This week’s parashah/portion is Korakh (Numbers/Be’midbar 16:1-18:32). The parashah contains within it the revolt against Moses’s leadership led by his cousin Korakh, along with Datan and Abiram.   These three, and their followers, challenge Moses and Aaron claiming that everyone is holy.  Unfortunately, their revolt was led by ego and hubris rather than by any belief in egalitarianism, and so the earth swallowed as a punishment.

On the following day, Moses is told to take a staff from the leaders of all the tribes, with Aaron representing the tribe of Levi, and to place them in the ground inside the Mishkan/Tabernacle.  On the next day they return and Aaron’s staff that has sprouted blossoms and almonds to symbolize his and his descendants chosen stature as High Priest.

These images form the basis of this poetic commentary on the parashah.

blossoming from darkness to light

I am here

in darkness

why

what have I done

I hear voices

screaming

pleading

seeing only darkness

impenetrable

I am in the ground

swallowed whole

I am not dead

or perhaps I am

why did I do it

why didn’t I run

why was I afraid of them

they were so persuasive

all are holy

we are holy

who is Aaron

who is Moses

we are all priests

all can serve God

Yes

we are all holy

yet all have different tasks

all can see God

each in their own way

I didn’t want to be high priest

above others

over the community

I don’t know

what I wanted

and so

I heard

their voices

becoming my voice

proclaiming

we are holy

you have too much

we have not enough

you shall see

they said

now I can see only darkness

I saw firepans

smelled incense

seared

burning

I knew

what was happening

what might happen

I had seen

God’s power before

moments of glory

moments of terror

deliverance at the sea

plague and death in the desert

I knew

the possibilities

yet

I ignored my heart

I did not pay attention

to its words

my words

I heard only his words

their words

Korakh Dathan Abiram

I became them

they were in me

they became

my unconscious conscience

voice of unreason

smoldering

incense

transformed

becoming

burning earth

opening up

swallowing us

filling my

mouth ears nose soul

with dark smoke

oblivion

now I am here

forever beneath the surface

while above

I do not know

what exists

what is real

remaining still

listening     waiting

an eternity

I try

reaching out    up

my hand moves

slightly

suddenly

breaking through the earth

shattering the shell encasing me

freeing me

from living death

I feel

air      on my hand

body remaining    underground

submerged

my soul      my heart

remaining shrouded  in darkness

uncertainty

again I reach     out

I grasp something

it pulls me up from the earth

the darkness pulls me down

wanting me to remain caught

torn        in between

eternal liminality

where do I belong

under here

up there

with them

with others

I simply do not know

suddenly I feel

the force pulling

upward

powerful

unstoppable

leading me to my unknown destiny

I emerge

dirt falling  off my clothing

the light

the sun

the shimmering

fire and cloud

Divinity

blinding me still

unable to see

I hear a voice calling out a name

Aaron

is that me   I am bewildered

then I remember

that is he

the one pulling me up from the ground

telling me that I have been saved

I have a mission

dazed and puzzled

I look around me

I see the people     my people

surrounding staring frightened wondering

why did I survive

in that moment I know

I must show them

we are all one

the people

I am not

alone

special

holy

chosen

we all are

special

holy

chosen

then I notice I feel

what saved me

what I had grasped before

my destiny

still in my hands

shielding my eyes

from burning light

I begin to feel

the warmth of the Divine

in my heart and soul

I look in my hand

I see a staff blossoming

I smell sweetness of almond blossoms

awakening     telling me

who I am

what I must do

how I must show

those remaining

the truth

we are One

we are holy

I have been saved to help them

to help me

to see  to know    the truth

the others could not

that is why

they are underground

devoured by their gods

that had blinded them to the truth

ego  hubris pride greed jealousy

I am here

where I belong

not knowing why I was chosen

to do my part

open my heart

to God

to holiness

for all to see

we shall all join together

opening our hearts

as One

creating

moment by moment

soul by soul

holy community

holy life

blossoming for God

exquisitely delicate

divine humanity

human divinity

so all will see

all will know

the truth

the beauty

of the One

of all

–

Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to Mindful Torah

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