Korach

*I should start by warning you all that I’ve had a bad week. My views on humanity should be taken with a grain of salt.*

People can be fairly terrible. Korach’s antics don’t exactly disprove my theory. Korach questioned Moses and Aaron’s right to lead. Okay, fine. That is fair enough, I guess. One should never settle for their lot in life. And that’s coming from someone with very little ambition. What makes Korach an enemy, in my book, is his jealousy. Korach didn’t just question the natural order…he wanted to usurp the leadership. He wanted the power for himself. AND he questioned Hashem (see entry last week…and pretty much every week for my ideas on punishment for questioning divine will). Basically there was no way this guy was coming out the story alive. He just messed up too much (sorry, spoiler alert).

Let’s get back to jealousy since we’ve been over the sin of not trusting in Hashem. Jealousy is a staunchly selfish emotion. There is no motive for jealousy other than wanting what you think is good for you with no consideration whatsoever for anyone else. Korach didn’t care about what was best for Am Yisrael; he just wanted the power and the glory that Moses and Aaron were given by Hashem. And for that he was swallowed by the Earth.

If I was swallowed by the Earth every time I got jealous…well, I suppose after one time I wouldn’t really have another opportunity. I think you know what I’m getting at, in any case. Unfortunately people are like this. We get jealous. There is just no way around it. I don’t generally like people. I don’t trust anyone (yes, that includes you whoever reads this). It is our universal selfish inclinations that causes us to hurt each other. And for what? To move up from the Levites to assume the position of leader?

99% of people will never get to be leader but we all have the ambition to move up at least one rung of the social ladder. Sometimes people want to move up in order to help their families but for the most part we lie to ourselves about this. Moving up is not always better. We just want to prove to ourselves that we are worth the same as those “above” us…that we deserve all the same glory even at the expense of our own family and friends. Maybe anytime someone attempted to selfishly usurp power they were sucked into the ground then jealousy would be obsolete. Probably not, though. Selfishness feels too innate to be re-learned through punishment and consequence. I don’t know.

For now I suppose we should just attempt to suppress our own selfish thoughts and actions even if is difficult since no one else is doing it. Life wouldn’t be fun (read: interesting) it if weren’t difficult. At least that is what I’m telling myself to retain my sanity. On that note, have a great Shabbat and if the moshiach doesn’t come then have a great week as well.