麻豆约拍

Harvey Belovski, rabbi at Golders Green United Synagogue:

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This week every synagogue will read the biblical story of the ultimate rebel 鈥� a man called Korach. 听Korach had it all 鈥� wealth, status, a great job and access to his cousins Moses and Aaron, the leaders of the Israelites in the desert. Yet one morning, he woke up and realised that he couldn鈥檛 go on living without being top dog. Korach was a charismatic chap 鈥� a rabble-rouser who galvanised support from everyone who had a gripe against Moses and Aharon. 鈥業t鈥檚 not fair鈥�, he said to anyone who would listen. 鈥楳oses and Aaron keep all the best jobs for themselves.鈥�

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The rebels presented themselves to the Israelites as an alternative leadership 鈥� a kind of opposition party 鈥� and then events moved quickly. Moses called them to a dawn showdown the next day and the rest is history.听 Moses invoked a miraculous earthquake, which swallowed Korach and his supporters alive. An ancient Jewish tradition claims that they are all still there, just beneath the ground, proclaiming that Moses was right after all.

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Korach鈥檚 dramatic story can be misinterpreted.听 It鈥檚 not about whether we disagree, but how! There have been many disagreements in Jewish history, none of which have ended quite as badly as the Korach rebellion.听 Disagreement has always characterised Jewish discourse 鈥� it鈥檚 in our blood.听 I鈥檝e often joked with you Chris that the collective noun for rabbis is a machlokes 鈥� a disagreement.

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This reminds me of a profound Jewish idea from centuries ago.听 It goes like this:

Any disagreement that is for the sake of heaven will endure, but one that is not for the sake of heaven will not endure.听 Which was for the sake of heaven? The disagreement between Hillel and Shammai.听 Which was not? The disagreement of Korach and his followers.

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Let me explain:听Hillel听and听Shammai听were two great teachers听who听frequently disagreed听about all kinds of issues. They did so respectfully听although they听rarely听end up听resolving anything! 听 Their disputes are听recorded for posterity as examples听of good practice.

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However,听rabble-rousing听Korach听and his followers weren鈥檛 really fighting with others but with themselves. Their inner conflict spilled over into their dispute with Moses and Aaron. In truth, their听disagreement was for them, about them and听inevitably rebounded听onto听them.

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We need not always agree.听 In fact, I believe disagreements enrich our lives and our world.听 But only when they are about ideas, not about egos.