סיפורים לכבוד שבת

Portion Korach in Israel Shelach abroad : Levites fight ... and did Moses play the trumpet

Portion Korach in Israel Shelach abroad : Levites fight ... and did Moses play the trumpet 

 

Shelach talks about the spies Moshe sent because he was hoping the people would soon enter Canaan

 
 
 Korach is the leadership dispute  against Moshe and Aron in the desert.

 Both portions can be better understood by the following story of the first Hassidic Rebbe – Mendele Vitebsker - to move to Israel

The spies were basically afraid to leave the desert encampment and fight for the Holy Land promised to the forefathers and the foremothers.

So they maligned G-d's Holy Promised Land – a sad way to get out of having to move on!

Korach just wanted to be the leader of the nation – with no plan except to rouse rebellion -was it ego?- after all the hard work was done already (getting the Israelites out of Egypt)!

Korach – He Attacked Moshe the humble  one who ran from any honor -

 to blow up his ego 
 
 
So one of the stories about the "Vitebsker" Rebbe was

About how hard he tried to get to Israel in about 1780!

Mendele Vitebsker finally organized a few Hassidim and enough money to buy passage on a ship (no easy airplanes then).

On their way to Israel  what happens? A horrible storm threatened to sink the ship and drown them all

So Reb Mende Stood on the deck and said out LOUD – into the face of the wind –

 RiBonoShelOlam

Master of the Universe – and the SEAS!

I shied away from ANY honor my whole life,

And

I often suffered for the Honor of the Land of Israel

Now that we are close you want to drown us?!

SO THE SEAS QUIETED DOWN and SOON THEY REACHED LAND

For the Honor of Israel 

And Moses? 

Levites in the temple sing and blow the trumpets - and Moses COULD have done that!
 
InIn  Talmud Eruchin it does not say for sure if Moshe blew those trumpets (and I beleive it was because of hishumility)
 

 

May all our seas quiet down and bring Shabbos Peace to the World and an ending of ego-driven-leadership struggles!

 

Shabbat Shalom

Rabi Andy Eichenholz