Weekly D'rash Korach

A recurring theme in the career of Moses as leader of Israel is his loyal love toward the Israelites. We read about his frustration and dissatisfaction, but also about his amazing intercession for the people. In this week’s Torah portion the leadership of Moses is challenged. This angers God immensely, and just like in the golden calf episode, God threatens to do away with the people. However again, Moses intercedes (Num. 16:20–23).

Moses is a significant role model for all of us. He recognized that guilty parties must face consequences, but he prays that the entire population is not judged. Moses cries to God: “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one person sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?” (Num. 16:22). We should be praying like Moses that guilty parties in this world would face consequences for their actions but that entire populations would not face the same judgment. As the priesthood of Messiah, we have a responsibility to pray for the deliverance of people. This does not only mean their deliverance from sin, which is essential, but also their deliverance from suffering caused by evil and sinful leaders and internal factions.

In the second example in our Torah portion, God desires to destroy the entire population because of their complaining and lack of trust (16:41–50). In this case they are all guilty, but Moses instructs Aaron to risk his life to make atonement for them. The first example is to pray for innocent people to be spared, and the second one is a demonstration of atonement for guilty people.

All Messiah followers fit into the second example. We have received atonement because of the death and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua. In this case, the intercession was not prayer—but action. We must be people who intercede by both prayer and action! May we have the same love for people as Moses did!

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Howard