This Shabbat and Sunday is Rosh Chodesh Tammuz. On Shabbat we will be reading Parashat Korach. Here is a brief thought about the parasha and about us:
It’s hard when our partner is disappointed with us, and Korach’s wife was frustrated with him. Our sages explain that she believed her husband should have been offered a more senior position among the leaders of Bnei Yisrael. Day and night she would pester him, saying, “Look at the illustrious positions granted to your cousins, Moshe and Aaron. You should overthrow them and take over.” From here the situation quickly deteriorated. Korach initiated a rebellion against Moshe and Aaron which ultimately ended in tragedy.
But this parasha also features a completely different kind of partner—the wife of On ben Pelet. On himself was already involved in Korach’s rebellion and could no longer view the situation objectively. But his wife (in contrast to Korach’s wife) managed to persuade him to remove himself from this conflict. While Korach and his followers were swallowed alive by the earth as a consequence of their tragic revolt, On remained alive in his tent.
Usually, when we discuss Parashat Korach, we focus on its overriding themes of controversy and peace, jealousy and faith. But between the lines we discover the source of the greatest influence in our lives: the messages conveyed by the people closest to us. We need to pay close attention to the underlying spirit of their speech, to the words spoken after our front door is closed, in our most intimate conversations in our living rooms and kitchens. May all of us speak in ways that will elevate and not degrade us.
Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov.
