בֹּקֶר וְיוֹדַע ה'. מָה רָאָה לוֹמַר, בֹּקֶר וְיוֹדַע. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁמָּא מִתּוֹךְ רֹב מַאֲכָל וּמִשְׁתֶּה אָמְרוּ דָּבָר זֶה. לְכָךְ אָמַר, בֹּקֶר. אָמַר, שֶׁמָּא בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ יַעֲשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: בֹּקֶר וְיוֹדַע. אָמַר לָהֶם: אֵין לִי רְשׁוּת לִיכָּנֵס עַכְשָׁו, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין לְפָנָיו לֹא אֲכִילָה וְלֹא שְׁתִיָּה, אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילֵנוּ שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ וְשָׁתִינוּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בֹּקֶר. אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה, גְּבוּלוֹת חָלַק הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעוֹלָמוֹ. יְכוֹלִין אַתֶּם לְעָרֵב יוֹם בְּלַיְלָה. זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב, בַּתְּחִלָּה, וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר, וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ (בראשית א, ד), בִּשְׁבִיל תַּשְׁמִישׁוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהִבְדִּיל בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ, כָּךְ הִבְדִּיל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָאֻמּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאַבְדִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִן הָעַמִּים לִהְיוֹת לִי (ויקרא כ, כו). וְכָךְ הִבְדִּיל אַהֲרֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּבְדֵּל אַהֲרֹן לְהַקְדִּישׁוֹ בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדָשִׁים (דה״א כג, יג). אִם יְכוֹלִים אַתֶּם לְעַכֵּב אוֹתָהּ הַבְדָּלָה שֶׁהִבְדִּיל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלַּיְלָה, כָּךְ תּוּכְלוּ לְבַטֵּל אֶת זוֹ. לְכָךְ אָמַר לָהֶם: בֹּקֶר וְיוֹדַע ה' וְגוֹ', כְּבָר הוּא מְתֻקָּן, אֶת אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר בּוֹ יַקְרִיב אֵלָיו. זֹאת עָשׂוּ קְחוּ לָכֶם מַחְתּוֹת וְגוֹ'. מָה רָאָה לוֹמַר לָהֶם כָּךְ. אָמַר לָהֶם: בְּדַרְכֵי הַגּוֹיִם יֵשׁ נִמּוּסִים הַרְבֵּה וְאֵין כֻּלָּם מִתְקַבְּצִין בְּבַיִת אֶחָד, וְאָנוּ אֵין לָנוּ אֶלָּא ה' אֶחָד וְתוֹרָה אַחַת וּמִשְׁפָּט אֶחָד וּמִזְבֵּחַ אֶחָד וְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל אֶחָד וּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ אֶחָד, וְאַתֶּם מָאתַיִם וַחֲמִשִּׁים אִישׁ מְבַקְּשִׁים כְּהֻנָּה גְּדוֹלָה. אַף אֲנִי רוֹצֶה בְּכָךְ. לָכֵן אַתָּה וְכָל עֲדָתְךָ הֱיוּ לִפְנֵי ה', זֹאת עֲשׂוּ, קְחוּ לָכֶם מַחְתּוֹת, וּתְנוּ בָהֶן אֵשׁ. הֲרֵי לָכֶם תַּשְׁמִישׁ הֶחָבִיב מִן הַכֹּל הִיא הַקְּטֹרֶת, חֲבִיבָה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִכָּל קָרְבָּנוֹת וְסַם הַמָּוֶת שֶׁבּוֹ נִשְׂרְפוּ נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא. לְפִיכָךְ הִתְרָה בָּהֶם, וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' הוּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ. וְכִי אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁמִּי שֶׁיִּבְחַר ה' הוּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ. אֶלָּא אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה, הֲרֵי אֲנִי אוֹמֵר לָכֶם שֶׁלֹּא תִּתְחַיְּבוּ בְּנַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתַיִם אִישׁ שֶׁאַתֶּם מַקְרִיבִים, מִי שֶׁיִּבְחַר מִכֶּם יֵצֵא חַי וְכֻלָּם אוֹבְדִים. רַב לָכֶם בְּנֵי לֵוִי. הֲרֵי אָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם דָּבָר גָּדוֹל. לֹא טִפְּשִׁים הָיוּ, שֶׁכָּךְ הִתְרָה בָּהֶן וְקִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶן לִקְרַב. הֵם חָטְאוּ עַל נַפְשׁוֹתָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֶת מַחְתּוֹת הַחֲטָאִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּנַפְשׁוֹתָם. וְקֹרַח שֶׁפִּקֵּחַ הָיָה, מָה רָאָה לַשְּׁטוּת הַזּוֹ. אֶלָּא עֵינוֹ הִטְעַתוּ. רָאָה שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת גְּדוֹלָה עוֹמֶדֶת הֵימֶנּוּ, שְׁמוּאֵל שֶׁשָּׁקוּל כְּנֶגֶד מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן בְּכֹהֲנָיו וּשְׁמוּאֵל בְּקוֹרְאֵי שְׁמוֹ (תהלים צט, ו), וְעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה מִשְׁמָרוֹת עוֹמְדוֹת מִבְּנֵי בָּנָיו שֶׁכֻּלָּן מִתְנַבְּאִין בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כָּל אֵלֶּה בָּנִים לְהֵימָן חוֹזֵה הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּדִבְרֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהָרִים קָרֶן (דה״א כה, ה). אָמַר, אֶפְשָׁר הַגְּדֻלָּה הַזּוֹ עֲתִידָה לַעֲמֹד מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲנִי אוֹבֵד אוֹתָהּ. וְלֹא רָאָה יָפֶה, לְפִי שֶׁבָּנָיו הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין תְּשׁוּבָה וְעוֹמְדִין מֵהֶן, וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה רוֹאֶה יָפֶה. לְכָךְ נִשְׁתַּתֵּף לָבֹא לְאוֹתָהּ חֶזְקָה שֶׁשָּׁמַע מִפִּי מֹשֶׁה שֶׁכֻּלָּן אוֹבְדִין וְאֶחָד פָּלֵט, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' הוּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ. (Numb. 16:5:) “In the morning [the Lord will make known those who belong to him].” What reason did he have for saying, “In the morning He will make known?”23Numb. R. 18:7. Moses said, “Perhaps they said this thing because they had been excessively eating and drinking.” He therefore said, “In the morning.” Perhaps between now and then they will repent. He said to them, “I have no authority to enter [the tabernacle] now. Even though there is no eating and no drinking, it is simply because of us [that we are forbidden to enter] as we have taken food and drink.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 16:5), “In the morning.” Moses said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has distinguished boundaries for those in His world. Can you confuse morning with evening? And that is what is written in the beginning (in Gen. 1:5), ‘There was evening and there was morning.’ And (in vs. 4) ‘God separated the light and the darkness,’ for its use in the world. And just as he made a separation between the light and the darkness, so did he separate Israel from the nations, [as stated] (in Lev. 20:26), ‘I have separated you from the [other] peoples to be Mine.’ So also did he separate Aaron, as stated (in I Chron. 23:13), ‘Aaron was separated to consecrate the most holy things.’ If you can confuse those distinctions in which he made a separation between the day and the night, you may be able to nullify this.” For this reason he said to them (in Numb. 16:5), “In the morning the Lord will make known [those who belong to Him].” Such a one is already designated; (according to ibid., end) “the one whom He will choose He will have draw near unto Him.” (Numb. 16:6:) “Do this; take censers, [Korah and all his company].” What was his reason for saying this to them?24Numb. R. 18:8. He said to them, “In the religions of the nations there are many laws,25NYMWSYN. Gk.: nomoi. and they do not all assemble in one house. Now as for us, we only have one God, one Torah, one justice, one altar, and one high priest; but you two hundred and fifty men are [yet all] seeking high priesthood! I also am willing in this regard.” (Numb. 16:11:) “Therefore you and all your company” have come together against the Lord. (Numb. 16:6 -7:) “Do this, take censers. And place fire in them.” Here you have a ministry more precious than all the others. It is the incense, the most precious of the sacrifices. But a deadly poison had been put within it, through which Nadab and Abihu were burned. He therefore warned them (in vs. 7, cont.), “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one,” And do we not know that the one that the Lord chooses is the holy one? It is simply that Moses said to them, “See, I am telling you that you are not to incur guilt on your two hundred and fifty souls, because when you sacrifice, [only] the one to be chosen from among you shall come out alive, and all [the rest] of you shall perish.” (Numb. 16:7:) “You Levites have gone too far!” See, I have told you a great thing! Were they not fools, in that when he gave them this warning, they took it upon themselves to offer sacrifice? They had sinned against their own lives, as stated (in Numb. 17:3), “The censers of these who have sinned at the cost of their lives.” Now since Korah was a clever man, how did he see fit to commit this folly? It is simply that his eyes misled him. He foresaw a great lineage stemming from himself, [e.g.,] Samuel, who was the equivalent of Moses and Aaron, as stated (in Ps. 99:6), “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call His name.” Moreover, the twenty-four [Levitical] shifts would stem from his descendants, all of whom would prophesy by the holy spirit, as stated (in I Chron. 25:5), “All these were sons of Heman,26A descendant of Korah. the king's seer in matters pertaining to God for his greater glory.” He said, “Is it possible that, when this greatness is going to stem from me, I should perish?” But he did not foresee correctly, since his children would repent, and those [great ones] would stem from them. But Moses did foresee well. He therefore participated on this assumption, when he heard from the mouth of Moses that they all would perish, but one would escape, as stated (Numb. 16:7) “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one.”