Korach קֹרַח - Korach
Torah Portion: Numbers 16:1-18:32
Numbers 16:14–19
16:14 Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”
15 Moses was very angry and said to Hashem, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”
16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before Hashem, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17 Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before Hashem his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.”
18 They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Hashem’s glory appeared to all the congregation.
Today’s Meditation:
Korah seems blind to what Hashem is trying to accomplish here. He is rebelling against Moses and trying to take control of everything. Instead of seeking Hashem’s face, he is acting in the flesh. As you know, the outcome is death. But, it is so like what we do today. We don’t seek Hashem's guidance in our decisions; we go our own way. And sometimes that can bring death to our situation. This is a good lesson to learn. Respect Hashem and His authority, and don’t try to go forward with your own ideas and rebellion.
Today’s Challenge:
This is quite the story: rebellion and lack of respect by a group of leaders. You can feel the turmoil and tension in this retelling of the Korah story. But, in the midst of it all, “Hashem’s glory appeared to all the congregation” (verse 19). Isn’t that so like Hashem? He shows up to set things in order, whether we like it or not. Who would not want His glory to appear? He appears, and things are set straight. And that should be our fear of Him. We should carry a healthy fear of loving Him so much that we would never want His punishment or for Him to leave us. I challenge you today to turn things over to Him. If you are struggling with something, stop trying to solve it in your own flesh. Give it to Hashem and watch Him work for you. He will. Just don’t stand in His way, like Korah.
