Korach 5783 ~ June 23, 2023

Just the other day, a congregant shared with me that he was struck by the second passage of the Shema (which is taken directly from Deuteronomy 11) and its consequences. He said that he was uncomfortable reading it in the English.  I heard from a second individual during minyan that she prefers not to recite that second paragraph in the Shema for precisely the same reason. One stated it was simply a difficult passage and the other stated that he did not believe in that concept whatsoever. I did note that one of those individuals vociferously reads it in the Hebrew, since it is part of tradition to do so. It is just the English that bothers that individual.

I wonder whether it is fears associated with the statement, that if we do not follow in the proper path, we will be punished. That is a hard concept to fathom, even though we not only understand the concept of reward and punishment but have experienced or used it ourselves.  As the commentary in our siddur states, “in opening ourselves to the suggestion that the consequences of our moral and immoral behavior resound in the world – though in ways that we may not grasp and that are beyond our comprehension.” And if we do follow the proper path then we will be rewarded.

The statement is rather harsh and to think that God would actually reach out to destroy the world might be just a tad too frightful. Afterall, didn’t God make the promise to Noah that the world would never be destroyed again, at least by a flood? And, if God made that statement, then by reading this statement in its authoritative manner, can we assume that when storms come in their wrong season, or when they wreak havoc upon the world, then we are responsible, rather than the mere fact that if a butterfly in Asia flaps its wings, here in America we might experience a hurricane? Can we assume, from this statement, that those who live in countries where there is drought and famine, that it is God’s way of punishing people? I sure hope not! Is it a fear associated with the actual global warming change that the statement of the Torah speaks the truth?

Feeling uncomfortable about a reading in our Siddur, even if it is from a biblical passage, is absolutely acceptable. Unlike Korach, who in this week’s Torah reading, not only questions Moses’ leadership but also undermines it, questioning the rabbis of yesteryear’s choice of biblical passages to be intoned makes our prayer more meaningful.  Feeling uneasy about how we feel about God’s role in the world or in our world is also quite normal. Rabbi Harold Kushner, of blessed memory, wondered and asked how we are to deal with the reality of “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” or, for that matter, the world.

Kushner suggests that Jewish tradition would like us to believe that 1. God is omnipotent and all present; 2. that people are naturally good by nature; 3. and that God is just and fair. That works for us all when life is good and we are sitting on the sand enjoying a pina colada and everything seems to be bright and sunny. But what about when life isn’t fair or when we seem punished by life itself? I guess that is when we spend more time questioning whether all three of these statements can be true at the same time. And then we have to ask ourselves which one is not. In Kushner’s philosophy, God is not as omnipotent as we read in the second paragraph of the Shema.

The third paragraph of the Shema, which concludes our Torah reading from last Shabbat and is juxtaposed to our reading this week, helps us to overcome that harshness or difficulty. That paragraph reminds us to use our senses, especially our eyes, to see what the truths are in the world. The word it uses is “ureetem,” and “you shall see.”

The actual word is used in relationship to the tzizit, the fringes on the corner of our tallit.  It suggests that if we look at the tzizit, will be mindful of our responsibility to observe the mitzvot, and, in doing so, we will be keeping our commitment to Hashem. And, if we keep our commitment to ensure the viability of our world, then God’s commitment of insuring that the rain will come in its season is simply a natural part of our world. And, using Kushner’s philosophy, since we are partners with Hashem in this world, then just perhaps it is not the all-powerful God that will cause the rains or lack thereof.

Maybe it is the fear that we are responsible that causes some of us to find discomfort with the second paragraph in the Shema. I am certain that, for most, it is actually the harsh concept of it all that finds the words to be disconcerting and difficult to read.  And, for some of us, just knowing that the concept of nature allows us to value when rain comes in its season, and we can enjoy the many colors and smells of spring, is what makes the paragraph meaningful.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi K