Korach 5785 - When Light Alone Cannot Dispel the Darkness

Korach presented an internal Jewish conflict that had to be decisively addressed, and it was. The earth swallowed up the initiators of the insurrection, a fire incinerated 250 people who joined it, and a plague struck 14,700 others. But the final act to put down the rebellion came when a staff representing each tribe was placed in the holy of holies and only Aaron’s miraculously blossomed to bear flowers and fruit (Bamidbar chs. 16-17). Evidently, Moshe and Aaron’s leadership could not be confirmed solely through the destruction of those who opposed them. There needed to be an opportunity for Klal Yisrael to see the life and the light of blessing that came with the Torat Chaim they represented. Yet all the beautiful blossoms and fruits in the world would have been ineffective had they not first swallowed up, incinerated, and otherwise destroyed the irredeemable evil they confronted.

Klal Yisrael is charged with serving as an ohr goyim, a light unto the nations (Yeshayahu 49:6). The Jews brought the world monotheism, the Torah’s broadly accepted laws and ethics, and the vision and values of the prophets. We have produced that light since the days of our patriarch Avraham by inspiring faith, kindness, and morality in others. Avraham taught the masses belief in the One God, and Hashem said of Avraham (Bereishit 18:19) that He knew he “will guide his children and household to maintain the way of God to do charity and justice.” Yet to generate light there were times when Avraham needed to do the unpleasant work of eliminating forces of darkness. Rav Kook would often cite the statement of the Chovot Halevavot (Shaar Hayichud 5) that “a little bit of light overcomes a lot of darkness.” That is true for the usual darkness we encounter, which is simply the absence of light. There exists, however, a kind of darkness – a “black hole” - that is so dense that not even light can penetrate it. In the Torah we encounter that in the “tangible” blackness that constituted the plague of darkness in Egypt, “vayameish choshech” (Shemot 11:2). That is a form of darkness that is not dispelled by the mere presence of light. That darkness must be eliminated to allow the light to shine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Israel was doing the “dirty work” for Germany and other countries by carrying out strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. “I can only say I have the greatest respect for the fact that the Israeli army and the Israeli government had the courage to do this,” Merz said in comments to German media at the G-7 leaders’ summit in Canada. That respect should extend to all the dirty work that the nation of morality has had to do and will yet need to do to eliminate Iran’s proxies in Gaza and Lebanon and elsewhere, yet – instead of respect – the world accuses Israel of unspeakable crimes. We hope and pray that one day soon BEZH we will complete the task of destroying evil and be able to turn our effort and attention to generating the beautiful blossoming fruits that only Klal Yisrael brings to the world.