Parshat Korach, Why So Many Sins So Soon After Magnificent Mt Sinai Experience?

Korach

At my local women's Parshat Shavua, Korach, class among friends and neighbors, the classic question came up:

Why So Many Sins So Soon After Magnificent Mt Sinai Experience?

My mind began turning out ideas...

I found myself back in May-June, 1967 hearing the threats of Egypt's Nasser, unabashedly saying that he'll destroy the State of Israel, shove it into the sea...

Egypt's Nasser demanded that the United Nations remove the Peacekeeping Forces, and for all practical purposes the UN replied:

"Yesterday? At your service."

No country offered any help to Israel. They just waited around, mouthing platitudes at best, not wanting to get in the way of the bullets while Israel was being pushed into the sea. Jews, and possibly a few other good souls, prayed, and then a miracle of Biblical proportions happened. In six days, yes, just six 6 days, Israel managed to defeat three stronger better equipped armies, and in the process found itself holding more land on each of three fronts, the Golan formerly Syrian in the north, the Sinai formerly Egyptian in the south and to the east our Jewish Biblical Homeland traditionally called Judea and Samaria, though the Jordanians had referred to it as the "west bank."

And what did Israel's government do? 

• Did it declare sovereignty, like any normal self-respecting country would do? 
• Did the Jewish religious leaders declare a massive national prayer of thanks to Gd on the Temple Mount? No, 

Moshe Dayan gave the Muslims the key to the Temple Mount, reassuring them that Israel wouldn't disturb/trespass on their religious site and the political leaders made it clear to the defeated Arab countries that we'd be happy to give back most of the land in exchange for "peace."

We're still suffering the ramifications of those dangerous and foolish policies. Unfortunately, nothing's new. Human nature isn't perfect. Think of all the Jews who could have left Europe before the Holocaust.. Think of the Jewish leaders who not only opposed Zionism but condemned it.

Sexual Shenanigans in High Places, Moshe Dayan vs Bibi Netanyahu vs Moshe Katzav vs Sylvan Shalom

To be clear to all, I do not condone the behavior of any of these actual philanderers. I'm just wondering about the honesty in those Israelis who are suddenly demanding a standard of behavior that had never been demanded before. And I also wonder about the power of accusations that can stop careers. It's a dangerous weapon. No real proof is needed.

Davka, now when past-United States President Bill Clinton's former mistress, Monica Lewinsky, has opened up about their affair, the Israeli public is putting a moral microscope on its ambitious politicians.
There seems to be new rules in the game here in Israel.

Maintaining that her affair with Clinton was one between two consenting adults, Lewinsky writes that it was the public humiliation she suffered in the wake of the scandal that permanently altered the direction of her life: “Sure, my boss took advantage of me, but I will always remain firm on this point: it was a consensual relationship. Any ‘abuse’ came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position. . . . The Clinton administration, the special prosecutor’s minions, the political operatives on both sides of the aisle, and the media were able to brand me. And that brand stuck, in part because it was imbued with power.”

Israel was once more like France, giving its male leaders lots of leeway to sleep with whomever whenever. Things seem to be changing here. Yesterday I caught a TV talk show on the topic of morality in which the speakers insisted that a philanderer should be barred from high public office. Considering that such public morality runs contrary to the previous practice, there must be many ambitious Israelis who wonder if their successful careers will suddenly go up in a very public "smoke."

Moshe Dayan's philandering was not only legendary, philandering/adultry was part of his public persona.

Israel's most famous soldier, the late Moshe Dayan, is also widely considered the nation's most famous adulterer.
"Think what we would have lost if Moshe Dayan had been fired -- a chief of staff who won the Sinai War and a defense minister who won the Six Day War," said Dankner.
Dayan's daughter, Yael Dayan, agrees. She says the fact that her father was a recognized philanderer did not harm his reputation or his country.
"Someone who is disloyal to their wife, or a woman who is disloyal to her husband, doesn't mean they will be disloyal to their country," she said, adding that it can even boost an officer's career.

PM Binyamin Netanyahu was allowed continue his career after an unprecedented public admission/confession. And other top Israeli politicians had well-known affairs that were never condemned. That's one of the strange things about former President Moshe Katzav's conviction. Had the Israeli moral standards changed, or was it because he is the only Likud member to make it to the office of President?

Sylvan Shalom and wife
Judy Shalom-Nir-Mozes

The biggest problem with the Katzav conviction was lack of proof other than the alleged words of the women.  Accusations against Sylvan Shalom were based on old history and hearsay.

Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein on Wednesday officially closed the sex crimes investigation against Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom...
...First, the initial probe was started due to allegations of sex crimes by Shalom against an employee from around 15 years ago – meaning no indictment could be filed because too much time has passed.
Second, although the police were told of several other alleged incidents of sex crimes by Shalom in more recent years, also against employees, each incident had a roadblock that prevented prosecution.
In some cases the women informally confirmed the incident but refused to formally testify to police and in other cases the women denied the incident or could not be located.

Proof, conviction or not, Sylvan Shalom's candidacy for the Presidency went "poof."

That is the danger. It is just too easy to throw in a sex wrench to stop an opponent's political career. Of course, it would be much easier if all, both males and females would uphold truly moral marriages without cheating and without affairs, G-d willing...

A Different Standard

Why is it that some people can get away with anything?

The legendary Moshe Dayan, who fathered three children with his long-suffering wife Ruth, was a notorious womanizer.

When Ruth Dayan complained directly to Ben-Gurion about her husband, he replied dryly that "in the case of great men, the private and public lives will often run parallel but will never meet." (for complete article click here)

Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, is well-known for a different weakness... money and power. It's mind boggling that he has not only stayed out of jail, but he is still Prime Minister. He should be tried for his crimes and at least suspended from office until proven Innocent.