Korah - Is his argument justified?

(1) Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben— (2) to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute. (3) They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above the LORD’s congregation?” (4) When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. (5) Then he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Come morning, the LORD will make known who is His and who is holy, and will grant him access to Himself; He will grant access to the one He has chosen. (6) Do this: You, Korah and all your band, take fire pans, (7) and tomorrow put fire in them and lay incense on them before the LORD. Then the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi!”

(1) רב לכם You TAKE TOO MUCH UPON YOU — i.e. much more than is proper have you taken for yourselves in the way of high Office. (2) כלם קדשים [FOR] ALL [THE CONGREGATION] ARE HOLY — You are not the only one who heard the utterances on Sinai from the mouth of the Almighty (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 4). (3) ומדוע תתנשאו WHY THEN DO YOU RAISE YOURSELVES — “If you have taken royal rank for yourself, you should at least not have chosen the priesthood for your brother — it is not you alone who have heard at Sinai: ‘I am the Lord thy God', all the congregation heard it!” (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 4).

It is too much for you...it is enough for you that you have ruled over us until today. For until now, we needed you, but since the establishment of the mishkan, we don't need you...

And Korah took - What is written right before this matter? "And make for them tzitzit." (Numbers 15) Korah jumped on this and said to Moses: A tallit that is all tekhelet (special blue dye) - what is the ruling? Is it exempt from tzitzit? Moses said to him: It needs tzitzit. Korach said to him: A tallit that is all tekhelet does not make itself exempt - but four threads of blue make it ok?! A house full of sacred books - what is the ruling? Is it exempt from a mezuzah?! Moses said to him: It needs a mezuzah. Korah said to him: The entire Torah, 275 sections, does not make a house qualify, but one section makes the house ok?! Korach said to him: These matters you were not commanded about, and from your own mind you added them, so it says: And Korach took...And he took - this language is always about divisions, that his mind took him.

And in a similar matter it says: (Job 16) "How your mind takes you..." This is what Moses said to them, as it is written: It is a small matter that the God of Israel made you separate. The Sages said: Korach was a great sage, and among those who carried the Ark, as it says: (Numbers 7) And the sons of Kehat were only given the sacred work upon them, and Korach ben Yitzhas ben Kehat, and when Moses said (Numbers 15) And you shall place on your tzitzit a thread of blue (tekhelet)...Immediately he commanded and they made 250 tallitot of blue and wrapped themselves in them, these 250 were the heads of the Sanhedrin that rose against Moses, as it said: And men from B'nai Yisrael arose against Moses, 250 princes of the congregation, people of renown. Korach stood and made a feast for them, and they wrapped themselves in the blue tallitot; Aaron's sons came to receive their dues/gifts (the breast and thigh) - they stood against them. They said to them: Who commanded you to take? Was it not Moses? He did not say a word, for God did not say so. They came and told Moses, he went to appease them. Immediately they stood opposed to him in Moses's presence.

Korah was a scorner and spoke in scorn against Moses and Aron. What did he do? He assembled all the congregation and in their presence began to speak words of scorn, saying, "In my neighborhood there was a widow, and with her were her two fatherless daughters. The widow had only one field, and when she was about to plow, Moses said to her, "You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together (Dtr. 22:10)". When she was about to sow, Moses said to her, "You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed (Lev. 19:19)" When she was about to reap the harvest and to stack the sheaves, Moses said to her, "You shall not harvest the gleanings, the overlooked sheaves, and the corners of your field (Lev. 19:9, Dtr. 24:9)." When she was about to bring the harvest into the granary, Moses said to her, "Give heave offering (terumah), first tithe, and second tithe." She submitted to the law and gave them to him. What did the poor woman do then? She sold the field and bought two sheep, so that she might clothe herself in the wool shorn from them and profit by the production of lambs. As soon as the sheep brought forth their young, Aaron came and said to the widow, "Give me the firstling (bekhor) males, for this is what the Holy One said to me: "All the firstling males that are born of your herd and of your flock you shall sanctify unto Adonai your God (Dtr. 15:19)" Again she submitted to the law and gave the firstling males to Aaron. When the time for shearing had arrived, she sheared her two sheep. Then Aaron came again and said to the widow, "Give me the first portion of the shearing, for the Holy One said, "You shall give him...the first shearing of your sheep (Dtr. 18:4)." She said, "there is no strength in me to withstand this man; behold, I will slaughter the sheep and eat them." After she slaughtered them, Aaron came once more and said to her, "Give me the shoulder, the jaws, and the maw." The widow said, "Even after I have slaughtered my sheep, I am still not free of his demands; behold, I devote my sheep to the Sanctuary." But Aaron said to her, "In that case, they belong entirely to me, for thus said the Holy One, "Everything devoted (i.e. sanctified) in Israel shall be yours (Num. 18:14)." Aaron picked up the sheep, went his way, and left her weeping--her and her two daughters. This is what happened to the poor woman. All such [evil] things Moses and Aaron do on their own; but they hang the blame on the Holy One!"

(17) Every argument that is [for the sake of] heaven's name, it is destined to endure. But if it is not [for the sake of] heaven's name -- it is not destined to endure. What [is an example of an argument for the sake of] heaven's name? The argument of Hillel and Shammai. What [is an example of an argument not for the sake of] heaven's name? The argument of Korach and all of his followers.