Life is a dialogue between God and us

Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.

So much has been written and said about a character named Korach. However, three things come to mind when I think of his place in the lessons of life: Arrogance, the feeling of self-worth and the notion of superiority.

Arrogance destroys the very fabric of who we are because it makes us fell as though we are the only ones who know truth. It is synonymous with control. Arrogance gives us the ability to denigrate and even be insolent. Arrogance clouds our minds and thinking to the point that we are held captive by it.

Self-worth, while important in our understanding of ourselves, can impede us in reaching out to others so that they can be part of our experiences. Excessive self-worth prevents us from emotions that are necessary for fulfillment because we lock out those feelings that create intimacy.

Feelings of superiority can and do cause us to lose sight of connection and dependence. We cannot live in a vacuum, nor can we isolate ourselves from the ties necessary for completeness. We were not created alone. There were two, and then three, and finally a planet filled with other human beings with needs and wants. Everything was created in pairs because we are no better than the next, but need each other to enable us to reach that ultimate destination of togetherness.

Control is the central theme. It is so difficult to relinquish control and so impossible to live with that we use these methods to reinforce it. All of us, at times, have the urge to be in control, not only of others but also of ourselves. How awesome to think that there is nothing greater or more knowing than ourselves.

Life is, at best, a fight: A fight to survive, a fight to be remembered and a fight to complete the journey that began with birth and continues to death and beyond. Life is a dialogue between God and us. Through this dialogue we bring God into our lives, which endow us with the ability to be humble because there is a greater force than we.

Moses was put in control of a people who knew nothing but disaster, hurt and pain. His task was to take this dignity-ravaged multitude and give them purpose. The challenge presented by the arrogance, feelings of superiority and exaggeration of self-worth as displayed by a man called Korach enabled Moses to garner the courage to exert his authority so that his mission could be completed. In the end, Moses won out, but the defeat of Korach left us with a lesson that resonates to this day: Control breeds contempt, but is necessary for civility and for society to function.

Korach lost because he dared to challenge without respect for holiness. We lose this regard for sanctification when we become arrogant and self-serving and think ourselves superior. The Ramban emphasizes that Korach left the mainstream of Jewish life and excluded himself from participating in the great experience of becoming a nation of law and compassion. His attempt at dividing the people is an obvious denial of the miracle of redemption, an assertion that man is in control without regard to the moral teachings of Heaven.

Hillel reminds us that seeking fame can destroy us if we allow it to lose our awareness of God. Arrogance, self-worth and superiority prevent us from reaching our ultimate destiny – oneness with God.