CHOCHMAS NASHIM: KORACH: ERETZ OCHELET YOSHVEHAH
By: Suri Davis
The Michaan Edition of the Pentateuch, with Lubavitch commentary has fascinating take on why a torah portion would be named after a person who started a mutiny, Korach. This torah portion comes after last week’s torah portion of those who “spied” on the land of Israel to report back to the Jews. Most of them reported that the land is a land who eats its inhabitants, they said so even as they saw the abundance of the land.
In Ethics of our Fathers, we learn that one of the ten things G-d created in the few minutes He had left on Friday before Shabbos was the hole in the earth that swallowed Korach and his followers. Interesting the juxtaposition of the spies’ comments and the instance where Korach was swallowed by the Earth.
Korach merited having the parsha named after him because, says the introduction to the parshah, Korach’s intent was to say, why would the Jews want to enter the land, when in the desert G-d provided for them their food, clothing and shelter without their need to put in effort. The Jews were hypothetically free from the need to focus on their material needs and had time to focus on their spiritual needs…and yet…This is evidence of what Rabbeinu Bachya Ibn Pekudah, in his Shaar Habitachon, states as one of the reasons man indeed has to work for his sustenance, so that he doesn’t have too much time to sin, as the Jews did repeatedly with their free time in the desert. Those who use their time wisely, merit having to put less time into their sustenance is G-d frees up their time to learn Torah and do mitzvoth, not so one who uses his time frivolously and sinfully.
We as a nation can only blossom when we enter the land of Israel, work the land, and donate some of each crop to G-d for thanks. The test is whether we take credit when our work produces abundance. If we get so consumed with our material pursuit, that we don’t focus sufficiently on our spiritual connection with G-d by performing mitzvoth, the Shaar Habitachon reveals, our sustenance decreases to reveal to man that it is not more work which produces more sustenance, it is recognizing G-d’s hand in our sustenance, and doing more mitzvoth which increases our sustenance. If we keep the right balance, then we receive abundance from the land, if we don’t give G-d credit, then, indeed, it can be an eretz ochelet yoshvehah, a land who cannibalizes its settlors.
The spies should have known that although the land might have eaten its then idolatrous inhabitants, that Jews are not bound by the constraints of those inhabitants who were not the chosen nation of G-d. We see this in modern history. When the Jews were not on the land, it was useless malarial swampland; when the Jews returned to the land, it bloomed. So too, when the Jews occupied Gaza until 2005, they had a multi-million-dollar international agriculture business, from the day it was given to the Arabs, it became useless.
I write often, that the Jews are not constrained by science, nature, or the history of other peoples. We are an am kadosh/holy nation, and when we unite, and when we act righteously, we can shake Heaven to get what we want and need.
The tremors of in-fighting in Israel government are strengthening. We are once again faced with acrimony as we enter the month of Tamuz, which contains the start of commemoration of the destruction of Jerusalem and the holy temple, for failure of the Jews to treat each other with respect.
G-d is watching to see if we have learned from our history. It is moment of tremulous judgment. Will we pass the test and remain united to win the war? We can hope and pray.
Have a good Shabbos and chodesh.
-Suri