Dear members and Friends,

As we begin the month of Tammuz, we are finally feeling summer weather. On the 17th of Tammuz, the Three Weeks period begins, commemorating the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Temple on the 9th of Av (Tisha B’Av). The prophet Ezekiel, who predicted the destruction of the Temple, mentions the month of Tammuz: “Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house…; and, behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz. Then said He unto me: ‘Have you seen this, O son of man? You shall again see yet greater abominations than these.’” (8:14-15) The Talmud teaches us that the 17th of Tammuz is the day of the sin of the Golden Calf, the first of four sins of the Israelites in the desert, culminating in the mutiny of Korah.

The Torah reading of Korah on the first Shabbat of Tammuz describes his rebellion. He accused Moses of nepotism because Moses designated his brother Aaron to be the first High Priest. Korah claims that no one should be separated because everyone in Israel is holy. Korah belonged to the same Levite family as Moses and Aaron, the Kehatites. They, who were designated to carry the innermost holy vessels of the Tabernacle, did not rebel then. So it is clear that Korah’s protestation is not motivated by righteousness. It’s true, God separated the whole people of Israel and made them a “nation of priests”; the problem is that Korah legitimizes the idea of special designation — holiness when it serves him right; rejection when it doesn’t.

“And Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the door of the tent of meeting;…” (Numbers 16:19) The Midrash says that Korah doesn’t simply rebel against Moses and Aaron, but he rebels against God and God’s creation, a creation that is made by separations and special designations. God separated day and night, heaven and earth, and the six days from the holy Sabbath. Essentially, Korah denies the essence of Jewish life, which is meant to reflect God’s creation. Therefore, says the Midrash, Korah is punished by creation itself when the earth opens its mouth and swallows him alive. As Ezekiel says, conflict at the door of the gate of the Lord’s house will result in weeping.  Using the house of God for conflict instead of peace is an abomination.

Recently, we had a chilling reminder of how a house of God can become a place of death. The murderer who massacred nine innocent parishioners at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC, was not only planning to kill people but, like Korah, was rebelling against creation itself. He denies the legitimacy of differences and diversity in creation. In his view, everyone should be the same or otherwise disappear. Like Korah, who was punished by creation and swallowed alive, may acts like his be erased from the face of the earth, early in our days, and may the gates of the house of God serve to bring peace.  The Talmud teaches us that just as the fall of Jerusalem started in Tammuz, it will begin rebuilding on Tammuz.

Chodesh Tov,

 

Rabbi Gadi Capela