In the
movie series 'Austin Powers,' the comedian Mike Myers spoofs pretty much every
James Bond movie, along with all of the
stereotypical plot points that they
feature. One of my favorite parodies is the bad guy's right-hand-man. In Austin
Powers, this character is called 'Number Two' (and is played by Robert Wagner!), and even when we see a flashback of Number Two as a teenager, he STILL introduces himself as 'Number Two.'
It is as if he both has no other name AND was always destined for precisely
this profession - being the second-in-command of an evil genius. Two people fill
that very same role in this week's Torah portion.
The
primary villain in our parasha is Korach; who is so clearly the main antagonist
that the entire Torah portion is named after him. Yet as the reading opens, there
are actually three people who collectively conspire against Moses. Well, in
truth there were actually four of
them initially, but after the opening verse
introduced us to 'On, son of Peleth,' he was never again mentioned. A rabbinic
story tells us that his wife talked him out of joining the rebellion, which was
always one of my favorite rabbinic parables! But the two dedicated accomplices are
Datan and Aviram. Many commentaries depict them as henchmen of Korach, or
perhaps partners who share his agenda. Yet a close reading of the text actually
reveals that their grievance is NOT the same as Korach's. Somewhere along the way,
their interests were subsumed and they became stereotypical cronies, just like
Number Two in the Austin Powers' movies.
Korach, you see,
is Moses' very jealous cousin. He wants other priestly families to share in the leadership
of Moses and Aaron. That is not the issue of Datan and Aviram. We are informed
in Numbers 16:1 that they are descendants of Reuben, the first-born son of
Jacob. And if you follow the story of Reuben since his birth, you will see that
he was always overlooked, ignored, passed over, and forgotten. The individual,
Reuben, as well as the tribe of Reuben, seem to spend most of their time trying
to wrest back what they see as rightfully their birthright. Even in later
Israelite history, when ten tribes break away and form the Northern Kingdom of
Israel, Ephraim becomes the dominant tribe, and Reuben is once again relegated
to the back of the class. Datan and Aviram are sick of it! They join Korach's
band to champion their cause against Moses and Aaron, to finally bring Reuben
to its rightful place as the glorious leader of the Jewish People... and no one reading this Biblical story even remembers that they existed. This week's Torah portion is known only as
'the Rebellion of Korach'; Datan, Aviram, and indeed the entire tribe of
Reuben, are once again left as a footnote in the history of our people.
One
lesson that we can take from the story of nebbishy Reuben is that we shouldn't
always listen to the loudest voices in a group. Whether you're a parent, a
teacher, a community leader, or a CEO; you probably have some people who make
the most noise, complain the loudest, raise their hand the most often, and
hijack your time more than anyone else.
But that doesn't mean that they're the
only ones with something interesting or insightful to say. Every perspective is
unique, and the quietest, shyest voices can often contribute the most powerful
observations. It's easy to miss them. The Korachs in our lives use up a great
deal of our energy and attention. Challenge yourself to listen for Datan and
Aviram. Block out other distractions, and focus intently on what they have to
say. You may discover that the perpetual Number Two has some Number One ideas,
and has been waiting a long time for someone to listen. Perhaps their time has
finally come.
Photos in this blog post:
2. CC image courtesy of barry.pousman on Flickr.
3. CC image courtesy of Ken Roberts Photography on Flickr.
4. CC image courtesy of Fifth World Art on Flickr
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