sons of Korach were still alive.
As you might recall, Korach led a bold rebellion against Moshe that resulted in the tragic deaths of many people, and until now we had assumed that Korach and his entire family had perished in that disaster. But it turns out that Korach’s sons had regretted their part in the rebellion only moments before their impending death.
Rashi writes: “They were originally in the plot, but at the moment when the rebellion broke out they had thoughts of repentance in their hearts.”
At the last moment, they realized their father’s terrible mistake and decided to remove themselves from the dispute. Consequently, they were saved and didn’t die with everyone else.
The message is clear: Even if you have followed a misguided course, it is often still possible to get outbefore all is lost; if you have made a mistake, you may still extricate yourself before it’s too late. You can muster the courage to stand up to society, your family, even to a dominant father or charismatic leader, and declare with conviction, even if the midst of a conflict: “I’ve gone too far. I made a mistake. I change my mind.” The fact is: Korach’s sons did not die.
From the book הסטטוס היהודי
