What goes around comes around |
The Haftara from Shmuel Alef, 11:14-12:22
is a good match for Parshat Korach for a few reasons. One reason is that both the Torah
and Haftara readings deal with leaders who defend themselves using almost the
same words. In Parsha Korach, After Datan and
Aviram (two members of Korach’s revolt) attacked Moshe for not bringing them to
the land of milk and honey, we read (Bamidbar 16:15): “Moshe was extremely
distressed and said to God: ‘Do not turn to their offering; not a donkey did I
sequester from any of them nor have I done ill to any of them.’” Rashi quoting Midrash Tanchuma comments
that Moshe states that even when he needed a donkey for transportation, he did
not take one that belonged to B’nei Yisrael. Rather, he took his own. In the Haftara (Shmuel Alef 12:3) as
Shmuel crowns Saul as king and gets ready to step down as judge, Shmuel says: “Here
I am; testify about me in the presence of God and in the presence of His
anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I robbed?
Whom have I coerced? From whose hand have I taken redemption-money that I
should avert my eyes from him? And I shall make restitution to you.” Rashi elaborates that Shmuel asked
if he had ever used anyone else’s ox to plow his field or whether he had ever
taken a donkey other than his own as transportation. If you pay careful attention you see that Moshe addresses God, while Shmuel
speaks directly to the nation and asks for their trust. In the story of Korach, the rebels
are angry at Moshe and his brother Aharon yet taking a donkey is not one of
their complaints and in the case of Shmuel, the elders (Ziknei Yisrael) ask for a king since Shmuel’s sons did not follow in his path yet they are not angry at
him as it says in Shmuel Alef 8:5: “You have grown old and your sons did not
follow in your ways, appoint for us a king to judge us like all of the nations.”
What bad things did Shmuel’s sons do? The
answer is in Shmuel Alef, 8:3: “They were swayed by profit; they took bribes
and they perverted justice.” Rav Yisachar Yaakovson asks why both
Moshe and Shmuel got all defensive about stealing donkeys when that was not
what they were being accused of. His answer is that every complaint needs to be
analyzed psychologically- what was said outright as well as the intention
behind what was said. Both Moshe and Shmuel felt that their credibility was
being attacked as often leaders are suspected of stealing (even in their time) and
unfortunately in many cases the suspicions are correct. In Psalm 99 which we recite as part of the Kabbalat Shabbat service we
say: “Moshe and Aharon were among his Kohanim and Shmuel among those who invoke
His name- They called upon God and He answered them.” We see from here that all
three were considered the true leaders from the tribe of Levi. Another reason why Parshat Korach and this Haftara from Shmuel are read
on the same day can be found in the genealogy of Divrei HaYamim Alef (Chronicles)
6:18-23, where Shmuel is listed as a descendent of Korach. Rav M. Hirsch teaches that from the seed of
Korach, the rebel who rose up against God’s kingship descended Shmuel, the
strongest fighter for guarding the holiness of God’s leadership. |