Photo courtesy of Chabad.org
A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY
This week’s Parsha, Korach, discusses Korach’s unsuccessful rebellion against his cousin Moshe; by G-d’s design, this Sunday we will also commemorate the 31st Yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, The Rebbe (for whom our son Mendy is named, and whose teachings inspired the establishment of The Friendship Circle). These two events, especially when examined together, have much to teach us about love and leadership.
Let’s begin by looking at the argument of Korach and his group. Korach felt that Moses and Aaron were merely examples of nepotism at its finest and that they didn’t actually deserve to be the ones “running the show” so to speak, by communicating with G-d, performing the sacrifices and so forth. After all, argued Korach, if we are a “nation of priests” and all are holy, who is to determine that Moses has his unique role? We are all special! Because you saw a burning bush makes you better than anyone else?!
The answer is complicated. On one foot, this comes down to, are we all the same or are we all different? Yes, at our core we have a soul that unites us but each of us is special in our own unique ways. We each have our roles and cannot be interchanged with another. And yet, as a people, as a community, as a society, we are not complete if one is “missing” so to speak. At the core of Korach’s argument were ego and jealousy, not the desire for equality among all people.
Contrast his approach to how the Rebbe saw leadership and the roles we all play. When we look at The Friendship Circle, and take stock of who we are and what we are here to accomplish, it is this value of inclusivity that keeps surfacing. The Rebbe’s lifelong emphasis was that we each have a unique role to play in healing the world and we need to do our utmost to accomplish it. Everyone, regardless of ability, has a unique, irreplaceable mission and it is our job to ensure that people valued simply for who they are. Of course, we have something in common that unites us but we each have something special that sets us apart. This is what The Rebbe stood for. That each and every person has something that only he or she can share with the world. That each of us has leadership abilities. Yes, we have a lot in common, but there is something unique about me, about you, about each of us, that we have the responsibility to manifest. So while we will give Korach credit for teaching us by example good and bad (stand up for what you believe in but make sure it’s for the right reasons!), let us take the values that Moses stood for, the inspiration that The Rebbe continues to provide for us to this very day, and let us, each and every one of us in the way that only we can, make this world a place that G-d can be proud to call His own! Good Shabbos!