The story of Korach is so fitting for the concept of this column.
Two women stand out in the story of Korah: his wife and the wife of On ben Peleth. Each one pulled her husband to a different place. One pulled her husband and her entire family to Shaul. The other pulled her husband and thus her entire family to a good and long life.
Although I see no need to tell the story of these women, I cannot help but admire the wisdom and courage of the wife of On Ben Pelet. Every year I am struck by her devotion to her family and to the leaders of the generation, Moses and Aaron. I see her as a classic Haredi woman. She believes with complete faith in the Creator, the Blessed One, and wisely defends her family. Kudos to you, a courageous woman.
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By the way, we are all following closely and anxiously the wonderful families of the missing boys.
Have you noticed the incredible strength that the mothers of the kidnapped demonstrate? Have you noticed the fact that they are at the forefront and clearly express all of our values as Torah-observant Jews? Have you noticed how they convey inner strength and spiritual strength?
Women's wisdom built her house.
Why would you be arrogant?
I never thought to tell this story. But when I hear Naftali Frankel's mother say, "The name doesn't work for us, but I believe they will come back," I feel the need to tell it.
Six months ago, I met with one of the publishers of a long-standing Haredi media outlet. I offered him a column dealing with this week's incident, and I said that I would be happy to write a female commentary on the incident.
He flatly refused. 'I won't have a woman who dares to give her opinion on the weekly Torah portion. If you insist, you can write on my website in the women's section and not on the weekly Torah portion, and you certainly won't be able to upload your picture to the website.' The quote is not exact, but it conveys the spirit of the matter.
Let's say I would accept his opinion and agree to hide between the potty and grooming sections (where a woman belongs), but how much is he willing to pay for it?
''Pay? You're the one who has to pay me for giving you the right to appear on my site'... Yes. What you read, I have to pay for the great privilege that a chauvinistic man gives me.
I said, no thanks - and went on with my life.
God willing, when this site you are browsing was established, I was called upon to write my own column, which, surprisingly, receives traffic that is no less in quantity and quality than that of that old and...chauvinistic site, which only recently began uploading pictures of women, including pictures of Haredi women in skirts that are too short and wigs that are too long.
A female commentary on this week's Torah portion - no. But pictures of a "makeup" party with photos that even the most lenient among us would avoid putting on a media site - is that right?!
And how does this relate to Naftali's mother? Very simple. Is it possible for a woman to voice matters of opinion and faith in public and be quoted on ultra-Orthodox websites and media outlets? After all, she is a woman and her place is among the pots and the makeup.
What, not like that?
Korah the Liberal
""And why will you exalt yourselves above the congregation of the Lord," Korah asks, and rightly so. He demands equality. Absolute unity. Equality between women and men. Equality between the tribes of Israel. The abolition of classes. Truly liberalism and pluralism in the spirit of these days.
But here lies the root of evil, the root of Korah's discord. The inability to recognize the fact that God created different people and gave each one his or her role and mission in the world is the cause of the discord.
Korach demanded to be a priest even though he was not born one. It is the same as Svetlana demanding to be Jewish, without going through the required process. Because she wants to in the name of equality. So what if she wants to?
The differences between women and men stem from the act of creation. The difference between priests and Levites stems from the commandments of God. There is no place to demand "equality" that would blur the differences between them. On the contrary. Each has their own mission and all together create a complete and harmonious picture, fulfilling the divine purpose of creating the world.
Obviously, if there is a Torah passage named after the Korach controversy, we have something to learn from it. There is a certain benefit to this controversy.
What is the benefit?
The Torah wants to teach us exactly what we wrote above. That when we demand to eliminate the uniqueness of each and every one and create a false equality, we cannot fulfill the mission for which we came into the world. We must find the line that balances, connects, and complements the different roles of each of us and together fulfill the will of God.
There are those whose mission is to diligently study the Torah and worship, and there are those whose mission is to search for the missing boys. There are those whose job is to sit at home and recite Psalms, and there are those whose job is to storm in and eliminate terrorists. There are those whose job is to guard their homes and raise their children, and there are those whose job is to go out into the streets and bring prey for their families.
Each has their own role and together – in unity – they complete the ultimate goal.
Unity, not uniformity!
Harmony and blessing
Moti, the producer on the radio station where I broadcast, had a son. I wished him congratulations and asked (like any woman) how the birth went and how the mother was doing. Moti said it was "great, quick and easy." I told him: So you are righteous!
- Me? Why?
- Because it is written that an easy birth is the husband's right, and an easy and abundant livelihood is the wife's right.
This is the union that a husband and wife create. The Torah says, "In sorrow you shall bring forth children" and "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." The first verse is the woman's curse following the sin of the tree of knowledge. The second is the man's curse.
And behold, it is a wonder: the wife is the one who makes it easier for the husband to bring bread, and the husband is the one who makes it easier for her to bring children into the world. Harmony between the couple solves both their problems and turns curses into blessings.
• Part of the column is adapted from the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
The writer is the owner of "My Choice", an event host, lecturer, and radio broadcaster.
