Chevre, this week’s parsha is Korach (קרח) (in Israel, Shelach outside Israel). A couple of administrative things. I’ll be in Silver Spring, MD next Shabbat so if you think you see me (or in Buffalo), it probably is me and come say “hi”. It also means next week’s Dvar will be late. Today is also my English Birthday with my Hebrew Birthday in the coming week.

There are 2 mutinies that happen this week. They are connected, but also distinct. (I can’t use that word without thinking about SQL queries). Korach is a Levi and is asking how Moshe and Aharon can elevate themselves over everyone since the whole congregation is holy. Datan and Aviram are asking about a political issue, how is it that Moshe should be the leader (without the holiness aspect).

Each group received their own punishment. Korach and his followers were consumed by fire since they brought “strange” fire, similar to Nadav and Avihu. Datan and Aviram and their households were swallowed up by the earth. But the sons of Korach were not killed. They appear in Tehillim (Psalms) and in the Passover Haggadah. Apparently, they were not part of the mutiny.

Psalm 1 - “Happy is the one that did not walk in the path of the wicked”. We learn the parsha weekly every year over and over so that we can come to each section with a fresh perspective each time. Sometimes it’s hard. But taking a break and re-looking at something can often give a fresh perspective. It may have been a year or more since you last looked at something, but time has passed and you have changed in that year. Maybe only slightly, maybe greatly. But we bring these changes with us and these experiences to our understanding of the text at hand and to the technical world we engage with regularly.

Shabbat Shalom