“Let’s Live Life Fully”

“Let’s Live Life Fully”

In this week’s parsha, we meet Korach—a man driven by ego and jealousy.

The first cousin of Moses and Aaron, he launches a rebellion against their leadership, challenging the very authority that God had appointed.

His argument sounded spiritual:

“All of the people are holy—why do you raise yourselves above the rest?”

But beneath the surface lies ambition, jealousy and arrogance, not holiness.

In response to this challenge, God delivers a stunning punishment:

The earth literally opens up and swallows Korach and his followers alive.

The ground—usually the symbol of stability and safety—becomes the instrument of their downfall.

They are consumed by the very earth they stood on, descending into the abyss.

However, the sons of Korach, who were initially swept up in their father’s rebellion, have a moment of clarity.

According to the Midrash, as they are falling, they repent completely and sincerely.

They recognize the truth and turn their hearts back to God—and in that very moment, they are saved.

They land on a narrow ledge—suspended between life and death. And from that space of survival and awakening, they begin to sing.

They write poetry and psalms, songs of praise and gratitude to God.

Centuries later, King David includes their songs in the Book of Tehillim, where we still read them today.

Later in the parsha, tragedy strikes again:

The people continue to complain, and a plague breaks out, killing many.

This time, it’s Aaron who takes action.

He grabs incense—a symbol of prayer and intercession—and runs into the center of the camp, standing between the living and the dead.

The Torah tells us:

“He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.” (Bamidbar 17:13)

Such stark, unforgettable imagery:

Aaron, standing in the breach.

Holding space between life and death.

Pleading for mercy.

Fighting for life.

This parsha gives us two powerful moments of confronting death:

The sons of Korach, suspended over the abyss, choose to return, to live, to sing.

Aaron, standing among the dying, chooses to act, to pray, to save.

Both scenes remind us: Death is real. And so is life.

In a post–Garden of Eden world, death is part of the human condition.

We will all die.

The Torah teaches: “The body returns to the earth, and the soul returns to God who gave it.”

But in the face of that truth, we are invited to live more deeply, more passionately, more meaningfully.

We fight for life. We cherish it. We squeeze everything we can from every precious moment. And then, when the time comes, we let go—gracefully, honestly—knowing that we lived well.

So, this week, maybe we can take the opportunity to ask:

How can I live more fully?

How can I love more fiercely?

How can I serve more generously?

Let us live our days with purpose, with song, with awareness—just like the sons of Korach.

Let us stand, like Aaron, in the places where death hovers—and work to bring more life, more light, and more hope.

Let’s live life fully.

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov

With love,

Elissa