Korach: Election

 

The mishkan, the Tabernacle, was the great the centerpiece of the Israelites.  It was surrounded by layers of defenders.  It was the most special thing in the world, the locus of the clouds of glory that marked the Divine manifestation, the meeting site for communications from the Almighty. It was also dangerous.  The most connected people, Nadav and Avihu, the eldest sons  of Aaron died because of a tiny error in the service.  Their timing was off and they used the wrong matches.

 

The most powerful job in the world was minister of the mishkan.  The past decade in America has colored my  understanding of  the events described in the parsha.

 

Korach recognizes the appeal of presiding over the Tabernacle. It is a position of the greatest prestige and could also yield great wealth. The rules for the designation of High Priest have not been established to the extent that they cannot be changed. Korach calls for an election – and he can count on the votes of most of the electoral college.  Appeals by Moses and Aaron to key electors are rejected.  The rebels will not even hear their arguments because these leaders are blamed for economic conditions and broken promises. Everyone is watching the channel that supports their position and ignores the other side.

Is Korach qualified to be the High Priest? Is anyone? Korach is battling the elite.  Moses has grabbed all the prominence for his clan. What about the principle of primogeniture, the right of the first born?  The tribe of Reuben, his allies, the first born of Jacob, should be recognized. Furthermore, Moses had made mistakes. He sent the scouts to the Promised land and failed to anticipate the power of social media that would devolve from it and the resulting wilderness exile.

 

Moses sets up the incense contest, the bake-off. Each side will bring their incense to the Mishkan.  This is a trick.  Moses knows that any deviation from the prescribed incense service is lethal. (I do not know if this was general knowledge) That is how Nadav and Avihu died. The incense service is a trap for the novice. The snare works.  250 Korach supporters die.

The popular response to this demonstration of Divine favor is:

 

וַיִּלֹּ֜נוּ כׇּל־עֲדַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִֽמׇּחֳרָ֔ת עַל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר אַתֶּ֥ם הֲמִתֶּ֖ם אֶת־עַ֥ם יְ

Next day the whole Israelite community railed against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You two have brought death upon the nation of Gd”

The people say that the reaction to the Korach challenge was excessive. Was there a variation in perception of the events? Moshe (and Gd) saw a rebellion; the Israelite community saw an innocent question: what are the rules of succession? A group of patriots had come for a peaceful tour of the Capitol.

 

The ultimate qualification for the High Priesthood is selection by Gd.  This is demonstrated by the blooming almonds on Aaron’s staff.  The election of Aaron is settled.  The people react to this definitive demonstration:

 

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֥ן גָּוַ֛עְנוּ אָבַ֖דְנוּ כֻּלָּ֥נוּ אָבָֽדְנוּ׃

The Israelites said to Moses, “Lo, we perish! We are lost, all of us lost!

Everyone who so much as ventures near  Gd’s Tabernacle must die. Alas, we are doomed to perish!”

 

The tabernacle was a fatal attraction. The populace could avoid the sacred, but that would remove too much meaning from their lives. The hereditary priesthood and Levitical work assignments was the solution. The people could have a (distant) relationship to the sanctum; the actual (dangerous) service would be done by the Kohen.  From the earliest times the temple service was central to the worldview and peripheral to the experience of the people.

 

The haftarah repeats the error of populism.  Samuel (descended from Korach) is the last of the leader- prophets.  He anoints Saul (and later David), kings who will become the new commanders; as the prophets fade into an advisory role. Leadership is favored over insight.  Politics.

 

Merit is the rational basis for choice. Gd’s pick does not always look rational. The popular choice is something else entirely.