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PARSHA POSTS: KORACH

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Jun 4, 2026, 4:35 AM

”Active Blessings, Passive Complaints” Parashat Korach 5786

Think about the last time something went spectacularly right for you. You made a good guess in Wordle or you took the route Waze didn’t recommend and by doing so, avoided a traffic jam. What do you do? You...

May 24, 2026, 11:46 PM

The Diamond Polisher’s Aliyah: A Wake-Up Call for the Barefoot Priesthood

A juxtaposition of a Kohen receiving the first aliyah in a modern synagogue (left) versus the practical, barefoot preparation for sacrifice (avodah) in the Temple courtyard (azarah) (right). / Image generated using AI

Every Shabbat morning in synagogues across the globe, a predictable, beautiful, and ancient ritual takes place. The Torah scroll is unfurled, the room grows quiet, and the Gabbai calls out the familiar words: “Ya’amod, Kohen.” From the community, a man...

Stephen Bertman

Nov 14, 2025, 5:13 AM

Korah’s Charisma

Korah’s Charisma The Old Testament arch-villain Korah possessed a popular appeal among his fellow Hebrews that begs explanation Few figures are so maligned in the Old Testament as Korah, leader of the failed rebellion against Moses at Sinai (Numbers 16). In...

Richard Diamond

Nov 5, 2025, 10:45 PM

What Would Moses Say About ‘the Will of the People’?

Image by ChatGPT

What Would Moses Say About “the Will of the People”? Leaders aren’t megaphones; they’re moral compasses. Israel’s founders said as much, the prophets demanded it, and the Torah dramatized it. Invoking “the will of the people” to justify gutting judicial...

Jul 4, 2025, 4:11 AM

Losing Miriam (Chukat, Covenant & Conversation)

It is a scene that still has the power to shock and disturb. The people complain. There is no water. It is an old complaint and a predictable one. That is what happens in a desert. Moses should have...

Jun 27, 2025, 11:27 PM

Korah and the End Of War

This week’s Torah portion recounts how Korah the Levite and his supporters were punished for his arrogance. As we read: “...the ground beneath them split open. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them…” (Numbers 16:31–32). Too, the United...

Jun 27, 2025, 6:51 PM

True God’s Wars Are Waged in Study Halls

Korah 2025, Numbers 16 :1 – 18 :32 The story of Korah and his community appears prima facia as a conflict between autocracy and democracy. Korah challenges Moses and his brother Aaron whom he accuses of having concentrated power in the hands...

Tzvi Gleiberman

Jun 27, 2025, 5:47 PM

It All Started with a Window

2: They confronted Moshe together with 250 men from the Israelites, including the princes of the community, summoned for the meeting, and other men of repute. This isn’t a bunch of nobodies. These are respected leaders. Princes (influencers, if you will, so my Gen-X audience can...

Ruthie Hollander

Jun 27, 2025, 5:42 PM

The flag in our apartment matters more now

Our apartment faces a quiet Upper East Side street. It’s on the first floor of a walk-up, and pedestrians often make eye contact with us or peer curiously through our windows. Like many observant Jews, our home contains a variety...

William Hamilton

Jun 27, 2025, 5:08 PM

More Human. Not Less

“It’s difficult to persuade anyone of anything when the only interest you have in them is in persuading them of something.” Tara Westover’s point seems self-evident. Still, if you’re like me, knowing this doesn’t curb your efforts to be...

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