KORACH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Numbers 16 - 18

The people were all holy, that was true.
They all had seen the glory of the Lord.
Even when they faltered into ways untoward,
In each the seed of Understanding grew.
Among them there was one on whom the dew
Of Wisdom more abundantly was poured,
But he was humble, seeking no reward,
And led just by the truth of what he knew.
But Korach only thought in terms of rank.
To his mind there was nothing but ambition
Could lift another up. He schemed to block
A ploy he had projected -- so he sank,
And many were dragged down in his sedition.
G-d keep us from the counsel of Korach.


(2)KORACH

for Annabelle Argand, Simon Hellerstein, and Rabbi Kenneth Katz

That free of doubt the priestly choice might shine,
Moshe took from each tribal chief a rod
And placed them all together in the shrine,
And all night long they lay there before G-d.
And in the morning, lo! the sign was seen:
Aharon’s rod had leafed and bloomed, and bore
Ripe almonds, bare and dry though it had been --
The other rods were as they were before.
You told me of the tapestry you’d made
Upon that theme -- and then were called to stand
Beside the Torah while that tale was read!
"Sometimes in little things we see G-d’s hand" --
Such was, anent the rods, our Rabbi’s Torah-word.
I made this poem that the touch of G-d be heard.