וְאוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת. לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אוֹן. שֶׁכָּל יָמָיו בַּאֲנִינוּת הָיָה. בֶּן פֶּלֶת, שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לוֹ נִפְלָאוֹת. אָמַר רַב, אוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת, אִשְׁתּוֹ הִצִּילַתּוּ. אָמְרָה לוֹ: מַה לִיךְ בַּהֲדֵין פְּלֻגְתָּא, אִי אַהֲרֹן כַּהֲנָא רַבָּא, אַתְּ תַּלְמִידָא. אִי קֹרַח יְהִי כַּהֲנָא רַבָּא, אַתְּ תַּלְמִידָא. אָמַר לָהּ: יְדַעְנָא דְּכֻלָּא כְּנִישְׂתָּא קַדִּישָׁא, דִּכְתִיב: כִּי כָּל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדוֹשִׁים. מַה עַבְדַּת. אַשְׁקִיתֵיהּ חַמְרָא וְאַרְוִיתֵיהּ וְאַגְנִיתֵיהּ בְּעַרְסִיתֵיהּ, וַהֲוָה יָתְבָא אַבָּבָא דְּבֵיתָא וּסְתַרְתֵיהּ לְמַזְיָהּ. כָּל מַאן דְּאָתָא בִּשְׁבִיל אוֹן בַּעֲלָהּ, חַזְיָהּ וַהֲדַר. אַדְהָכִי וְהָכִי אִיבְלָעִינְהוּ אַרְעָא. הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: חַכְמוֹת נָשִׁים בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ (משלי יד, א), זוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל אוֹן. וְאִוֶּלֶת בְּיָדֶיהָ תֶהֶרְסֶנּוּ (שם), זוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל קֹרַח. וַיָּקֻמוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה נְשִׂיאֵי עֵדָה, מְיֻחָדִין שֶׁבָּעֵדָה. קְרִאֵי מוֹעֵד, שֶׁיּוֹדְעִין לְעַבֵּר אֶת הַשָּׁנִים וְלִקְבֹּעַ אֶת הַחֳדָשִׁים וְהַתְּקוּפוֹת. אַנְשֵׁי שֵׁם, שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם שֵׁם בַּכֹּל. וַיִּשְׁמַע מֹשֶׁה וַיִּפֹּל עַל פָּנָיו. מַה שָּׁמַע. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן, מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁחֲשָׁדוּהוּ בְּאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְקַנְּאוּ לְמֹשֶׁה בַּמַּחֲנֶה (תהלים קו, טז). אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַב, מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד קִנֵּא לְאִשְׁתּוֹ מִן מֹשֶׁה. וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּלֵךְ אֶל דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ, מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין מַחְזִיקִין בַּמַּחֲלֹקֶת, אָמַר רַב, כָּל הַמַּחֲזִיק בַּמַּחֲלֹקֶת, עוֹבֵר בְּלַאו, הוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְלֹא יִהְיֶה כְּקֹרַח וְכַעֲדָתוֹ. רַב אַסִּי אָמַר, רָאוּי הוּא לְהִצְטָרֵעַ. כְּתִיב הָכָא, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר ה' בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה לוֹ. וּכְתִיב הָתָם, וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לוֹ עוֹד הֲבֵא נָא יָדְךָ וְגוֹ' (שמות ד, ו). אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא, כָּל הַחוֹלֵק עַל רַבּוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ חוֹלֵק עַל הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּהַצֹּתָם עַל ה' (במדבר כו, ט). אָמַר רַב חֲמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא, כָּל הָעוֹשֶׂה מְרִיבָה עִם רַבּוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ עוֹשֶׂה מְרִיבָה עִם הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הֵמָּה מֵי מְרִיבָה אֲשֶׁר רָבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת ה' (שם כ, יג). אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פַּפָּא, כָּל הַמִּתְרַעֵם עַל רַבּוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ מִתְרַעֵם עַל הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֹא עָלֵינוּ תְּלוּנוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי עַל ה' (שמות טז, ח). אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ, כָּל הַמְּהַרְהֵר אַחֲרֵי רַבּוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ מְהַרְהֵר אַחֲרֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְדַבֵּר הָעָם בָּאֱלֹהִים וּבְמֹשֶׁה (במדבר כא, ה). (Numb. 16:1:) “And On ben Peleth.” Why was he named On (which means "sorrow")?45Numb. R. 18:20; Sanh. 109b-110a. Because he remained in sorrow all his days. (Ibid.:) “Ben Peleth (plt)?” The son of (ben) one for whom miracles (pl'wt) have been performed. Rav said, “On ben Peleth had his wife save him; for she said to him, ‘What has this dispute to do with you? If Aaron is the high priest, you are a disciple; if Korah is high priest, you are [still] a disciple].’ He said to her, ‘I know that the whole community is holy, since it is written in Numb. 16:3), “for all the congregation are holy.”’ What did she do? She gave him wine to drink, got him drunk, and had him lie down in her bed. Then she sat down at the entrance [of the house] and let down her hair.46It was immodest to look at a married woman’s loosened hair. Everyone who came for her husband On saw her and returned. In the meanwhile they were swallowed up.” It is this which is written (in Prov. 14:1), “The wisdom of women builds its house,” this refers to the wife of On; “but folly tears it down with its own hands,” this refers to the wife of Korah.47Sanh. 110a describes how she joined her husband in his rebellion. (Numb. 16:2:) “And they rose up against Moses, [together with men from the Children of Israel], two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation,” the special ones of the congregations; “chosen by the assembly (moed),” because they knew how to intercalate years48I.e., add an extra month in order to keep the lunar year in line with the solar year. and fix new moons (which determine the date of the festival (moed);49R. 18:20, cont.; Sanh. 110a. “men of renown,” in that they had a name throughout the whole [world]. (Numb. 16:4:) “When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.” What news did he hear? That they suspected him of [adultery with] a married woman. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 106:16), “And they were jealous (rt.: qn')50Cf. Numb.5:14 where this word is used to denote suspicion of adultery. of Moses in the camp.” Rav Samuel bar Isaac said that Rav said, “[This] teaches that each and every one suspected (rt.: qn') his wife of adultery with Moses.” Reish Lakish says, “From here we derive that one may not perpetuate a dispute.” Rav says, “Anyone who perpetuates a dispute violates a prohibition. It is so stated (in Numb. 17:5), ‘and he will not be like Korah and his assembly.’” Rav Ashi says, “He is fit to be afflicted with leprosy. It is written here (in Numb. 17:5, cont.), ’by the hand of Moses to him,’ and it is written there (in Exod. 4:6), ‘And the Lord said furthermore to him, “Put now your hand into your bosom.”’” Rav Ḥisda says, “Anyone who disagrees with his teacher is like one who disagrees with the Divine Presence, as it is stated [with regard to Dathan and Abiram] (in Numb. 26:9), ‘when they strove against the Lord.’” R. Ḥama, son of R. Ḥanina, says, “Anyone who initiates a quarrel [meriva] with his teacher is like one who initiates a quarrel with the Divine Presence, as it is stated (in Numb. 20:13), “These are the waters of Meribah, where the Children of Israel quarreled with the Lord.’” R. Ḥanina bar Pappa says, “Anyone who expresses resentment against his teacher for wronging him, it is as though he is expressing resentment against the Divine Presence, as it is stated (Exod. 16:8), ‘your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.’” R. Abbahu says, “Anyone who suspects his teacher of wrongdoing, it is as though he suspects the Divine Presence, as it is stated (in Numb. 21:5), ‘And the people spoke against God, and against Moses.’”