- After Korah and his band confront Moshe, God instructs Moshe and Aharon to remove themselves from the crowd, lest they be struck together with the evildoers. Moshe and Aharon promptly comply, and Korah and his band are devoured by the earth. In contrast, when God informs Avraham of the impending destruction of Sedom, Avraham intercedes on their behalf, as does Moshe in the incident of the Golden Calf and the spies. What criteria does one use to decide who are the truly evil deserving of God's wrath and who are those who need assistance and defense? Would you pray on behalf of an adversary who was suddenly struck with a terrible illness?
- Part of Korah's complaint against Moshe and Aharon was the appearance of nepotism. Moshe's brother (Aharon) was anointed as Kohen Gadol and his tribe (Levi) elected to serve in the Mishkan. While the Torah clearly informs the reader that it was God's choice, nonetheless the appearance was real. Is it fair to automatically exclude relatives and friends from positions of importance, even if they are the most qualified for the position? Is it wise to automatically exclude relatives and friends from positions of importance, even if they are the most qualified for the position?
link to lookstein.org