Are You the Rebellious Type?

Are you a leader, or a follower? Do you like to be in control of a situation, or do you prefer that someone else be in charge and take care of the details? Do you naturally bristle in response to authority, or do you adapt easily when someone else is calling the shots?

Korach, the infamous personality at the center of this week's Torah portion, rebelled against the authority of Moses, and arguably, against God – or at least, against the order that God had set in place. Despite the fact that he is a Levite, among those selected by God for special service in the mishkan, Korach is discontented. He presents his complaints as impersonal, a general dissatisfaction with the leadership structure, rather than as a personal dissatisfaction.

Korach doesn't say "I don't like this setup," rather, he describes the leadership structure as objectively problematic. "You" - Moses and Aaron - have taken too much upon yourselves. Everyone is holy, and so why should you be the only ones in charge? Why should you be able to exert power over the rest of the nation?

If you don't know what happens next, you can read the continuation of the story here. Suffice it to say, things do not end well for Korach and his gang. Moses comes down hard on him:

Moses identifies Korach's stance as being against God ("gathered together against the Lord"), not merely against Moses and Aaron, and indicates that what he really wants is to seize the priesthood from Aaron and family.

The classical commentaries pick up on what Moses says, and tend to judge him negatively as well; he seems hungry for power, and indifferent to the fact that the governing structure of the Jewish people at this time was put in place by God.

If you want a round up of some of these commentaries, check out this source sheet (or go to the text itself to see all of Sefaria's connections). To see what I think, or to share your own thoughts about what Korach wanted and why he couldn't have it, try this source sheet.