The Psalm for Monday

(א) וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י וְדָתָ֨ן וַאֲבִירָ֜ם בְּנֵ֧י אֱלִיאָ֛ב וְא֥וֹן בֶּן־פֶּ֖לֶת בְּנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵֽן׃ (ב) וַיָּקֻ֙מוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַאֲנָשִׁ֥ים מִבְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם נְשִׂיאֵ֥י עֵדָ֛ה קְרִאֵ֥י מוֹעֵ֖ד אַנְשֵׁי־שֵֽׁם׃ (ג) וַיִּֽקָּהֲל֞וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵהֶם֮ רַב־לָכֶם֒ כִּ֤י כָל־הָֽעֵדָה֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים וּבְתוֹכָ֖ם יְהוָ֑ה וּמַדּ֥וּעַ תִּֽתְנַשְּׂא֖וּ עַל־קְהַ֥ל יְהוָֽה׃ (ד) וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עַל־פָּנָֽיו׃ (ה) וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־קֹ֜רַח וְאֶֽל־כָּל־עֲדָתוֹ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ בֹּ֠קֶר וְיֹדַ֨ע יְהוָ֧ה אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־ל֛וֹ וְאֶת־הַקָּד֖וֹשׁ וְהִקְרִ֣יב אֵלָ֑יו וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַר־בּ֖וֹ יַקְרִ֥יב אֵלָֽיו׃ (ו) זֹ֖את עֲשׂ֑וּ קְחוּ־לָכֶ֣ם מַחְתּ֔וֹת קֹ֖רַח וְכָל־עֲדָתֽוֹ׃ (ז) וּתְנ֣וּ בָהֵ֣ן ׀ אֵ֡שׁ וְשִׂימוּ֩ עֲלֵיהֶ֨ן קְטֹ֜רֶת לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ מָחָ֔ר וְהָיָ֗ה הָאִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא הַקָּד֑וֹשׁ רַב־לָכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֥י לֵוִֽי׃

Numbers 16:1-7

(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!”

תהילים מ״ח

(א) שִׁ֥יר מִ֝זְמוֹר לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃

(ב) גָּ֘ד֤וֹל יְהוָ֣ה וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד בְּעִ֥יר אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַר־קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ (ג) יְפֵ֥ה נוֹף֮ מְשׂ֪וֹשׂ כָּל־הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ הַר־צִ֭יּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵ֣י צָפ֑וֹן קִ֝רְיַ֗ת מֶ֣לֶךְ רָֽב׃ (ד) אֱלֹהִ֥ים בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֶ֗יהָ נוֹדַ֥ע לְמִשְׂגָּֽב׃

(ה) כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֣ה הַ֭מְּלָכִים נֽוֹעֲד֑וּ עָבְר֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו׃ (ו) הֵ֣מָּה רָ֭אוּ כֵּ֣ן תָּמָ֑הוּ נִבְהֲל֥וּ נֶחְפָּֽזוּ׃ (ז) רְ֭עָדָה אֲחָזָ֣תַם שָׁ֑ם חִ֝֗יל כַּיּוֹלֵֽדָה׃ (ח) בְּר֥וּחַ קָדִ֑ים תְּ֝שַׁבֵּ֗ר אֳנִיּ֥וֹת תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃ (ט) כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁמַ֨עְנוּ ׀ כֵּ֤ן רָאִ֗ינוּ בְּעִיר־יְהוָ֣ה צְ֭בָאוֹת בְּעִ֣יר אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ אֱלֹ֘הִ֤ים יְכוֹנְנֶ֖הָ עַד־עוֹלָ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃

(י) דִּמִּ֣ינוּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ בְּ֝קֶ֗רֶב הֵיכָלֶֽךָ׃ (יא) כְּשִׁמְךָ֤ אֱלֹהִ֗ים כֵּ֣ן תְּ֭הִלָּתְךָ עַל־קַצְוֵי־אֶ֑רֶץ צֶ֝֗דֶק מָלְאָ֥ה יְמִינֶֽךָ׃

(יב) יִשְׂמַ֤ח ׀ הַר־צִיּ֗וֹן תָּ֭גֵלְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת יְהוּדָ֑ה לְ֝מַ֗עַן מִשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ׃ (יג) סֹ֣בּוּ צִ֭יּוֹן וְהַקִּיפ֑וּהָ סִ֝פְר֗וּ מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ׃ (יד) שִׁ֤יתוּ לִבְּכֶ֨ם ׀ לְֽחֵילָ֗ה פַּסְּג֥וּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֑יהָ לְמַ֥עַן תְּ֝סַפְּר֗וּ לְד֣וֹר אַחֲרֽוֹן׃

(טו) כִּ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֱ֭לֹהֵינוּ עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד ה֖וּא יְנַהֲגֵ֣נוּ עַל־מֽוּת׃

Psalms 48

(1) A song. A psalm of the Korahites.

(2) The LORD is great and much acclaimed in the city of our God, His holy mountain— (3) fair-crested, joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, summit of Zaphon, city of the great king. (4) Through its citadels, God has made Himself known as a haven.

(5) See, the kings joined forces; they advanced together. (6) At the mere sight of it they were stunned, they were terrified, they panicked; (7) they were seized there with a trembling, like a woman in the throes of labor, (8) as the Tarshish fleet was wrecked in an easterly gale. (9) The likes of what we heard we have now witnessed in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God— may God preserve it forever! Selah.

(10) In Your temple, God, we meditate upon Your faithful care. (11) The praise of You, God, like Your name, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with beneficence.

(12) Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the towns of Judah exult, because of Your judgments. (13) Walk around Zion, circle it; count its towers, (14) take note of its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may recount it to a future age.

(15) For God—He is our God forever; He will lead us evermore.

במדבר ט״ז:ל״א-ל״ג

(לא) וַיְהִי֙ כְּכַלֹּת֔וֹ לְדַבֵּ֕ר אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַתִּבָּקַ֥ע הָאֲדָמָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּחְתֵּיהֶֽם׃ (לב) וַתִּפְתַּ֤ח הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ וַתִּבְלַ֥ע אֹתָ֖ם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הָאָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְקֹ֔רַח וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־הָרֲכֽוּשׁ׃ (לג) וַיֵּ֨רְד֜וּ הֵ֣ם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָהֶ֛ם חַיִּ֖ים שְׁאֹ֑לָה וַתְּכַ֤ס עֲלֵיהֶם֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיֹּאבְד֖וּ מִתּ֥וֹךְ הַקָּהָֽל׃

Numbers 16:31-33

(31) Scarcely had he finished speaking all these words when the ground under them burst asunder, (32) and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all Korah’s people and all their possessions. (33) They went down alive into Sheol, with all that belonged to them; the earth closed over them and they vanished from the midst of the congregation.

רמב"ן על במדבר ט״ז:ל״ב

(א) ואת כל האדם אשר לקרח קנה לו עבדים ושפחות ובני בית היו לו מצריים וכושיים וכנעניים קנין כספו ונענשו בכלל הרכוש שלהם שהם לקו בגופם ובממונם ואולי גם מישראל היו בביתו גרים ותושבים ונמשכו אחר עצתו ונענשו כי איננו רומז לזרעו דכתיב (להלן כו יא) ובני קרח לא מתו כי היו גדולים צדיקים וטובים וזכותם עמדה להם ולא היו לו בנים ובנות קטנים כי לא הזכיר הכתוב בקרח טף:

Ramban on Numbers 16:32

(1) And all the people belonging to Korach. This refers to the male and female servants he owned, for he had household members who were Egyptians, Ethiopians, and Canaanites that he had purchased. They were punished because they were part of his possessions, for they were purchased both monetarily and physically. Another possible explanation: There were proselytes and residents from Bnei Yisroel in his home as well, and they were punished because they followed his false views. However, the verse does not refer to his seed, as it says (26:11), “But the sons of Korach did not die.” This is because they were adults, righteous and good, and their merit protected them. And he had no children of minor status, because the verse does not mention “infants” concerning Korach.

במדבר כ״ו:י״א

(יא) וּבְנֵי־קֹ֖רַח לֹא־מֵֽתוּ׃ (ס)

Numbers 26:11

(11) The sons of Korah, however, did not die.

רש"י על במדבר כ״ו:י״א

(א) ובני קרח לא מתו. הֵם הָיוּ בָעֵצָה תְּחִלָּה, וּבִשְׁעַת הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת הִרְהֲרוּ תְשׁוּבָה בְלִבָּם, לְפִיכָךְ נִתְבַּצֵּר לָהֶם מָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַ בַּגֵיהִנּוֹם וְיָשְׁבוּ שָׁם (סנהדרין ק"י):

Rashi on Numbers 26:11

(1) ובני קרח לא מתו BUT THE SONS OF KORAH DID NOT DIE — They were in the plot originally, but at the moment when the rebellion broke out they had thoughts of repentance in their hearts; therefore a high spot was fenced round for them in Gehinnom and they stayed there (Sanhedrin 110a).

אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ו:י״א

(א) ובני קרח לא מתו. והעד שמואל ובניו ובני בניו שהם המשוררים והם הנקראים הקרחים לבני קרח מזמור גם בתורה כתיב משפחת הקרחי והזכיר הכתוב ובני קרח עם בני ראובן בעבור כי בני דתן ואבירם גדולים וקטנים מתו והנה רעת דתן ואבירם קשה מרעת קרח

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 26:11

(1) But the sons of Korach did not die. The testimony to this is Shmuel and his sons and sons’ sons, who were the singers (see Divrei HaYamim I 6:18-22), and they were called the Korachites (Divrei HaYamim II 20:19), also: “For the conductor, by the sons of Korach, a song” (Tehillim 49:1). Additionally, in the Torah it is written (v. 58) “and the Korachite family” as well. Scripture mentioned the sons of Korach together with the sons of Reuven because all the sons of Dasan and Aviram died, even the minors. Thus, the evil that befell Dasan and Aviram was worse than that of Korach.