Session 25: Parashat Korach

Federalist 10, James Madison, November 23, 1787

Parashat Korach is named after Korach, a Levite elder who assembles a force of 250 respected community leaders to challenge Moses’ governing power. This uprising is met by God with severe justice, as Korach’s faction gathers to give offerings at the Tabernacle and is swallowed whole by the Earth.

This portion makes it clear that the competition for power between factions in the Torah is no competition at all, as Moses’ power flows directly from God’s word. In democracies, where power flows from the people, factional competition can pose great risks, which must be recognized and managed with sensitivity. Our founders anticipated this challenge and addressed it in The Federalist Papers in Federalist 10.

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