PARSHAT KORACH at Wimbledon
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בס״ד TORAH SPORTSMEN OR what kind of activities he Ben Gurion University. A WEEKLY SPECTATORS? could be involved in, whom young man signed up to join Are you a spectator or a he could marry, etc. Yet the paratroopers. On his first 30 June – 6 July, 2019 participant? Do you only watch Korach was absolutely single- training flight, the instructor 27 Sivan – 3 Tammuz, 5779 the soccer World Cup, or do minded in his aspiration to has him in his parachute, Torah: you sometimes kick a ball become the high priest. Said huddled at the door of the Numbers 16:1‐18:32 the Rebbe: this is something airplane, and starts counting Haftorah: yourself? A few years ago, it Samuel I 11:14‐12:22 was decided to widen the seats we can all learn from down. 5 . 4 . 3 . 2 . PARSHAT KORACH at Wimbledon. Apparently, the Korach—the yearning to 1 . “JUMP!” The problem was rather simple — serve G‑d in the holiest candidate is paralyzed with We have Jewish capacity, the craving to be a fear, and doesn’t move. Calendars. If you obesity. It appears that the fans who admire the tennis stars in kohen gadol. Would that all of “Okay, it happens to the best would like one, us shared similar aspirations of us,” says the instructor please send us a action don’t get much exercise. to holiness. Wouldn’t it be sympathetically. “We’ll try letter and we will The chairman of the British wonderful if each one of us again.” The second attempt, send you one, or Sports Council was prompted to state, “If only the admirers longed for a life of sanctity, however, is no better, nor the CALENDARS ask the Rabbi / Chaplain to contact of sport would practice it dedicated to the service of third or the fourth. The us. themselves.” The Parshah this G‑d? How often we are only would-be paratrooper is week is named after Korach, too happy to allow others to simply too petrified to jump. Do you have cousin of Moses, and a handle the sacred stuff. “You Exasperated, the instructor family on the revolutionary who attempted can put on tefillin for me, asks him, “Tell me, son, if outside struggling? to usurp the authority of Moses Rabbi.” And your bobba you are so scared to jump, Please contact or and Aaron. His ill-fated (grandmother) can keep why on earth do you want to have them contact rebellion came to a bitter end kosher for you, and the ADL join the paratroopers?” The our office to learn when the earth opened and can fight anti-Semitism for young man answers, “It’s more about our swallowed Korach and his you, and the Lubavitchers will true, I am scared out of my family programs. followers, demonstrating to all save the world for you. And wits. But I just love to be You and they are what will you yourself do? around people who are not FAMILY PROGRAMS not alone, we are that Moses and Aaron were truly chosen by G‑d. But why Watch them? It is interesting afraid.” It is wonderful to here to help. that in many parts of the support and encourage the name a Parshah after a villain? Korach was a sinner, and is world, much of the financial activists among us. But let us We offer free surely not a role model for us support for religious learn from Korach, who Grape Juice and to emulate. institutions comes from wanted so badly to be a high Matzoh for you to people who themselves are priest himself. Let’s not be My saintly teacher and mentor, be able to make the not religious. It has, in fact, content with being the Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose blessings every been suggested that this spectators as others do it for yahrtzeit is observed this week, Shabbos. Please phenomenon may well be a us. Let each of us participate offered a novel approach. have your chaplain form of vicarious Judaism. in the Jewish idea. And let us / Rabbi contact us There is one area where These are fine people, who do it personally. to enroll (available Korach can indeed be a good really do believe in the truth of by Rabbi Yossy Goldman GRAPE JUICE & MATZAH to all prisons). role model. What was Judaism, but they haven’t got Korach’s burning desire in THE BEAUTY OF sufficient commitment to Hyman & Martha Rogal life? It was to be a kohen gadol, DARKNESS Make no Center practice it themselves. Nor do high priest. He coveted mistake. Korach did not start 5804 Beacon Street they believe that their own Aaron’s position of honor. out as a jealous, power- Pittsburgh, PA 15217 children will do it. Who, then, 412-421-0111 Now, being a high priest meant hungry man who chose to will defend the faith, and Fax: 412-521-5948 much more than just fame, rebel against Moses and perpetuate Judaism and the www.alephne.org fortune, glory and privilege. Aaron because of personal [email protected] Jewish people? So they Many sacred responsibilities ambition. In fact, the sponsor a religious institution came with the job. It was no Kabbalists explain, Korach to do it for them. I recall easy task to be a kohen gadol. had a deep philosophical hearing a pertinent story from There were numerous dispute with Aaron’s Professor Velvl Greene of restrictions: where he could go, approach to spirituality. IN JEWISH HISTORY July 1, 2019 - 28 Sivan, 5779: Rebbe Arrives in US Korach’s argument went something like this: Spiritual light is only (1941). After escaping Nazi-occupied Paris, and many a manifestation of the Infinite Source of light, just as the sun’s rays perilous months in Vichy France, the Lubavitcher are emanations of the sun. But in the sun itself, there is no light. In Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, & his order Korach did not start out as a jealous, power-hungry manto see wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushkah, boarded the SS Serpa the essence, the light must be submerged in its source. Only Pinto in Lisbon, Portugal. On June 23--Sivan 28 on the darkness can truly capture the essence of the Infinite Source. Korach Jewish calendar--at 10:30 A.M., they arrived in New resented Aaron, specifically because Aaron was in the light York. Shortly after his arrival, the Rebbe's father-in- business. Aaron spent his days lighting the menorah in the law, the then Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Yoseph Tabernacle as well as lighting the metaphorical menorah in the heart Yitzchak Schneersohn (who had been rescued from of every Jew. Aaron was all about inspiring people to ignite spiritual Nazi-occupied Warsaw in 1940), appointed him to head light in their lives through the study of Torah and the observance of the social & educational outreach programs of Chabad- Lubavitch. Thus the Rebbe began his decades-long mitzvahs, to spend time and energy on spiritual pursuits, and to revolutionary work to revitalize Jewish life in the illuminate their souls with a love for G‑d. Aaron was the Western Hemisphere, which spread, by means of the embodiment of the Divine attribute of chessed, emissaries ("shluchim") he dispatched from his New kindness/sharing/light. Korach believed that Aaron’s approach to York headquarters, to every part of the world. increasing spirituality missed a deeper truth. Korach argued, “Give July 2, 2019 - 29 Sivan, 5779: Spies Dispatched me the job of high priest, and I will introduce a completely different (1312 BCE). Moses dispatched 12 spies to tour the model of spirituality. I will teach that no matter what the people are Holy Land in preparation for its conquest by the engaged in, they are still holy: ‘The entire congregation is all holy, people of Israel. and the L‑rd is in their midst.’ (Numbers 16:3). There is no need for July 3, 2019 - 30 Sivan, 5779: Passing of R. spiritual light. No need to inspire people to yearn to cleave to their Shlomo Kluger (1869). R. Shlomo Kluger, rabbi of source in heaven. No need to seek inspiration to escape the lure of Brody, was one of the renowned halachic authorities the material. What I will preach is the celebration of the physical. It of his day. He was a prolific writer, authoring over is precisely because the physical represents an absence of spiritual 100 books. light that it is capable of directing our attention to the essence, to the July 4, 2019 - 1 Tammuz, 5779: Birth and Passing Infinite Source of both darkness and light.” Korach viewed light of Joseph (1562 and 1452 BCE). Joseph, the son of with disdain. In his view, darkness was what encompassed the the patriarch Jacob, was born in Charan (Mesopotamia) on the 1st of Tammuz of the year 2199 from creation absolute truth of the Infinite Creator. According to Korach’s plan, (1562 BCE), the first child of Jacob's most beloved the people would live a materialistic life, without the burden of wife, Rachel, born after 7 childless years of marriage. seeking spiritual inspiration. Eventually, more and more people He passed away on the same date 110 years later, in would come to appreciate what Korach understood. They would Egypt. When Joseph was six years old, Jacob and his understand that they could be satisfied with materialism as a family returned to the Holy Land, eventually settling in testament to the fact that G‑d cannot be expressed in a limited Hebron. Though younger than 10 of his 11 brothers, he measure of light.