How Far Must Our Love Go

In this week's parsha, Korach, we read about the rebellion of Korach and his cohorts Dasan and Aviram. At one point, Hashem commanded Moshe "Speak to the congregation saying, 'withdraw from the dwellings of Korach, Dasan and Aviram.'" Then it says "And Moshe arose and went to Dasan and Aviram, and all the elders of Israel followed him." It continues, "And he spoke to the congregation..."

The Torah doesn't say anything extra. Why then does it say that Moshe arose, and that all the elders followed him? It could have just said that Moshe went to Dasan and Aviram. What moved the elders to follow him?

Rashi explains, "And Moshe arose" because he thought that Dasan and Aviram would show him respect, but they didn't.

This was already after Hashem gave the command to separate from Korach, Dasan and Aviram. At this point their fate was, so to speak, sealed. It was beyond the point of reconciliation and repentance. For that matter, going to talk to them, would be going against Hashem's command, to separate from them. And even more, Moshe was on a mission from Hashem to warn the people to separate themselves from Korach, Dasan and Aviram, it would be highly inappropriate for him to do anything before completing his mission.

Even though Dasan and Aviram's fate was sealed, and even though they acted brazenly against Moshe and were instigators of the rebellion, still Moshe, out of his great love for every Jew, sought to find a way to save Dasan and Aviram from their looming fate.

He couldn't go talk to them nor do anything that would interfere with his mission. This is why Moshe arose, meaning, he used his position and stature, as king and leader of the Jewish people in the hope that it would affect Dasan and Aviram to at least show respect, saving them from being swallowed by the earth.

This is also why the elders followed him, because Moshe was acting in the capacity of the king, and where the king goes, so do the elders. This added to the prestige of the event, but unfortunately it still didn't have the desired affect on the conspirators.

If Moshe found love in his heart to try and find ways to save these evil people, how much more so must we find ways to include Jewish people who are less knowledgeable in Torah, especially when it is no fault of their own.

We have many brothers and sisters who were not granted a proper Jewish education, for what ever reason. We must take a page of Moshe's play book and Moshe's love, and seek to find ways to include these Jews as well into the life of Torah which is an everlasting life.

More than anything else, it is our love of every Jew, that is the key to bringing Moshiach, which all Jews will experience together. May he come soon.