וַיְהִי כְּכַלּוֹתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אֶת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה. לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁמִּכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה, מַצְמִיחַ אֶת הַפֻּרְעָנִיּוּת. וְיָרְדוּ הֵם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם חַיִּים שְׁאוֹלָה. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: חַיִּים נִדּוֹנִין עַד עַכְשָׁו. וַתְּכַס עֲלֵיהֶם הָאָרֶץ, הֵם אָבְדוּ וְלֹא סְרָרוּתָן, אֶלָּא נַעֲשׂוּ תַּחְתֵּיהֶם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים, שָׁרֵי מֵאוֹת. וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם נָסוּ לְקוֹלָם, שֶׁהָיוּ צוֹוְחִין, מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, הַצִּילֵנוּ. וְאֵשׁ יָצְאָה מֵאֵת ה' וְגוֹ'. אֵלּוּ הָיוּ נִבְלָעִים וְאֵלּוּ הָיוּ נִשְׂרָפִין, וְקֹרַח עוֹמֵד בֵּין הַשְּׂרוּפִים, שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה, וְאַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ. וְקֹרַח לָקָה יוֹתֵר מִכֻּלָּם, שֶׁנִּשְׂרַף וְנִבְלַע. וְלָמָּה נַעֲשָׂה בּוֹ שְׁנֵי דִּינִין. שֶׁאִלּוּ נִשְׂרַף וְלֹא נִבְלַע, הֲרֵי הַבְּלוּעִים מִתְרָעֲמִין וְאוֹמְרִים: שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיא עָלֵינוּ אֶת כָּל הַפֻּרְעָנִיּוּת הַזֶּה אֶלָּא קֹרַח, וַהֲרֵי הֵן נִבְלָעִין וְקֹרַח נִצֹּל. וְאִלּוּ נִבְלַע וְלֹא נִשְׂרַף, הָיוּ הַשְּׂרוּפִים מִתְרָעֲמִין וְאוֹמְרִין, שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיא עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַפֻּרְעָנִיּוּת הַזֶּה אֶלָּא קֹרַח, וַהֲרֵי הֵן נִשְׂרָפִין וְהוּא נִצֹּל. לְפִיכָךְ נִדּוֹן בִּשְׁנֵי מִיתוֹת. לִהֵט הָאֵשׁ תְּחִלָּה לְעֵינֵי כָּל הַשְּׂרוּפִים, בְּיָדוֹ הָיְתָה הַמַּחְתָּה וְהַקְּטֹרֶת בָּהּ, וְקִפַּלְתּוֹ הָאֵשׁ כְּכַדּוּר, וְהָאֵשׁ מְגַלְגֶּלֶת בּוֹ עַד שֶׁהֱבִיאַתּוּ לְפִי הָאָרֶץ לְבֵין הַבְּלוּעִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת פִּיהָ וְגוֹ'. (Numb. 16:31:) “Then it came to pass, as soon as he had finished speaking […, that the ground under them was split apart].” [This is] to teach you He causes retribution to spring up from any place that He wants.43Numb. R. 18:19. (Numb. 16:33:): “So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol.” Some say they are alive and being punished up to the present. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the earth closed over them.” They perished but not their offices; indeed, other leaders were appointed in their stead. (Numb. 16:34:) “Then all Israel, since they were round about them, fled at their cry”; since they cried out to Moses, “Moses our master, save us!” (Numb. 16:35:) “And a fire went forth from the Lord [and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense].” These had been swallowed up, but those were burned; and Korah stood among those who were burned, as Moses had said (in Numb. 16:17), “you also and Aaron, each his censer.” Moreover, Korah received more [punishment] than all of them, in that he was [both] burned and swallowed up. And why were both sentences carried out against him? Because if he had been burned but not swallowed up, those who were swallowed up would have complained and said that though only Korah had brought retribution upon them, here they were being swallowed up while he escaped. But if he had been swallowed up and not burned, those who were burned would have complained and said, “Although only Korah brought this retribution upon us, here we are burned while he escaped.” For that reason he was condemned to both deaths. First in the sight of all who were being burned, he was set ablaze; in his hand was the censer with the incense in it, and [then] the fire rolled him up like a ball.44Numb. R. 18:19. And the fire rolled him along until it brought him to the mouth of the earth among those being swallowed up, as stated (in Numb. 16:32), “And the earth opened its mouth.”