After much speculation, the news is finally in: Boise State University will be joining the Mountain West Conference. Sports pundits had long debated whether this would happen and whether it was the right move for the Broncos. Is the grass really greener – or in this case bluer – on the other side?
***
In this week’s Parsha of Korach we find a populist fighting for the people. Or at least that’s the pretense. Korach claims that the entire congregation is holy and Moshe and Aharon should not take the leadership positions for themselves. Ultimately, Korach true colors merge when he requests leadership for himself.
We’ve seen many a person follow this path.
The Talmud tells us that Korach was wise and ridiculously wealthy. What drove him to his attempted mutiny was not necessarily greed or the hunger for power. In a strange way, he simply saw the grass as being greener on the other side. He figured that the Moshe and Aharon phase was getting stale. Time for change.
***
The famous Chassidic legend Rabbi Zushe of Annipoli was once asked if – given the opportunity – he would switch roles with Abraham the Patriarch. “Of course not,” responded Reb Zushe. “If I were to replace Abraham then G-d would be missing Zushe.”
Essentially, Zushe was saying the grass is not greener on the other side. Because G-d gives us opportunities and challenges that are custom-tailored to our personal mission. When we recognize that our pasture is already green then we are comfortable in our own skin and can meet life’s challenges with courage and certainty, whether they bring change or stability.
So long as we have our priorities right, the grass is always green.