BS”D
Parashas Korach Trivia 5778
R' Yehudah bar R' Chiya taught: G-d is not like a human doctor. When a human doctor prescribes a medicine, it will help one part of the patient's body, yet it may be harmful to another part. But G-d gave the Torah, which is a medicine that gives life to the whole body -- as it says, "And they heal his whole body." (Eruvin 54a)
FOR THE TEACHINGS OF THE TORAH ARE LIFE FOR SOMEONE WHO FINDS THEM, AND THEY HEAL HIS WHOLE BODY. (Avos 6:7)
This week’s Parasha Trivia is dedicated to the refuah of all Cholei Yisrael and in the merit of Devorah Brown, עמו"שׁ, who inspires us with her Torah Game on Facebook.
1. What position did Korach desire for himself?
2. Which great navi (prophet) descended from Korach?
3. What was Korach's motivation to quarrel with Moshe?
4. Who were the men who joined Korach in his rebellion and what were they seeking?
5. How many times does the phrase רַב־ לָכֶ֖ם, "rav lachem" appear in this parasha and what do they mean in each one?
6. Which Jewish king was punished for performing the Kohen's service in the Bais HaMikdash and how was he punished?
7. At what age does the Heavenly Court punish a person for his sins?
8. From where did Moshe know that offering ketores (incense) would halt a plague? Why was ketores (incense) used?
9. Who may eat the kodshei kodashim (most holy sacrifices) and where must they be eaten?
10. Pirkey Avos 5:20 states: "An argument that is for the sake of Heaven (li'shaim Shomayim) will always be valid. And one that is not for the sake of Heaven will ultimately be shown to be invalid. Which argument is for the sake of Heaven? The argument(s) of Hillel and Shammai. Which argument is not for the sake of Heaven? The argument of Korach and his followers." Why is the argument of Korach and his followers stated instead of Korach and Moshe?
IY”H, answers will be provided Motzaei Shabbos! Thank you for your participation on FB’s Virtual Beis Midrash for Women
1. What position did Korach desire for himself?
Rashi on 16:1 Korach… took: He took himself to one side to dissociate himself from the congregation, to contest the [appointment of Aaron to the] kehunah. (Midrash Tanchuma)
Answer: Kehunah Gedolah (High Priesthood) from Aharon
2. Which great navi (prophet) descended from Korach?
Rashi on 16:7 He saw [prophetically] a chain of great people descended from him: Shmuel, who is equal [in importance] to Moshe and Aharon. He [Korach] said, “ For his sake I will be spared. [He also saw] twenty-four watches [of Leviim] emanating from his grandsons, all prophesying through the holy spirit, as it says, ”all these were the sons of Heman“ (I Chron 25:5). He said, ” Is it possible that all this greatness is destined to emanate from me, and I should remain silent?“ Therefore, he participated [in the rebellion] to reach that prerogative, for he had heard from Moshe that they would all perish and one would escape [death]: ”the one whom the L-rd chooses-he is the holy one.“ He erred in thinking that it referred to him. He, however, did not ”see" properly, for his sons repented [and thus did not die at that time]. Moshe, however, foresaw this. - [This is found in Midrash] Tanchuma [Korach 5, Bamidbar Rabbah 18:8]
Answer: Shmuel haNavi
3. What was Korach's motivation to quarrel with Moshe?
Rashi on Verse 16:1 Now what made Korach decide to quarrel with Moshe? He envied the chieftainship of Elizafan the son of Uzziel whom Moshe appointed as chieftain over the sons of Kehas by the [Divine] word. Korach claimed, “My father and his brothers were four [in number]” as it says, “The sons of Kehas were…” (Exod. 6:18). Amram was the first, and his two sons received greatness-one a king and one a kohen gadol. Who is entitled to receive the second [position]? Is it not I, who am the son of Yitzhar, who is the second brother to Amram? And yet, he [Moshe] appointed to the chieftainship the son of his youngest brother! I hereby oppose him and will invalidate his word (Midrash Tanchuma Korach 1, Bamidbar Rabbah 18:2).
Answer: Korach was jealous that Elizafan ben Uziel was appointed as leader of the family of Kehas instead of himself.
4. Who were the men who joined Korach in his rebellion and what were they seeking?
Answer:
Korach was joined by 250 men of renown, Dasan and Aviram and their followers from the tribe of Reuven. According to Rashi, the 250 men were also seeking the Kehunah Gedolah (the High Priesthood) of Aharon. What Dasan & Aviram, et. al were seeking varies according to the various commentators below.
According to Biur HaAmarim on Midrash Tanchuma, Dasan and Aviram had no particular claim, but rather they were reshaim who altogether rejected Moshe's and Aharon's leadership. They would have liked to see themselves proclaimed the heads in place of Moshe and Aharon.
According to Rashi on verse 16:6 Do this: Take, for yourselves, fire pans.
Why did he see fit to tell them this? He said to them, "the gentile way is to have a variety of rituals, with many priests, [not all] gathered in one Temple. We have only one G-d, one Ark, one Torah, one Altar, and one Kohein Gadol. Yet you---two hundred and fifty men--- seek the kehunah Gedolah!
According to Rashi on verse 16:1 What did he (Korach) do? He rose up and gathered two hundred fifty heads of Sanhedrin, mostly from the neighboring tribe of Reuven--- they were Elitzur the son of Shdeiur, and his companions, and the like, as it is said, "leaders of the congregation, who were called to meetings," and it says above, "those called from the congregation (leaders of their ancestral tribes)."
According to several commentators including Ibn Ezra & Ramban, these 250 men were firstborns themselves and they attempted to reclaim the privilege of performing the avodah which, after the sin of the Chet haEgel, had been transferred to the tribe of Levi. Dasan, Aviram and On ben Peles of the tribe of Reuven were also affected by the transfer of the firstborn status from Reuven to Yosef. They suspected Moshe of having taken these steps on his own initiative to exalt his servant Yehoshua, a member of the tribe of Yosef.
There are many more commentaries but we will stop here.
5. How many times does the phrase רַב־ לָכֶ֖ם, "rav lachem" appear in this parasha and what do they mean in each one?
Answer: The phrase "rav lachem" appear twice in this parsha. In verse 16:3 it means according to Rashi, "You took by far too much greatness for yourselves." In verse 16:7 it means, according to Rashi, "You have taken too great a task upon yourselves, to rebel against the Holy One, blessed is He."
From Devorah Channah Adney:
"Rav lachem" - It is too much for you. Korach used it in 16:3 to mean "it is too much for you to handle" Korach began his tirade with an exclamation intended to put Moshe and Aharon on the defensive, accusing them of selfishly taking power and prestige for themselves at the expense of the rest of the nation, which was just as qualified as they. Then he continued by trying to curry favor with the masses, saying that since all Jews were equally holy, Moshe and Aharon had no right to take for themselves the two highest positions in the nation.
Moshe used it to mean, "It is too insolent on your part." (16:7), i.e., "you are placing too much importance on yourselves by viewing yourselves as indispensable". Korach’s mistake was to think it was necessary for him to exist and that he deserved to exist because Shmuel would come from him. In truth it was sufficient for his sons to do Teshuvah in order for Shmuel Ha'Navi to come into existence.
This is the first time that a Levi, member of Moshe's own tribe, had rebelled. One can imagine how troubling this must have been to Moshe. Until now, the Tribe of Levi had remained faithful to Hashem under all circumstances. After this sole exception to their spotless record the Leviim would again show their loyalty to Hashem by taking up arms against other Jews to prevent them from going back to Egypt (Rabbi Elie Munk, Korach; Rashi to 26:13; Stone Chumash)
6. Which Jewish king was punished for performing the Kohen's service in the Bais HaMikdash and how was he punished?
Answer: King Uziyahu was punished with tza'raas (Divrei HaYamimII 26:16-19).
Verse 17:5 as a reminder for the children of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the seed of Aharon, shall approach to burn incense before the L-rd, so as not to be like Korach and his company, as the L-rd spoke regarding him through the hand of Moses.
See Rashi on verse 17:5 as the L-rd spoke regarding him through the hand of Moshe: [The word לוֹ literally means ‘to him.’ Here it] means ‘about him,’ that is, about Aaron, He spoke to Moshe that he and his sons would be kohanim. Therefore, no outsider, who is not of the seed of Aharon, shall draw near…. Similarly, every time it says לִי or לוֹ or לָהֶם in connection with the verb דִּבּוּר, ‘speech,’ it means ‘regarding.’ Its Midrashic interpretation is that לוֹ refers to Korach. So what is [the meaning of] “by the hand of Moshe”? Why not just simply “to Moshe”? It alludes to those who rebel against the kehunah . They are stricken with tzara’as , as it says, “and he [Moshe] took it out, and behold, his hand was ‘leprous,’ like snow” (Exod. 4:6). For this reason, Uziyahu was stricken with tzara’as. — [Midrash Tanchuma Tzav 11]
7. At what age does the Heavenly Court punish a person for his sins?
Answer: At age 20.
Rashi on Verse 16:27 their wives, their children, and their infants: Come and see the severity of dispute. The earthly courts do not punish until [an accused] has two [pubic] hairs, and the heavenly c ourt does not punish until one reaches the age of twenty, but here even nursing babes were punished. - [Midrash Tanchuma Korach 3]
8. From where did Moshe know that offering incense would halt a plague?
Answer: Moshe learned it from the Malach haMaves (Angel of Death) when he ascended to Har Sinai to receive the Torah.
Rashi on verse 17:11 and atone for them: This secret was given over to him by the angel of death when he went up to heaven, that incense holds back the plague… as is related in Tractate Shabbath (89a).
9. Who may eat the kodshei kodashim (most holy sacrifices) and where must they be eaten?
Answer: Male kohanim may eat them and only in the azara (forecourt of the Beit Hamikdash) in a state of purity.
Rashi on verse 18:10: You shall eat it in the holiest of places…: This teaches us that [sacrifices] of the highest degree of holiness are to be eaten only in the courtyard and [only] by the male kohanim . — [Sifrei Korach 22]
10. Pirkey Avos 5:20 states: "An argument that is for the sake of Heaven (li'shaim Shomayim) will always be valid. And one that is not for the sake of Heaven will ultimately be shown to be invalid. Which argument is for the sake of Heaven? The argument(s) of Hillel and Shammai. Which argument is not for the sake of Heaven? The argument of Korach and his followers." Why is the argument of Korach and his followers stated instead of Korach and Moshe?
Answer: Malbim and other commentators note that the Mishna (Pirkei Avos 5:20) when citing an example of an argument that was not leshem shamayim, does not mention "the argument between Korach and Moshe," but "the argument of Korach and his congregation." This wording suggests that the motives and aims of Korach's followers clashed markedly. Controversy prevailed within Korach's own faction. Only their opposition to Moshe united the different factions.
Chasam Sofer's grandson, author of Sha'arei Simcha, employs these ideas to explain the verse, "They gathered together against Moshe and Aharon" (Bamidbar 16:3). What unified Korach's assembly was their opposition to Moshe and Aharon. Among themselves, they were divided by strife and contention, without any common goal.
See answers to question 4 for the controversy among Korach's followers.