Parshat Korach

Gouging Out the Eyes

In this week's parsha, Moshe faces a number of rebellions: From Korach and his fellow Levites; from 250 community leaders that want to be priests (some commentators suggest that they were first-borns who had lost the priesthood); from Datan and Aviram: and finally, from the people after the first three groups had been killed.

I want to focus on one part of Datan and Aviram's rebellion. Their cause is not the same as Korachs. They do not seek the priesthood, they simply want a new leader. They claim that Moshe's leadership has failed: "Is it not enough that you have brought us out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, that you should also exercise authority over us?" (Bemidbar 16:13).

Moshe was charged with taking Israel to the Promised Land. As a result of the Spies, that was to going to happen and so, in their eyes, Moshe had lost his right to lead. Therefore, unlike Korach and his followers who rebel against both Moshe and Aharon, Datan and Aviram rebel only against Moshe. This is also why there are two separate punishments. The seekers of priesthood are burnt by God's fire, while the seekers of new leadership are swallowed up by the ground.

Moshe tries to negotiate with datan and Aviram, but they respond: "Even if you gouge out the eyes of those men, we will not go up" (ibid 14).

At first glance, they are simply saying if Moshe tortures them they still won't lisen to him. However, if we examine other uses of this expression, we can see that there was a little more to what they were saying.

The first example is that of Shimshon (Samson). Sefer Shoftim describes how he had caused havoc amongst the Philistines. He was able to walk and sleep in their midst but they were powerless over him. However, after he is betrayed by Delilah, his Philistine lover, he becomes powerless. "The Philistines seized him, and gouged out his eyes" (Shoftim 16:21). They then out him to work and "and he did grind in the prison house" (ibid).

The second case is with the inhabitants of Yavesh Gilad, as described in Sefer Shmuel. Yvesh Gilad was an Israelite outpost on the east bank of the Jordan River, far from the main Israelite populace. They were under siege by Nachash, king of Ammon. They tried to negotiate a surrender. Nachash gave them his surrender terms: "On this (condition) will I make a treaty with you, by gouging out the right eye of every one of you" (I Shmuel 11:2).

In both these cases we see that in the ancient Near East, rebellious slaves had their eyes gouged out. By doing so, they show their complete and utter servitude to their new master.

Therefore Datan and Aviram show their total contempt to Moshe, saying that whatever he does, even if he gouges out their eyes forcing them to be subservient, they still will never be obedient to him and will never accept his authority.

Under these conditions we can that Moshe was extremely distressed and could not understand their response as he had never even "taken a donkey from a single one of them, and I have not harmed a single one of them" (Bemidbar 16:15).

He had never been an autocratic ruler, when hey showed their complete contempt he could not continue attempt any more negotiation but asked God for them to fail.

Last year's Sedra Short on Parshat Korach, entitled: "One Mutiny or Two or Even Three?" appears http://parshablog.blogspot.com/2008/06/parshat-korach-one-mutiny-or-two-or.html

Another Sedra Short on Parshat Korach, entitled: "The Innocent and the Guilty" appears at http://parshablog.blogspot.com/2007/06/parshat-korach-innocent-and-guilty.html

A further Sedra Short on Parshat Korach, entitled: "Aharon’s Blossoming Rod" appears at http://parshablog.blogspot.com/2006/06/parshat-korach-aharons-blossoming-rod.html.

Parshat Naso

The Nazir's Hair

Three things are forbidden to a nazir, a person who makes a vow to "abstain for the sake of the Lord (Bemidbar 6:1) making him/her "holy to the Lord" (ibid 8):

They are forbidden to consume grapes and any derivatives of grapes (ibid 4).
They are forbidden to have contact with the dead (ibid 7)
They may not cut their hair (ibid 5)

The Nazir is a type of priest, someone dedicated to the worship of God, and so it easy to understand why they cannot consume grapes. Grapes can have an intoxicating effect and so, just as priest in worship cannot drink wine, so too nazirites, who are dedicated for every minute of the day, cannot drink wine.

The same goes for contamination with the dead. Kohanim are forbidden contact with the dead, so too is a nazir.

However, what's with the hair? What does not cutting the hair have to do with sanctification to God? Furthermore, this rule is in contradistinction to the Kohen Gadol who is forbidden to let his hair grow long (See VaYikra 21:11).

Even more interesting is the case of Shimshon, the judge who was dedicated as a life long nazir from the womb (Shoftim 13:2-7). He certainly did contaminate himself with corpses (he killed thousands and also ate honey from the carcass of a dead lion cub) – though he was not expressly forbidden from being in contact with the dead. He also participated in a seven day feast (called "mishteh" a word synonymous with wine consumption) (ibid 14:12). However, he was most strict about his hair.

What's even more fascinating is the strength that his hair seemed to give him. Shimshon was a fearless and mighty man who rips apart lion cubs with his bare hands, captures 300 foxes, defeated an entire army with a donkey's jaw bone, he can break through the strongest of bonds "as if they were flax" and he single-handedly demolished a Philistine Temple, again with his bare hands.

The Philistine's attribute his strength to supernatural powers and Shimshon himself attributes all his strength to his hair saying: "If I will be shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any man" (Shoftim 16:17). Indeed after the Philistine shaved off his seven locks of hair "his strength left him" (ibid 19). Furthermore, his strength returns once his grew back.

In biblical times hair was considered a source of virility and strength. Indeed, when Hanun, King of Aram wanted to humiliate King David, he "took David's servants and he shaved off a half of their beards" (II Shmuel 10:4). These men were too ashamed to return to David, so he told them: "Remain seated in Jericho until your beards grow, and then you shall return" (ibid 5).

Furthermore, when Devorah and Barak sand their song of victory, they began by saying: "When men let grow their hair in Israel, when the people offer themselves willingly, bless ye the Lord" (Shoftim 5:2).

Essentially, letting one's hair grow long was a sign of strength and readiness for battle. The troops would in essence be taking a vow that they would not cut their hair until God had given them victory in battle.

The Nazir's vow has to be understood in this light. He is vowing to abstain from certain pleasures and to dedicate himself to God until he has achieved a certain closeness with Him. The Nazir, will therefore, not cut his hair until that vow has been fulfilled.

Last years' Sedra Short on Parshat Naso, entitled: "The Mishkan’s Opening Day – Again! !appears at http://parshablog.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html.