parsha bit: Korach

[cellio]

This week's parsha begins by telling us that Korach led a rebellion, together with Datan, Aviram, and On ben Pelet. As the story unfolds, however, On drops out, while we know explicitly that Korach, Datan, and Aviram are punished. What happened to On? In the talmud Rav said that On was saved by his wife: knowing what he planned, she fed him wine until he passed out and then she sat at the entrance to their tent to prevent Korach from entering. (Sanhedrin 109b)

Comments

[jonbaker.livejournal.com]

You're reading Korach? Oh, you must be on the Israel schedule, since Reform only keeps one day of Yom Tov. In this case, we got out of sync because the second day of Shavuot was on Saturday. So while Orthodox and Conservative in Galut will read Shlach this week, Israel and Reform will read Korach. Never thought about it, but it is a logical consequence of the Reform one-day policy.

We'll re-synchronize before Tisha B'av, when everyone reads Devarim. We in Galut will double up Mattot-Mas'ei, so that we all read Devarim before Tisha B'Av.

[cellio]

Some Conservative, too. I prepare the parsha bits for when I lead services at a Conservative weekday service. (Off topic: alas, it looks like I'll have to suspend leading that service for a few weeks, until the floater business in my eye dies down. The combination of siddur font size and bima lighting was already pushing my visual limits just a bit, and then this happened. Sigh.)

There are two possible reasons for Reform to observe one day: because there is no longer calendar uncertainty, or because we follow the Israeli calendar. The single day where these approaches would differ is the second day of Rosh Hashana. After a fair bit of discussion among the leadership, my congregation will be adding that service this year; we've decided that we really do follow the Israeli calendar and not just a one-day policy. It'll be interesting to see how that goes over more broadly -- especially when that day isn't on a weekend like it will be this year. I'm not yet sure how I personally feel about it, but I support trying it (and will be helping to lead that service). More and more Reform congregations are doing second-day RH, it seems.

We'll re-synchronize before Tisha B'av, when everyone reads Devarim.

A few weeks earlier, actually -- with Balak, which you'll read combined with Chukat.