Dvar Torah

Everyone and Their Own Story.

“Everyone and their own story.” With this simple line, the popular Israeli singer Shlomo Artzi reminds us that every person carries an entire world within them: personal history, pain, dreams, and aspirations. Each of us is unique, yet our shared human vulnerability can become a bridge that connects us. Artzi’s song invites us to look at the person in front of us, a stranger or friend, not with judgment but with the understanding that every individual lives within an inner drama, complex and hidden from view.

From here arises a set of questions that every individual and every community must ask from time to time: What is my story? What is our story?  What drives us to act as we do, and how do we respond to the “story” of our fellow person?

We will never know whether Korach asked himself such questions before launching his famous rebellion against Moshe and Aaron. The earth swallowed Korach and his company, but luckily not the story. The story of Korach remains a lesson for generations: a lesson of what a dispute not for the sake of Heaven is, a dispute driven by the desire to win rather than to seek truth.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l wrote that what defines the nature of a dispute is the intention behind it and the way it is conducted. A dispute pursued for the sake of victory diminishes all sides; a dispute pursued for the sake of truth elevates them. Korach sought power and status, while Moshe, though deeply hurt, repeatedly tried to open a door to dialogue. But when the goal is victory rather than truth, there is no room for listening.

Korach himself was a man of stature: wealthy, influential, and of distinguished lineage. Yet jealousy blinded him. His craving for more power and personal honor distorted his perception and led him to stage a rebellion wrapped in slogans of “public concern,” but in truth driven by private interests. The 250 leaders who followed him did not examine his motives; they were swept up in the excitement of conflict and paid a heavy price.

The story of Korach invites us to look inward: What truly motivates people like Korach? Jealousy? Ego? A sense of missed opportunities? Unresolved personal history? Any of these can cloud our judgment and lead us into disputes that are not for the sake of Heaven. A healthy kehilah (community) is built only when we place truth above ego and act with inner integrity.

At the same time, we need to be cautious and not rush to judge others. Korach is remembered as a rebel, but who knows what turmoil raged within him? Hurt, disappointment, identity confusion, or a longing for meaning in a life that felt unfulfilled. Even if his path was wrong, outward behavior does not always reveal the full story. Every person carries a hidden narrative, struggles, broken dreams, and a yearning for belonging. Empathy does not justify wrongdoing, but it does remind us that behind every person lies an entire world.

Like a “slow down” sign on the road, life sometimes calls us to press the brakes, to pause, observe, and replace criticism with deeper human understanding. What we see on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg; behind it stands a personal journey we rarely see and often know nothing about.

And yet, despite disagreements and divisions, our collective story can still be one of unity. As Sarit Zussman said at the funeral of her son Ben, who fell in Gaza in December 2023: “Despite the arguments and despite the pain, we are one people”, and we are one kehilah. 

As we each “take off” toward our own destinations in the coming summer, I want to end with the words of Tali Varsano Eisman, psychotherapist, bibliotherapist, and expert in building mental resilience, in her short poem “A Whole World”:

To discover a new world,
There is no need to buy plane tickets,
stand in exhausting security lines,
or wait by the luggage carousel.
It is enough to look at a person’s presence,
and open our hearts to listen.
There, within them, we will find an entire world.

Have a healthy and safe summer,

Shabbat Shalom.