America 250: Revolution and Evolution
The midterms are not too far off on the political horizon which means we will hear a lot about a desire for “change.” Sefer Bemidbar (The Book of Numbers) contains two diametrically opposed methods of effecting change, revolution and evolution.
Korach chose the former and failed; Bnot Zelophehad (The daughters of Zelophehad) chose the latter and succeeded. We are introduced to Korach with the phrase, “and Korach took” which highlights his aggressive revolutionary approach to effecting change. On the other hand, we are introduced to Bnot Zelophehad with the phrase, “and Bnot Zelophehad drew near.” The act of drawing near is an assertive act, highlighting their desire to effect change not through forceful revolution, but peaceful evolution. Because of Bnot........
