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FROM THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION – QORACH:

This letter was written to a Torah-observant congregation we visit regularly and teach which has been having some leadership problems. I thought it might be instructive for some of you to read. The names and location have been removed in order to avoid any lashon hara – evil speech about others.

Shalom, Chaverym.

I hope you are well and blessed of YHWH. We enjoyed the service last Shabbath and look forward to seeing you all next month again. When we finally returned home, we had our regular Torah study here with all the brothers and sisters who come over each weekend to celebrate the Sabbath. Afterward, our discussion turned to the community and the service there. We often speak of you and recap how things went to see how we all perceived it, to exchange ideas, and to decide how we might further help you improve. Everyone here heard how much we enjoyed the service and how much more unified many of you are becoming. It is a lovely thing to behold. All gave praise and thanks to YHWH for that.

We also spoke of some of the problems you still have, their causes, and what might be done about them. Those problems seem to revolve around a select few and not everyone, but do end up affecting the entire congregation. I suggested that there is one main perpetrator of dissent and disunity amongst you, and it is he who absolutely must either be reformed or else put out of the congregation. Do you think you might know who that is? I think you will be guessing in your mind right now, but you are probably wrong.

This person has a number of traits which are always the same in any problematic congregation, especially newer and less established ones, and they are always destructive. I have seen the same countless times in congregations I have served over the years. Remember: “What has been is what shall be, what has been done is what shall be done, and there is no new matter under the sun. Is there a matter of which it is said, ‘See, this is new?’ It was here already, long ago.” The traits I speak of are these:

- This person craves leadership and thinks he is the only one truly qualified to lead

- This person thinks others in leadership are usually wrong in what they think or do

- This person finds fault in others but not in himself

- This person demeans others in order to exalt himself, instead of standing on his own merits

- This person seeks to lift himself up, rather than act as a servant of all

- This person often stands apart from others in order to display his displeasure

- This person always brings confrontation and challenges existing leadership publicly

- This person sows dissent, division and discontent, rather than unity and repair

- This person’s main tool or weapon is lashon hara and rechiluth – (evil speech and gossip)

- This person insists upon the precepts of Torah, except when it applies to himself

- This person judges others outside the confines of the Beith Din, but will not submit himself to it’s judgement

- This person challenges the established written authority of YHWH, while saying He is on his side

- This person will leave the congregation if he does not get his own way

- This person enlists others to help his cause, and then will sacrifice them, not caring for their welfare

- This person has a lack of love for and cannot get along with others

- This person will ultimately cause a hurtful showdown that brings harm to everyone in the congregation

Do you think you know who this person is? Do you have any of these faults yourself or follow after anyone who does? Are you being honest with yourself in this assessment?

This person I am writing about is Qorach. He is the quintessential type of the villain who always comes to usurp authority in a congregation of the people of Yisrael. While Amalek is the quintessential villain who attacks from without and is easiest to see, Qorach is the one who attacks from within. Amalek is straightforward in his methods, seeking to blatantly destroy the people of YHWH, while Qorach usually seems reasonable and is harder to recognize because he is one of the people and deceitfully convinces the weak at heart that he seeks only fairness and their welfare. He promises better things to people if they will only join him and follow in his rebellion. Which of them is worst? I do not know, but Qorach is more likely to succeed than Amalek. Amalek can simply be destroyed in open battle, but Qorach, since he is one of the people of Yisrael, must first be offered a chance to repent and reconcile. Amalek is irredeemable, while Qorach can sometimes be reformed. This latter is always harder to do. The spirit of Amalek and the spirit of Qorach are both strong, and they are both dangerous. Neither can be allowed to persist. They must either be destroyed or put out of the congregation if they continually refuse to desist in their actions. In scripture, YHWH provides no other options.

Do you have any of the qualities of Qorach within you? Think about this hard and be honest with yourself. Ask your brothers in faith for counsel to see what they think, and do not wholly trust your own judgement in this matter. If you do have any of these traits, purge them from yourself and ask YHWH to help you do so with the power of His Spirit. Do you truly love your brothers? If so, these things will be of paramount concern to you, and not your pride, position or leadership in the congregation. A true leader is one who is the servant of all, putting others’ interests first always even if it subjugates their own, and who never compromises the commands of YHWH for their own profit. Does this describe you? Do your brothers say so, as well? If so, then maybe you should be one of the leaders of your community. If not, then you must either change or stand down from leadership. All of the most prominent and righteous figures in scripture, like Avraham, Moshe, and Yeshua were humble, loving and selfless leaders of their people, and they are who our own leaders should emulate. If you are not a leader with the traits of Qorach, yet join, follow or listen to any of them, you are complicit in their sins and guilty by association with them.

Please listen, all of you. The fire of rebellion, dissent and lashon hara cannot be fixed by any other means than starving it of fuel. It cannot be smothered with more lashon hara and rechiluth – sin added to sin will not stop it, and two wrongs can never make something right. Someone must be the first to say, ‘No, I will not listen to that,’ put up the hand and refuse to participate in further spreading the fire. Let it be you. Don’t worry about what other people are saying, but stand tall as a real man does in his righteousness and let YHWH deal with them and these problems. He can and He will.

“See how a little fire kindles a great forest! And the tongue is a fire, the world of unrighteousness. Among our members the tongue is set, the one defiling the entire body, and setting on fire the wheel of life, and it is set on fire by Gĕhinnom.”

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his excellent behavior his works in meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast against and lie against the Truth. This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but it is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and self-seeking are, there is confusion and every foul deed. But the wisdom from above is first clean, then peaceable, gentle, ready to obey, filled with compassion and excellent fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

This week’s parasha is Qorach – קרח

Torah reading: B’midbar (Numbers) 16:1-18:32

Haftarah reading: Shemu’el Alef (1 Samuel) 11:14-12:22

Ketuvym Hatalmidym reading: Ivrym (Hebrews) 10:26-30

Vayishlach Moshe liq’ro l’dathan v’la’aviram, b’ney Eliyav vayimru, lo na’aleh ~ “And Moshe sent to call for Dathan and for Aviram, the sons of Eliyav, and they said, ‘we will not come up.’”

The sins of Qorach and his followers were manifold. They spoke evil of Moshe and Aharon, the servants of YHWH. They conspired and led others astray, seeking to subvert the people of YHWH, and remake things according to their own desires and ideas. Their most grievous sin, though, was open and public rebellion against YHWH.

The essential sin is to say, ‘No,’ to the Most High, and to attempt usurping His place. To hear His voice or read His Word, then deliberately and publicly refuse to do what He tells you to do, is open rebellion. No amount of singing and praise, or of praying “in Yeshua’s’ name” will save a person who deliberately refuses to turn back to YHWH and say, ‘Yes,’ to Him. This doesn’t mean that every commandment must be kept perfectly in order to attain salvation. On the contrary, He expects us to try and fail sometimes, then love Him enough to get up and try again. But we cannot say, “No,” to Him, “We will not come up.” If we do, all of our other words are proved false, and our sins will separate us from Him.

In the book of Ivrym (Hebrews), it says,

“For if we sin deliberately after we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins, but some fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to consume the enemies.”

This was the lot of Qorach and his followers. They heard and saw the Truth, with their own ears and eyes, then willfully rebelled against it and against their kindred; that is, against YHWH Himself and his chosen representatives.

When you hear the voice of YHWH and read His words, brethren, don’t be like Qorach and his followers, but instead say, “Yes, we will come up,” – and may the Light and Salvation of Messiah shine upon you.

B’shalom, Ovadyah

I find it no coincidence that these thoughts and musings happen to come in the week that we study parshath Qorach. YHWH moves in mysterious and amazing ways. Please, read this letter as one of your lessons at this week’s Sabbath service for the benefit and consideration of all. It is a subject and a teaching we all need to learn and be watchful over. Give the brothers there our love in Messiah and let them know we look forward to seeing every one of them again soon.

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