“All the People are Holy”: The Truth &; The Fallacy In Utopian Calls For Peace
Conflict, sadly, is an inevitable feature of this world. Our tradition speaks of a time when peace and unity will encompass the earth, when “the wolf will live the lamb” (Isaiah 11:6) and “nation will not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (ibid. 2:4). Perhaps that day will come soon, yet until it does, we can dream, hope, and pray, but we must be realists about the world in which we live, and we must operate within its structure.
In this week’s parsha, Korach rebels against the structure that God commanded through his cousin, Moses. “All of the people are holy,” Korach argued in objection to the positions of leadership that Moses and Aaron were assigned. Secretly, Korach coveted the position of high priesthood for himself, but he disguised his personal ambition in a defense of the common man and a declaration of the divinity in each of us.
The Chassidic masters quote Rashi, “Korach she’pikeach haya/Korach was clever” (Rashi on Bamidbar 16:17), and point out that regardless of his selfish motives, there is a wisdom to his words. Indeed, it is true that all of the people are holy. Yet that does not mean that in this world, there should be no leadership and no hierarchy. Korach, the mystics suggest, was prematurely living in the messianic future where everyone’s holiness would be manifest. In this world however, prior to the messianic age, there are distinctions and there is delineation. There are those whose holiness is more revealed and manifest, and others whose inherent Godliness is more shrouded and unexpressed. In such a framework, there is a need for structure and organization.
In one sense, Korach’s recognition of the holiness within all of the people is beautiful, yet in another sense it is dangerous. The appreciation of the divine within each individual can be a catalyst to inspire everyone to discover and manifest their highest potential. Simultaneously, a starry-eyed refusal to admit the realities of this world can be overly idealistic and can enable bad actors to exploit such naivete.
On the one hand, it is important to be aspirational and to help every person to see and nurture the Godly spark within her/him. On the other hand, it is imperative to live within the exigencies of this construct and to protect oneself and one’s loved ones from those who refuse to coexist and respect the dignity of all of God’s children.
We can see the tension of these two positions playing out today in discourse surrounding Israel’s conflicts with Iran and its proxies. There are those who decry and demonize Israel for its actions against its enemies. “War is not the answer,” they allege. Every life is precious, they rightly declare. Like Korach, they have a valid argument – all of God’s creations are holy. And indeed they are also right that war is horrific.
But like Korach, they are also wrong. We are not yet living in the messianic reality in which the holiness of all people is expressed. Unfortunately, in this world, there are those of God’s creations which do not recognize their Creator or admit the fact that all of His children are endowed with His divine image. They therefore battle to impose their own will on those who do not ascribe to their world view. Such aggression must be defended against. War, as horrible as it is, must be waged against those who refuse to live in peace.
Torah is referred to as “Toras Shalom/the Torah of peace.” Its teachings are “darchei shalom/ways of peace,” and it testifies to the sanctity of life and the sacredness of all of God’s handiwork. It is certainly true, as Korach attests, that the people are holy, and we work daily toward the day when that inherent holiness will be revealed in all. Until then, we must live within the structure of this limited and temporary world, and we must fight for peace against those who insist on conflict.
— Pnei Hashem is an introduction to the deepest depths of the human experience based on the esoteric teachings of Torah. www.pneihashem.com
