Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi Yosef Shemtov
This week’s parasha, parashat Korach, has many fundamental lessons about human behavior.
Let’s look at Korach. He was the richest person in that generation, but
he was not happy because he didn’t have the position he desired. He was
hungry for honor and power. Korach saw that Moshe was the leader of the
people, Aharon was the Kohen Gadol, and his younger cousin was the
leader of the tribe of Levi. He became jealous of them. He didn’t care
that he had so much money; he was depressed because he was not a leader.
This teaches us something about human nature: man doesn’t look at what he has. Rather, he looks at what he doesn’t have. That behavior eventually caused Korach to rebel against Moshe Rabenu. He gathered people and enticed them not to follow Moshe Rabenu.
Pirkei
Avot teaches us that jealousy, lust, and seeking honor take people from
this world. This is exactly happened to Korach and his followers.
Let’s learn to be happy with what we have and be happy for the success
and happiness of others. Focusing on our own lives will allow us to be
happier people.