Korach And Who? - Rabbi Moshe Benovitz

the remarkable story of korach and his rebellion clearly pivot around a number of different axes there is the question of course about appropriate rebellion as opposed to obedience and loyalty there is the question of mahlukes and dispute in our community when people should agree and how they should communicate when they disagree on a particular issue but throughout it all there is one more axis around which the story revolves there is the question of relationships and their impact on our decision making their impact on virtually every aspect of our daily lives the story of korach is not just the story of korach it is the story of korach it is a story of a mob mentality it is a story of the way things become movements not just individual actions but that how they have ripple effects throughout a community throughout a series and network of relationships that impact our lives in very very significant ways we are told and taught by ghazal based on the story of korach and his gang russia we are taught that there is a distinct impact and there is a strong correlation between the behaviors of one and the behaviors of those who surround that person yet at the very same time as we acknowledge the extraordinary level of impact that exists between these relationships and within these relationships there is also a hint of another possibility there is also a hint of the way in which we can break from some of those relationships and make our own independent decisions right at the beginning of the parsha when the genealogy of korach is listed rashi is quick to point out that the list of his ancestors stops before yaakov avinu this is because yaakov daven that he should not have his name associated with this one of his offspring he should not be linked in any way to korah this is not just an issue of attribution this is not just an issue of where a person finds himself associated this is clearly also a question of impact it is also a question of yaakov avenues establishing that there is a limit to the choices that a person makes and the way in which they are influenced by those who are around them and those who came before them and perhaps in this regard most remarkably in the story of korach is the curious case of korat's own children the torah tells us later on that the children of korat did not die in the magefa they did not die in the earthquake they did not die when the pit opened up the children of korach according to ghazal de chuva the children of korach established that they could have an independent identity that was not dependent that was not completely and totally influenced on autopilot based on those who had come before him certainly this impact always does exist certainly a large part of who we are is determined by our surroundings and is determined by those who came before us but at the same time these are contributing factors not defining factors these are factors that play a role in the decisions that we make they do not make these decisions for us we always have the opportunity to form an independent identity and always have the opportunity to grow in ways that we believe to be correct regardless of what is taking place around us