במדבר רבה י״חBamidbar Rabbah 18

Section 4ד׳

וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח, לָקַח טַלִּיתוֹ וְהָלַךְ לִטֹּל עֵצָה מֵאִשְׁתּוֹ, כְּשֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה (במדבר ח, ו ז): קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְטִהַרְתָּ אֹתָם, וְכֹה תַעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לְטַהֲרָם וגו' וְהֶעֱבִירוּ תַעַר עַל כָּל בְּשָׂרָם, מִיָּד עָשָׂה כֵן לְקֹרַח, הִתְחִיל לַחֲזֹר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא הָיוּ מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ מִי עָשָׂה לְךָ כָּךְ, אָמַר לָהֶם משֶׁה עָשָׂה בִּי, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא נְטָלַנִי בְּיָדַי וְרַגְלַי וְהָיוּ מְנִיפִין אוֹתִי וְאוֹמֵר לִי הֲרֵי אַתָּה טָהוֹר, וְהֵבִיא אֶת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיו וְקִשְׁטוֹ כַּכַּלָּה וְהוֹשִׁיבוֹ בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, מִיָּד הִתְחִילוּ שׂוֹנְאֵי משֶׁה לְהִתְגָּרוֹת בּוֹ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמְרוּ משֶׁה מֶלֶךְ, וְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיו כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וּבָנָיו סְגָנֵי כְּהֻנָּה, תְּרוּמָה לַכֹּהֵן, מַעֲשֵׂר לַכֹּהֵן, עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע מַתָּנוֹת לַכֹּהֵן, מִיָּד (במדבר טז, ג): וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל משֶׁה, מִיָּד (במדבר טז, ג): וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה כִּנֵּס קֹרַח עֲדָתוֹ, וְאָמַר לָהֶם הִרְבֵּיתֶם עָלֵינוּ מַשֹּׂוֹי יוֹתֵר מִשִּׁעְבּוּד מִצְרַיִם, טוֹב לָנוּ תַּחַת מִצְרַיִם מִתַּחַת יֶדְכֶם, וּבִקְּשׁוּ לְסָקְלוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ (במדבר טז, ד): וַיִּשְׁמַע משֶׁה וַיִּפֹּל עַל פָּנָיו, אָמַר לָהֶם משֶׁה לֹא לִמְלוּכָה אֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ וְלֹא לְאַהֲרֹן אָחִי כְּהֻנָּה גְדוֹלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טז, יא): וְאַהֲרֹן מַה הוּא כִּי תַלִּינוּ עָלָיו. אָמַר משֶׁה רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם לֹא כָּךְ צִוִּיתָנִי (שמות כח, א): וְאַתָּה הַקְרֵב אֵלֶיךָ אֶת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאֶת בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ, וַהֲרֵי עוֹמְדִים כְּנֶגְדֵנוּ לְהָרְגֵנוּ, אָמַר (במדבר טז, ה): בֹּקֶר וְיֹדַע ה' אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ, מַהוּ כֵן, אָמַר רַבִּי נָתָן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִם נִתְקַבְּצוּ כָּל חַרְטֻמֵּי הָעוֹלָם וּבִקְשׁוּ לַהֲפֹךְ אֶת הַבֹּקֶר לְעֶרֶב לֹא יוּכְלוּ, וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהִבְדַּלְתִּי בֵּין אוֹר לְחשֶׁךְ כֵּן הִבְדַּלְתִּי אַהֲרֹן לְהַקְדִּישׁוֹ בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים. מִיָּד (במדבר טז, יב): וַיִּשְׁלַח משֶׁה לִקְרֹא לְדָתָן וְלַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא נַעֲלֶה, לֹא נֵלֵךְ וְלֹא נָבוֹא אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא לֹא נַעֲלֶה, (משלי יח, ז): פִּי כְסִיל מְחִתָּה לוֹ פָּתְחוּ פִּיהֶם לְפֻרְעָנוּת, לוֹמַר שֶׁהֵן מֵתִין בִּירִידָה וְלֹא בַעֲלִיָּה, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָמְרוּ כָּךְ מֵתוּ (במדבר טז, לג): וַיֵּרְדוּ הֵם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה. אָמַר משֶׁה הוֹאִיל וְלֹא רָצוּ לֵילֵךְ אֶצְלִי אֲנִי אָבוֹא אֶצְלָם אוּלַי יִתְבַּיְשׁוּ וְיַחְזְרוּ בָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טז, כה): וַיָּקָם משֶׁה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם, כְּשֶׁרָאוּ אוֹתוֹ הִתְחִילוּ לְחָרֵף וּלְגַדֵּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טז, כז): וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם יָצְאוּ נִצָּבִים, וְכִי יוֹשְׁבִין אוֹ כּוֹרְעִים אוֹ נוֹפְלִים יוֹצְאִים בְּנֵי אָדָם, אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁיָּצְאוּ הֵן מְחָרְפִין וּמְגַדְּפִין, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן יְצִיאָה וְהַצָּבָה, וְנֶאֱמַר בְּגָלְיַת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי יְצִיאָה וְהַצָּבָה, דִּכְתִיב (שמואל א יז, ד טז): וַיֵּצֵא אִישׁ הַבֵּנַיִם וגו' וַיִּגַּשׁ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי הַשְׁכֵּם וְהַעֲרֵב וַיִּתְיַצֵּב אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, מַה יְּצִיאָה וְהַצָּבָה הָתָם בְּחֵרוּפִין וּבְגִדּוּפִין, אַף כָּאן בְּחֵרוּפִין וּבְגִדּוּפִין, לְפִיכָךְ פָּתַח משֶׁה וְאָמַר (במדבר טז, כט): אִם כְּמוֹת כָּל הָאָדָם יְמֻתוּן אֵלֶּה, (במדבר טז, לב): וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת פִּיהָ, בּוֹא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה קָשָׁה מַחֲלֹקֶת, שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹזֵר בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְאַבֵּד אֶת זִכְרוֹ, שֶׁכָּךְ כְּתִיב (במדבר טז, לה): וְאֵשׁ יָצְאָה מֵאֵת ה' וַתֹּאכַל אֵת הַחֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתַיִם אִישׁ. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה כַּמָּה קָשָׁה הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁבֵּית דִּין שֶׁל מַעְלָה אֵין קוֹנְסִים אֶלָּא מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה וּבֵית דִּין שֶׁל מַטָּה מִבֶּן שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, בְּמַחֲלָקְתּוֹ שֶׁל קֹרַח תִּינוֹקוֹת בֶּן יוֹמָן נִשְׂרְפוּ וְנִבְלְעוּ בִּשְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּית, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר טז, כז): וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וְטַפָּם (במדבר טז, לג): וַיֵּרְדוּ הֵם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה, לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח.

“Koraḥ took” – he took his garment and went to take counsel from his wife. When the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify them. So shall you do to them, to purify them…and they shall pass a razor over all their flesh” (Numbers 8:6–7), he [Moses] immediately did so to Koraḥ. He [Korah] began circulating among Israel, but they did not recognize him. They said to him: ‘Who did this to you?’ He said to them: ‘Moses did it to me. Moreover, he took me by my arms and my legs, and they waved me, and said: You are hereby pure. He brought his brother Aaron, adorned him like a bride, and seated him in the Tent of Meeting.’ Moses’s enemies immediately began provoking Israel against him, and said: ‘Moses is king, his brother Aaron, High Priest, his sons, deputy High Priests. Teruma is to the priest, tithe, to the priest, twenty-four gifts, to the priest.’ “They assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and they said to them: You have too much, as the entire congregation, all of them are holy, and the Lord is among them, and why do you elevate yourselves over the assembly of the Lord?” (Numbers 16:3). Immediately, “they assembled against Moses.” Immediately, “they said to them.” Rabbi Levi said: At that moment, Koraḥ gathered his congregation and said to them [to Moses and Aaron]: ‘You have increased the burden upon us more than the enslavement in Egypt. It was preferable for us under Egypt than it is under your control.’ They sought to stone him [Moses]. That is why, “Moses heard and he fell on his face” (Numbers 16:4). Moses said to them: ‘It is not kingdom I seek, nor does my brother Aaron [seek] the High Priesthood, as it is stated: “Aaron, what is he that you complain against him?”’ (Numbers 16:11). Moses said [to God]: ‘Master of the universe, is this not what You commanded me: “You, draw near to you Aaron your brother and his sons with him”? (Exodus 28:1). But they are standing against us to kill us.’ “He spoke to Koraḥ and to his entire congregation, saying: Morning, the Lord will disclose who is His, and who is holy and will bring him near to Him, and whom He shall choose, He will bring near to Him” (Numbers 16:5). He said: “Morning, the Lord will disclose who is His” – why is it so? Rabbi Natan said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If all the magicians of the world gathered and sought to transform morning into evening they would not succeed. Just as I distinguished between light and darkness, so I distinguished Aaron to sanctify him with sanctity of the highest order.’ Immediately, “Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram, sons of Eliav, and they said: We will not go up” (Numbers 16:12). “We will not go” and “we will not come” are not written here, but rather “we will not go up.” “A fool’s mouth is ruin for him” (Proverbs 18:7); they opened their mouths for punishment, saying that they would die in descent and not in ascent. Just as they said, so they died: “They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss” (Numbers 16:33). Moses said: ‘Since they did not want to go to me, I will come to them. Perhaps they will be ashamed, and reconsider,’ as it is stated: “Moses arose and went to Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 16:25). When they saw him, they began to curse and blaspheme, as it is stated: “Datan and Aviram emerged standing” (Numbers 16:27). Do people typically emerge sitting, kneeling, or falling? Rather, when they emerged, they were cursing and blaspheming. Emerging and standing are stated here, and emerging and standing are stated regarding Goliath the Philistine, as it is written: “The champion emerged…[The Philistine said: I blasphemed….] The Philistine approached every morning and evening and stood for forty days” (I Samuel 17:4, 10, 16). Just as emerging and standing there was with cursing and blaspheming, here, too, it is with cursing and blaspheming. That is why Moses began and said: “If these die like the death of all people…[God did not send me]” (Numbers 16:29), [and therefore] “the earth opened its mouth” (Numbers 16:32). Come and see how grave is dispute, as anyone who assists in a dispute, the Holy One blessed be He eradicates his memory, as it is written: “Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men” (Numbers 16:35). Rabbi Berekhya said: How grave is dispute? The court on High punishes only from twenty years old and above; the earthly court, from thirteen years old and above. In Koraḥ’s dispute, day-old babies were burned and swallowed in the deepest abyss, as it is written: “[Datan and Aviram had come out and they stood at the entrance of their tents] with their wives, and their children, and their infants” (Numbers 16:27), [and it is written:] “They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss” (Numbers 16:33). That is why it is written: “Koraḥ took.”

Section 5ה׳

וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי, וְלָמָּה לֹא כְתִיב בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹ בֶּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית מט, ו): בְּסֹדָם אַל תָּבֹא נַפְשִׁי, אֵלּוּ הַמְרַגְּלִים, (בראשית מט, ו): בִּקְהָלָם אַל תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִי, זֶה קֹרַח. אָמַר יַעֲקֹב לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם לֹא בַּמְּרַגְּלִים וְלֹא בַּמַּחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁל קֹרַח לֹא יִזָּכֵר שְׁמִי עַל אוֹתָן הָרְשָׁעִים, וְאֵימָתַי יִזָּכֵר שְׁמִי כְּשֶׁהֵן מִתְיַחֲסִין וְעוֹמְדִין עַל הַדּוּכָן (דברי הימים א ו, כב כג): בֶּן תַּחַת בֶּן אַסִּיר בֶּן אֶבְיָסָף בֶּן קֹרַח, בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי בֶּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, (במדבר טז, א): וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם, מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ אוֹי לָרָשָׁע אוֹי לִשְׁכֵנוֹ, דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁכֵנִים שֶׁל קֹרַח שֶׁהָיָה שָׁרוּי בַּדָּרוֹם, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר ג, כט): מִשְׁפְּחֹת בְּנֵי קְהָת יַחֲנוּ עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן תֵּימָנָה, דִּגְלוֹ שֶׁל רְאוּבֵן סָמוּךְ לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ב, י): דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה רְאוּבֵן תֵּימָנָה, אֲבָל דִּגְלוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה הָיָה בַּמִּזְרָח, וְיִשָֹּׂשכָר וּזְבוּלוּן עִמּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טז, ג): וְהַחֹנִים קֵדְמָה מִזְרָחָה דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה יְהוּדָה, וּסְמוּכִין לָהֶן משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר ג, לח): וְהַחֹנִים לִפְנֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן קֵדְמָה לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד מִזְרָחָה משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ אֵלּוּ סְמוּכִין לַתּוֹרָה, זָכוּ לִהְיוֹת בְּנֵי תוֹרָה, כְּדִכְתִיב (תהלים ס, ט): יְהוּדָה מְחֹקְקִי, וּכְתִיב (דברי הימים א יב, לג): וּמִבְּנֵי יִשָֹּׂשכָר יוֹדְעֵי בִינָה לַעִתִּים, וּכְתִיב (שופטים ה, יד): וּמִזְבוּלֻן משְׁכִים בְּשֵׁבֶט סֹפֵר, וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁכֵנִים לִקְרַאת בַּעַל מַחֲלֹקֶת לָקוּ עִמּוֹ וְאָבְדוּ מִן הָעוֹלָם.

“Koraḥ, son of Yitzhar son of Kehat son of Levi” – why is it not written: Son of Jacob or son of Israel? That is what the verse said: “Let myself not come in their counsel” (Genesis 49:6) – these are the spies; “let my glory not be associated with their assembly” (Genesis 49:6) – this is Koraḥ. Jacob said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, neither regarding the spies, nor in Koraḥ’s dispute, let my name be mentioned with those wicked ones. When should my name be mentioned? When their lineage is recorded and they are standing upon the platform’ – “son of Taḥat, son of Asir, son of Evyasaf, son of Koraḥ, son of Yitzhar, son of Kehat, son of Levi, son of Israel” (I Chronicles 6:22–23). “And Datan and Aviram” – from here they said: ‘Woe unto the wicked one, woe unto his neighbor,’ as Datan and Aviram were neighbors of Koraḥ, who was situated in the south, as it is written: “The families of the sons of Kehat shall encamp on the side of the Tabernacle to the south” (Numbers 3:29). The banner of Reuben was adjacent to them, as it is stated: “The banner of the camp of Reuben is to the south” (Numbers 2:10). But the banner of Judah was in the east, and Issachar and Zebulun were with him, as it is stated: “Those encamping at the front, to the east, are the banner of the camp of Judah” (Numbers 2:3). Moses and Aaron were adjacent to them, as it is written: “Those encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east, in front of the Tent of Meeting: Moses, Aaron, and his sons” (Numbers 3:38). Because they were adjacent to the Torah, they merited becoming masters of Torah, as it is written: “Judah, My lawgiver” (Psalms 60:9), and it is written: “From the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding of the times” (I Chronicles 12:33), and it is written: “From Zebulun, those who ply the scribe’s quill” (Judges 5:14). But Datan and Aviram, who were neighbors of a disputant, were stricken with him and were eliminated from the world.