{"id":58769,"date":"2019-07-04T11:19:30","date_gmt":"2019-07-04T08:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=58769"},"modified":"2022-08-10T18:06:03","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T15:06:03","slug":"the-dangers-of-certainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-dangers-of-certainty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dangers Of Certainty"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[643,402],"acf":{"old_id":"58769","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":36663,"related_cahpter":"1051","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"And the supreme value of humility in the face of arrogance","content":"<p>We\u2019ve all met them, the confident (often testosterone fueled, though not exclusively) individuals who\u00a0convince others they are fit to lead because of\u2026 what qualifications exactly?\u00a0Mainly their certainty that <em>they<\/em> are fit to rule<em>, they<\/em> must be the designated one.\u00a0A quick comparison between first cousins Korach and Moses reveals the value of having a leader with the humility to admit he does not know all the answers, and who chooses to publicly ask questions about any details and situations whose outcome he is unsure of so that ultimately he gets it right.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the contest between Moses and Korach the willingness to admit doubt about one\u2019s own knowledge and abilities proves a greater qualification for leadership than unearned and unwarranted certainty about one\u2019s abilities and level of knowledge.\u00a0In a time when we seek to define what qualifications for leadership may be, the lesson of Korach and Moses is that humility should be a quality of supreme, determining value.<\/p>\n<p>In Numbers 12, God speaks to Aaron and Miriam about the value of Moses\u2019 leadership and tells them in no uncertain terms that Moses is \u201cexceedingly humble\u201d (12: 3). It is this quality above all others that enables God to communicate with Moses in a manner different from conversation with other prophets.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Korach\u2019s manner and message are the opposite of humble and his arrogance and hubris lead him and his followers to the abyss, literally, as the earth opens up to swallow them (16:32).\u00a0Korach is certain of his message, \u201cwe are all holy\u201d (16:3) and its impact \u2013 Moses should be deposed as leader in his favor.\u00a0The men of \u201crepute,\u201d (literally &#8220;men of name&#8221;) those who are \u201cprinces of the group, called to the\u00a0assembly\u201d (16:2) are the ones who join with him. These are men from the highest levels of society, supposedly the most respected.\u00a0The term \u201cname\u201d is used ironically, however, as they are not named. Yet, these are the 250 men who blindly follow this leader \u2013 and are killed.<\/p>\n<p>Moses, in contrast, waits and asks when he does not know something.\u00a0The cases of the wood gatherer on the Sabbath (15:32-36), the blasphemer (Lev 24:10-23), the inheritance possibilities of the daughters of Zelophehad (Num. 27:1-11) and how those unable to observe Passover in its time should behave (Num. 9:6-13) are all examples of the humility to ask a question when uncertain rather than act rashly and with haste and commit an error.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Moses and Aaron show their humility in this episode by pleading for the lives of those who want to disenfranchise them and remove them from leadership.\u00a0They say, \u201cO God, source of the breath of all flesh.\u00a0 One man sins and you will be wrathful with the whole clan?\u201d (16: 22).<\/p>\n<p>One of the lessons we learn from Korach\u2019s confrontation with his cousin is that, in the absence of divine knowledge, human leaders are best sticking with what they know, and remaining humble.<\/p>\n","image":{"ID":68638,"id":68638,"title":"is61-humble","filename":"is61-humble.png","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is61-humble.png","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/for-the-humble-the-broken-hearted-and-the-captives\/is61-humble\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"is61-humble","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":68634,"date":"2020-01-15 14:36:35","modified":"2022-08-10 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