June 26, 2020

his week's parsha features dramatic conflict as Korach leads a rebellion against Moses. Korach speaks loudly, with indignation, and he stages a protest as representative of a large party of aggrieved community members. He raises doubts and mounts a challenge, his loud voice speaking his truth to power. Korach is portrayed as a hothead in the story, self-righteously indignant, jealous, and resentful, and things do not go well for him. This reminds me of times I've spoken rashly, with indignation I was sure I had a right to, that later I could see was heedless and needless.

Currently, local and global collective outrage are compelling us to speak and act as a group. Within our Nahalat Shalom community, we are considering how to raise our collective voice to support Black Lives Matter and to direct our energy towards positive change. In Monday's Spiritual Support message, Rabbi Lynn recalls our history of active responses when we raised our collective voice to recognize the plights and rights of other targeted groups such as Muslims, immigrants, asylees, and now BLM. We are exploring how to channel our collective outrage in a considered and collaborative way. We are finding our community's voice of truth while connecting with other groups and congregations to forge common goals and responses during this time of ongoing simultaneous crises.

Speaking of voices, there can also be dramatic conflict inside our heads. Sometimes it's too noisy in there to hear the voice of wisdom. There can be inner voices like Korach's, indignant and overbearing, raising doubt, mounting challenges, asking, Who do you think you are? This inner grumbling and loud self-talk drowns out calmer, clearer, wiser, truer voices. So it can help, in finding one's voice, to take time to make a place for guiding voices to arise, in the ever-portable Mishkan we can create in our hearts.