The Danger of Envy

It is actually astounding that there could be any kind of rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu. There should have been no doubt that he was chosen by Hashem to be the leader of עם ישראל.

Many commentators point to the power of envy and how it causes a person to lose his ability to think logically. It is for this reason that in Pirkei Avot it’s written that קנאה תאווה כבוד מוציאין את האדם מן העולם, envy, lust, and honor seeking, remove a person from the world.

The passion of envy can remove all rational thought from an individual. Every individual must recognize just how damaging jealousy and envy can be.

The remedy is to constantly remind ourselves how fortunate we are to have what we have. We must learn to be שמח בחלקו, happy with our lot in life.

There will always be people that have more than us. But there will be many, many, more that have less. The story of Korach, the richest man in the world, shows how destructive envy can be. We must all learn to overcome it.