Rabbi Frand on Parshas Korach
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 198,
Ethiopian Jewry Question. Good Shabbos!
The Negative Actions of The Fathers Also Foreshadow
I would like to share an excerpt from the writings of the Chofetz Chaim.
Part of the Chofetz Chaim's writings include a work called "Gate of
Remembrance" (Sha'ar haZechira), in which he writes about the types of sins
that a person should be very careful to avoid.
The Chofetz Chaim devotes two or three chapter to what he calls "a very
severe sin" -- the sin of divisiveness (machlokes). The Chofetz Chaim
writes that divisiveness is one of the most destructive sins that a person
can transgress, both literally and figuratively.
The Chofetz Chaim quotes the Medrash from Korach, which states that
normally the Heavenly Court only punishes sinners from age 20 and up, while
the "Courts below" punish sinners from bar/bas mitzvah. But in the case of
the machlokes of Korach even young infants were punished and swallowed up
by the earth. Machlokes, which was Korach's sin, not only destroys a person
and his family -- it even destroys his very small children.
On numerous occasions, we have discussed the positive aspects of the
concept that "the actions of the fathers foreshadow the actions of the
children". For example, Avraham is the paradigm of Chessed. We have many
positive paradigms among the Biblical personalities. However, there are
also negative paradigms. This week, we will examine a negative aspect the
concept "ma'aseh avos siman l'banim". The paradigms of divisiveness are
Dassan and Aviram [two of the leading antagonists in Korach's group]. The
heritage of machlokes -- and what it can do to a person -- stems from these
two individuals.
The Chofetz Chaim writes -- and this is so true -- that in addition to all
the other sins associated with machlokes (slander, jealousy, hatred,
embarrassing people publicly, etc.), machlokes always degenerates into "I
am going to win this thing". And this evil inclination called "I've got to
win" inevitably leads to the most destructive of outcomes.
The Chofetz Chaim comments upon an amazing thing: if someone would try to
cause the slightest harm to a person's child, the parent would stop at
nothing to prevent the child from being harmed. So if a person becomes
involved in a machlokes, and he is aware that we have a tradition that
divisiveness will harm his or her children -- wouldn't any person with any
common sense try to make peace, and stop the argument?
But the evil inclination of machlokes causes people to feel that nothing
else matters, other than "I've got to make my point."
Rabbi Berel Wein once related a mind-boggling incident which involved the
Chofetz Chaim himself:
Two people became involved in an argument, and it grew and grew and grew.
It became ugly and messy and consumed their lives and affairs. And then,
mysteriously, the children of the two antagonists started dying. It
happened just like it is "supposed" to happen -- just like it happened with
Dassan and Aviram. The Chofetz Chaim himself went to one of the parties
involved and asked, "Don't you think it is time to stop? This is harming
your children already!"
Rabbi Wein said in the name of the Chofetz Chaim that the person answered
as follows: "I will bury all of them, but I am going to win." That is the
power of machlokes! A person becomes so obsessed that nothing else matters
other than winning. "Winning IS everything."
This is the lesson of Parshas Korach. When we read that Dassan and Aviram
were swallowed up WITH THEIR CHILDREN -- this is the 'actions of the
fathers that foreshadow the actions of the sons'. All of us can claim that
we are the descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. The question is,
do we also want to be considered the descendants of Dassan and Aviram? Is
that part of our ancestry? If it is, that type of heritage exacts, Heaven
Forbid, a terrible cost -- it takes him down and it takes his children down
as well.
Glossary
machlokes -- divisiveness
ma'aseh avos-- the actions of the fathers...
siman l'banim -- foreshadow (the actions of) the sons
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah portion (#198).
The corresponding halachic portion for this tape is: The Ethiopian Jewry
Question. The other halachic portions for Korach from the Commuter Chavrusah
Series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from
Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
