Korach answers

Korach 5721

Alef.

1.  Ibn Ezra: The rebellion was based upon the suspicion that Moshe chose Aharon and his family to serve as Kohanim out of nepotistic considerations. Rebels were therefore comprised of members of the tribe of Levi, descendants of Reuven, and first-born.

Ibn Kaspi: Korach organized the rebellion on the basis that the honor of the Jewish people in general was undermined by the elevation of a single family within the tribe of Levi. Korach claimed that he was fighting for the honor of the entire people, and that all of the people should be given equal standing with respect to the Mishkan and other aspects of the encampment.

2.  Ibn Ezra:

a) Other Levi’im outside Aharon and his family followed Korach.

b) Datan and Aviram, who were descendants of Reuven, the original Bechor, who should have been the forefather of those serving in the Mishkan.

c) Korach was a Bechor. Both Korach’s family, the descendants of Kehat, were on the same side of the encampment as the tribe of Reuven, from whom Datan and Aviram descended.

d) The princes were all Bechorim.

e) The miracle of the staff flowering almond flowers silenced the complaints because the miracle demonstrated that a single tribe had been chosen by HaShem over the firstborn.

f) Moshe explicitly states that he did not choose Aharon on his own.

g) When the claim is made that the entire congregation is holy, and since previously the firstborn had been described as holy, therefore the holiness of the congregation is a veiled reference to the previous status of the firstborn.

Ibn Kaspi:

a) Korach was jealous of Aharon, since he and Aharon were sons of two brothers who in turn were the offspring of Kehat.

b) Korach claimed to the people that although by being a Levi, he did have an advantage over most of the people in terms of personal status, he did not think it was fair and therefore was promoting a system whereby everyone would be on the same level, including Kohanim and Levi’im.

c)  It is unclear exactly why Datan and Aviram joined Korach, and helped to attract the 250 princes.

d)  Ibn Ezra’s claim that the people resented the replacement of the Bechorim by Aharon and his family is unsubstantiated in terms of the biblical text.

e)  It is possible that Korach realized that this effort might cost him his life, but it was so important to him to be the Kohen Gadol, that he threw caution to the wind.

f)  Although the text does not explicitly mention it, it is possible that joining Korach in the rebellion were other Levi’im. The idea was that everyone would be considered equal, and that is why the text might not have explicitly listed the Levi’im who supported Korach.

3. 

במדבר פרק ג

(יא) וַיְדַבֵּר יְקֹוָק אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר:

(יב) וַאֲנִי הִנֵּה לָקַחְתִּי אֶת הַלְוִיִּם מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תַּחַת כָּל בְּכוֹר פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיוּ לִי הַלְוִיִּם:

(יג) כִּי לִי כָּל בְּכוֹר בְּיוֹם הַכֹּתִי כָל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי לִי כָל בְּכוֹר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאָדָם עַד בְּהֵמָה לִי יִהְיוּ אֲנִי יְקֹוָק: ס...

 (מד) וַיְדַבֵּר יְקֹוָק אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר:

(מה) קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם תַּחַת כָּל בְּכוֹר בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת בֶּהֱמַת הַלְוִיִּם תַּחַת בְּהֶמְתָּם וְהָיוּ לִי הַלְוִיִּם אֲנִי יְקֹוָק:

4.  The family of Kehat is singled out and listed first before the other Levite families, because it was given the most important responsibility vis-à-vis the Mishkan, namely to transport it from place to place:

במדבר פרק ד

(ב) נָשֹׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי קְהָת מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי לֵוִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם:

(ג) מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה וְעַד בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה כָּל בָּא לַצָּבָא לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלָאכָה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד:

(ד) זֹאת עֲבֹדַת בְּנֵי קְהָת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים:

(ה) וּבָא אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו בִּנְסֹעַ הַמַּחֲנֶה וְהוֹרִדוּ אֵת פָּרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ וְכִסּוּ בָהּ אֵת אֲרֹן הָעֵדֻת:

(ו) וְנָתְנוּ עָלָיו כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ וּפָרְשׂוּ בֶגֶד כְּלִיל תְּכֵלֶת מִלְמָעְלָה וְשָׂמוּ בַּדָּיו:

(ז) וְעַל שֻׁלְחַן הַפָּנִים יִפְרְשׂוּ בֶּגֶד תְּכֵלֶת וְנָתְנוּ עָלָיו אֶת הַקְּעָרֹת וְאֶת הַכַּפֹּת וְאֶת הַמְּנַקִּיֹּת וְאֵת קְשׂוֹת הַנָּסֶךְ וְלֶחֶם הַתָּמִיד עָלָיו יִהְיֶה:

(ח) וּפָרְשׂוּ עֲלֵיהֶם בֶּגֶד תּוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְכִסּוּ אֹתוֹ בְּמִכְסֵה עוֹר תָּחַשׁ וְשָׂמוּ אֶת בַּדָּיו:

(ט) וְלָקְחוּ בֶּגֶד תְּכֵלֶת וְכִסּוּ אֶת מְנֹרַת הַמָּאוֹר וְאֶת נֵרֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת מַלְקָחֶיהָ וְאֶת מַחְתֹּתֶיהָ וְאֵת כָּל כְּלֵי שַׁמְנָהּ אֲשֶׁר יְשָׁרְתוּ לָהּ בָּהֶם:

(י) וְנָתְנוּ אֹתָהּ וְאֶת כָּל כֵּלֶיהָ אֶל מִכְסֵה עוֹר תָּחַשׁ וְנָתְנוּ עַל הַמּוֹט:

(יא) וְעַל מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב יִפְרְשׂוּ בֶּגֶד תְּכֵלֶת וְכִסּוּ אֹתוֹ בְּמִכְסֵה עוֹר תָּחַשׁ וְשָׂמוּ אֶת בַּדָּיו:

(יב) וְלָקְחוּ אֶת כָּל כְּלֵי הַשָּׁרֵת אֲשֶׁר יְשָׁרְתוּ בָם בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְנָתְנוּ אֶל בֶּגֶד תְּכֵלֶת וְכִסּוּ אוֹתָם בְּמִכְסֵה עוֹר תָּחַשׁ וְנָתְנוּ עַל הַמּוֹט:

(יג) וְדִשְּׁנוּ אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּפָרְשׂוּ עָלָיו בֶּגֶד אַרְגָּמָן:

(יד) וְנָתְנוּ עָלָיו אֶת כָּל כֵּלָיו אֲשֶׁר יְשָׁרְתוּ עָלָיו בָּהֶם אֶת הַמַּחְתֹּת אֶת הַמִּזְלָגֹת וְאֶת הַיָּעִים וְאֶת הַמִּזְרָקֹת כֹּל כְּלֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּפָרְשׂוּ עָלָיו כְּסוּי עוֹר תַּחַשׁ וְשָׂמוּ בַדָּיו:

(טו) וְכִלָּה אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו לְכַסֹּת אֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאֶת כָּל כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּנְסֹעַ הַמַּחֲנֶה וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יָבֹאוּ בְנֵי קְהָת לָשֵׂאת וְלֹא יִגְּעוּ אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ וָמֵתוּ אֵלֶּה מַשָּׂא בְנֵי קְהָת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד:

מלבי"ם במדבר פרשת במדבר פרק ד פסוק ב

(ב) נשא את ראש בני קהת, לפי הסדר הי"ל להתחיל מגרשון כמו במנין הקודם רק מפני שמנין זה הי' לענין עבודתם בקדש ואז נבחרו בני קהת לשאת את הארון וכלי הקדש שהם האיברים הפנימים הקדומים לפימעלתם, ועז"א נשא ר"ל שהם ראוי לנשיאת ראש מתוך יתר בני לוי...

5. When Moshe addresses the rebels, he speaks as if he is addressing many Levi’im instead of only Korach who clearly is a Levi:

במדבר פרק טז

(ז) וּתְנוּ בָהֵן אֵשׁ וְשִׂימוּ עֲלֵיהֶן קְטֹרֶת לִפְנֵי יְקֹוָק מָחָר וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְקֹוָק הוּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ רַב לָכֶם בְּנֵי לֵוִי:

(ח) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל קֹרַח שִׁמְעוּ נָא בְּנֵי לֵוִי:

(ט) הַמְעַט מִכֶּם כִּי הִבְדִּיל אֱלֹקי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶתְכֶם מֵעֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַקְרִיב אֶתְכֶם אֵלָיו לַעֲבֹד אֶת עֲבֹדַת מִשְׁכַּן יְקֹוָק וְלַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי הָעֵדָה לְשָׁרְתָם:

(י) וַיַּקְרֵב אֹתְךָ וְאֶת כָּל אַחֶיךָ בְנֵי לֵוִי אִתָּךְ וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם גַּם כְּהֻנָּה:

It would not be logical to assume that Moshe was only speaking to Korach when he addresses the plurality of Levi’im.

6.  The implication of v. 29 is that the Jewish people as a whole did not believe that Moshe was God’s Shliach, and this test would be needed to prove the point.

במדבר פרק טז

(כט) אִם כְּמוֹת כָּל הָאָדָם יְמֻתוּן אֵלֶּה וּפְקֻדַּת כָּל הָאָדָם יִפָּקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם לֹא יְקֹוָק שְׁלָחָנִי:

Ibn Ezra proposes that the people as a whole did believe in Moshe. However it was the rebels who doubted the legitimacy of Moshe’s mission and to them would be proven his authority when the rebels would meet a supernatural end.

7.  The text in Shemot refers to Kohanim before Aharon and his family are chosen to replace the Bechorim:

במדבר פרק ג

(י) וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו תִּפְקֹד וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת כְּהֻנָּתָם וְהַזָּר הַקָּרֵב יוּמָת: פ

שמות פרק יט

(כב) וְגַם הַכֹּהֲנִים הַנִּגָּשִׁים אֶל יְקֹוָק יִתְקַדָּשׁוּ פֶּן יִפְרֹץ בָּהֶם יְקֹוָק:

Consequently, Ibn Ezra defines these early “Kohanim” as the Bechorim, prior to their being replaced by Aharon and his descendants.

8.   Ibn Ezra uses Shemot 19:22 to demonstrate that since the Bechorim were once considered the most important group within the congregation, they obviously would be resentful when deprived of their special status.

9.   According to those who see this Parasha in its proper chronological place, as long as the Jews were on their way to the land of Israel, they were prepared to follow Moshe, despite any disagreements thatthey otherwise might have harbored towards him. But now that the decree had been given that the generation of the Exodus were to die over the course of forty years of wandering in the desert, Moshe’scredibility had been tarnished, and Korach could easily exploit his calls for insurrection.

10.  ????

Beit.

1.א.

שמות רבה (שנאן) פרשת שמות פרשה א

א, כה ותאמר לה בת פרעה היליכי את הילד הזה (/שמות/ ב'). אמר ר' חמא בר חנינא: מתנבאת ואינה יודעת מה נבאת. היליכי - הי שליכי הוא.

1.ב.

במדבר פרק טז

(יב) וַיִּשְׁלַח מֹשֶׁה לִקְרֹא לְדָתָן וְלַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא נַעֲלֶה:

רש"י

לא נעלה - פיהם הכשילם, שאין להם אלא ירידה:

במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשת קרח פרשה יח

…ויאמרו לא נעלה—“לא נלך” ו”לא נבא” אין כתיב כאן’ אלא “לא נעלה” (משלי יח) “פי כסיל מחתה לו”. פתחו פיהם לפורעניות, לומר שהן מתין בירידה ולא בעלייה. כשם שאמרו כך מתו וירדו הם וכל אשר להם חייםשאולה…

RaShI simplifies the Midrash. Instead of giving alternatives to what they could have said, and not dwelling on the fact that they will be punished, the commentator simply says that in fact they end up not going up but rather going down, just as they had pronounced upon themselves.

2.א. Although HaShem Tells Moshe to tell the rest of the Jewish people to move away from the encampments of Korach and his followers, Moshe does not do this immediately, but rather first makes an overture to Datan and Aviram.

במדבר פרק טז

(כג) וַיְדַבֵּר יְקֹוָק אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר:

(כד) דַּבֵּר אֶל הָעֵדָה לֵאמֹר הֵעָלוּ מִסָּבִיב לְמִשְׁכַּן קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם:

(כה) וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרָיו זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

(כו) וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל הָעֵדָה לֵאמֹר סוּרוּ נָא מֵעַל אָהֳלֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָרְשָׁעִים הָאֵלֶּה וְאַל תִּגְּעוּ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם פֶּן תִּסָּפוּ בְּכָל חַטֹּאתָם:

2.ב. In the cases of Adam and Kayin, HaShem Gives them opportunities to explain themselves and confess their sins before applying punishments:

בראשית פרק ג

(ט) וַיִּקְרָא יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקים אֶל הָאָדָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַיֶּכָּה:

שם פרק ד

(ט) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק אֶל קַיִן אֵי הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי הֲשֹׁמֵר אָחִי אָנֹכִי:

2.ג. RaShI omits the idea that Moshe wanted to inform the rebels of their sins. He simply says that Moshe gave them an opportunity to be deferential to him and they opted not to.

3.א. The term “נצבים” is superfluous and therefore subject to a homiletic interpretation.

במדבר פרק טז

(כז) וַיֵּעָלוּ מֵעַל מִשְׁכַּן קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם מִסָּבִיב וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם יָצְאוּ נִצָּבִים פֶּתַח אָהֳלֵיהֶם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וְטַפָּם:

3.ב. The combination of "יצאו נצבים" has a different connotation when "נצבים" appears as a free-standing verb.

Gimel.

1. BaMidbar 16:2 Since it was not mentioned previously that the rebels were in Moshe’s presence, Onkelos changes "לפני" to "באפי" to connote that they went to seek out Moshe’s presence.

Beraishit 18:8 Onkelos wanted to emphasize that “לפניהם” was not a statement of precedence in order, but rather “in front of them” and therefore he translates the word as “קדמיהון”.

Ibid. 48:14 "לפניו" does not mean “to his face” but rather “in front of him”. Therefore Onkelos translates the word as “קדמוהי”.

2.  Onkelos always avoids anthropomorphisms. It is anathema to him to speak of HaShem getting “angry”. Therefore he prefers “רוגזו”, i.e., His Anger, to saying that HaShem gets angry.