THE MYSTERY OF ON
On Ben Pelet is a mysterious character. Virtually nothing is known about him. This week’s Parasha mentions him in the context of the Korach rebellion: He is a leader of the tribe of Reuben who, along with Korach, questions the political role of Moshe. After they present their case against Moshe, this anti-Moshe coalition (רק לא משה) prepares for the next day: in the morning, it will be decided – in a Providential way – who the real leader of Israel is. The next day, the Divine Presence confirms Moshe’s appointment. And Korach, his accomplices, and his followers were severely punished and lost their lives. The Tora names those who perished in the insurrection. But On Ben Pelet is not mentioned among the deceased. Why? What happened to On?
WE DO NOT KNOW WHY
One of the most special characteristics of the biblical narrative is that the Tora tells us what the characters in the story said or did, but it almost never mentions “why” individuals acted the way they acted: Why did Cain kill Abel? Why did the spies reject Israel and demoralize the people? On these and many other occasions, the text remains silent regarding the “why”. The Sages of the usually come to the rescue and fill these textual gaps with novel interpretations – historical or allegorical- philosophical ideas or grammatical insight. And with great humility, they said there is always room for new ideas and opinions. And this is how in every generation, we “the readers” are invited to become “the writers,” discovering new hidden angles of the text.
A SIXTH SENSE
Going back to On Ben Pelet, the Midrash says that On was saved by his wife. After Korach confronted Moshe, On Ben Pelet returned to his house and told his wife that the next morning the matter of leadership would be resolved, and he would try to become one of the heads of the community. On’s wife was not carried away by the ambition of political prestige. Incidentally, the Sages also said that Korach’s wife , out of envy and personal ambition, was the one who pushed her husband to accuse Moshe of nepotism and usurpation of power. She convinced Korach to do everything possible to replace him. On’s wife, on the other hand, acted in the opposite way. She discouraged her husband from going against Moshe. On’s wife proceeded, not only with common sense but also with great intelligence. When her husband told her of his plan, she strategically explained to him that no matter the first leader, he would remain in second place. His case was a lost cause.
ON’S WIFE STRATEGY
Her husband agreed. However, he said he still needed to be present because he gave his word to Korach and his friends…. Seeing that On was determined to go ahead with his plan, the wife said nothing to him, but she decided to take matters into her own hands. What did On’s wife do? That night, she kept him awake for as long as possible. And before going to sleep, she gave him a very strong wine to drink, which made him sleep more than usual. In the morning, when his friends came looking for him and wanted to go into his house to wake him up On’s wife deliberately let her hair down –something a married Jewish woman only does in front of her husband– and On’s friends had to wait outside *. At that moment, they must have asked the wife, shouting from outside the tent, to wake On up, that it was already late, that the riots were about to begin. And she must have told them: “Don’t worry! You go ahead, and I will wake my husband right away. He will meet you there promptly”. She managed to keep her husband asleep for a couple of hours until the end of the mutiny. And thus, with intelligence and feminine intuition, she saved her husband.
While Korach’s wife encouraged her spouse to rebel against Moshe, leading her husband and her entire household to destruction, On Ben Pelet’s wife used all her intelligence, her charm, and every trick in the book to save his life!
* I vividly remember watching an episode of the TV show “Little House on the Prairie” many decades ago. In this particular episode, a male visitor, the Handyman, approached the Ingalls’ house. Caroline, Michael’s wife, was the only one at home as her husband was away. Unlike her usual practice of tying her hair back, Mrs. Ingalls had her hair loosely flowing. Upon seeing her through the window in this unconventional state, the man commented on her and made her feel uncomfortable. It would serve as an incredible illustration of a part of our story.
