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I read something on this week’s parsha from Aish.com that reminded me of some events a few months back.
In the parsha, Moshe tells Korach and his followers to bring ketores. Hashem would choose the ketores of the proper person, and they’d see who the chosen one was. The 250 followers of Korach who offer the ketores end up getting consumed by a fire.
It says the 250 men were not just some followers. They were distinguished people, who were great men. So why would they follow Korach? Rashi says they sinned with their souls. What does this mean?
The Netziv says that the 250 men are always separated from Korach, Dasan, and Aviram. While the 250 men were consumed by a fire, the others were swallowed up into the ground – seemingly a more severe punishment. Why? He says that the 250 men had pure, although misguided, intentions. They wanted to get close to Hashem. They wanted to do the avodah. They knew they’d never be able to unless they joined Korach. They knew they’d probably die for it, but they felt it was worth it to get close to Hashem. Since they had these intentions, Hashem gave them the punishment of death by a divine fire rather than being swallowed by the earth.
What do we learn from this? Every person has their own role, and everyone needs to know what their role is. Sometimes someone might think they want to get closer to Hashem, and wants to do so with a method that works for them, which they thought of. We need to realize that Hashem gave us instructions to get closer to Him – the Torah! Trying to do things which aren’t in the Torah will not bring us closer, even though we may think it will. We need to recognize that it’s not about us, it’s about what Hashem told us to do, even if we don’t like doing it.
I was reminded of the case a few months ago of a school allowing a girl to put on tefillin. This girl reminds me of the 250 men. She thinks that putting on tefillin will bring her closer to Hashem. But she’s so misguided! Hashem told her how to get closer! If she wants to do things as a woman, she can dress appropriately. She can light candles for Shabbos. She can me mafrish challah. There are plenty of mitzvos which are primarily for women. Just because she feels that tefillin will bring her closer to Hashem doesn’t mean it really will.
At the end of the day, we need to know our place. Hashem gave us all a different role and different strengths and weaknesses. We need to use what Hashem gave us to follow the rules Hashem gave us. That is the lesson of Korach’s followers.
Nice!
It is a common mistake among those who try coming up with these new ideas that yiddishkeit is here primarily to make us feel good. And that is wrong, because we are on this world to serve hashem, and the way to serve is the way he said we should serve him
“”Sometimes someone might think they want to get closer to Hashem, and wants to do so with a method that works for them, which they thought of. We need to realize that Hashem gave us instructions to get closer to Him – the Torah! Trying to do things which aren’t in the Torah, will not bring us closer, even though we may think it will. We need to recognize that it’s not about us, it’s about what Hashem told us to do, even if we don’t like doing it.””
My point exactly. We need to focus on what we need to do, rather than want to do.
DaMoshe, not that I think that girls should wear tefillin, but what if fish is really BETTER for your health than that steak, no matter how much you love steak? People who want to make changes (and I do not hold by any of them), are people who l’kaf zchus genuinely seem to believe that the fish is better for ALL of us than the steak. They are just a bit over-eager in their approach and fail to consider that the steak was delicious all on its own, and beneficial in other ways, which they fail to perceive.
Boy, now I am so hungry. Have a good Shabbos.
Sometimes people have good intentions to change things like if a girl wants to wear Tefillin because she feels it enhances her prayer. She wonders what’s wrong with that? Sometimes, our yetzer hara makes us think we are doing something good, when it’s not right. What’s the problem with girls wearing tefillin? A person needs to have pure thoughts, can’t talk, can’t pass gas…. there are many rules. Obviously, men aren’t perfect when wearing it, but they have an obligation, and so the risk outweighs the cost. If you don’t have to but you do it, any mistake turns the mitzvah into an aveirah. It’s better for us women to just pray with a lot of kavanah. This will help us to come close to Hashem
DaMoshe –
This reminds me of
-Nadav and Avinu who were too consumed by fire.
-cognitive man, halakhic man, and homo religious (R’ Soloveitchik)
-A little bit of Adam Harishon and the original chet.
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