(ד) וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח, לָקַח טַלִּיתוֹ וְהָלַךְ לִטֹּל עֵצָה מֵאִשְׁתּוֹ, כְּשֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה (במדבר ח, ו ז): קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְטִהַרְתָּ אֹתָם, וְכֹה תַעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לְטַהֲרָם וגו' וְהֶעֱבִירוּ תַעַר עַל כָּל בְּשָׂרָם, מִיָּד עָשָׂה כֵן לְקֹרַח, הִתְחִיל לַחֲזֹר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא הָיוּ מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ מִי עָשָׂה לְךָ כָּךְ, אָמַר לָהֶם משֶׁה עָשָׂה בִּי, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא נְטָלַנִי בְּיָדַי וְרַגְלַי וְהָיוּ מְנִיפִין אוֹתִי וְאוֹמֵר לִי הֲרֵי אַתָּה טָהוֹר, וְהֵבִיא אֶת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיו וְקִשְׁטוֹ כַּכַּלָּה וְהוֹשִׁיבוֹ בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, מִיָּד הִתְחִילוּ שׂוֹנְאֵי משֶׁה לְהִתְגָּרוֹת בּוֹ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמְרוּ משֶׁה מֶלֶךְ, וְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיו כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וּבָנָיו סְגָנֵי כְּהֻנָּה, תְּרוּמָה לַכֹּהֵן, מַעֲשֵׂר לַכֹּהֵן, עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע מַתָּנוֹת לַכֹּהֵן, מִיָּד (במדבר טז, ג): וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל משֶׁה, מִיָּד (במדבר טז, ג): וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה כִּנֵּס קֹרַח עֲדָתוֹ, וְאָמַר לָהֶם הִרְבֵּיתֶם עָלֵינוּ מַשֹּׂוֹי יוֹתֵר מִשִּׁעְבּוּד מִצְרַיִם, טוֹב לָנוּ תַּחַת מִצְרַיִם מִתַּחַת יֶדְכֶם, וּבִקְּשׁוּ לְסָקְלוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ (במדבר טז, ד): וַיִּשְׁמַע משֶׁה וַיִּפֹּל עַל פָּנָיו, אָמַר לָהֶם משֶׁה לֹא לִמְלוּכָה אֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ וְלֹא לְאַהֲרֹן אָחִי כְּהֻנָּה גְדוֹלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טז, יא): וְאַהֲרֹן מַה הוּא כִּי תַלִּינוּ עָלָיו. אָמַר משֶׁה רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם לֹא כָּךְ צִוִּיתָנִי (שמות כח, א): וְאַתָּה הַקְרֵב אֵלֶיךָ אֶת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאֶת בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ, וַהֲרֵי עוֹמְדִים כְּנֶגְדֵנוּ לְהָרְגֵנוּ, אָמַר (במדבר טז, ה): בֹּקֶר וְיֹדַע ה' אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ, מַהוּ כֵן, אָמַר רַבִּי נָתָן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִם נִתְקַבְּצוּ כָּל חַרְטֻמֵּי הָעוֹלָם וּבִקְשׁוּ לַהֲפֹךְ אֶת הַבֹּקֶר לְעֶרֶב לֹא יוּכְלוּ, וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהִבְדַּלְתִּי בֵּין אוֹר לְחשֶׁךְ כֵּן הִבְדַּלְתִּי אַהֲרֹן לְהַקְדִּישׁוֹ בְּקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים. מִיָּד (במדבר טז, יב): וַיִּשְׁלַח משֶׁה לִקְרֹא לְדָתָן וְלַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא נַעֲלֶה, לֹא נֵלֵךְ וְלֹא נָבוֹא אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא לֹא נַעֲלֶה, (משלי יח, ז): פִּי כְסִיל מְחִתָּה לוֹ פָּתְחוּ פִּיהֶם לְפֻרְעָנוּת, לוֹמַר שֶׁהֵן מֵתִין בִּירִידָה וְלֹא בַעֲלִיָּה, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָמְרוּ כָּךְ מֵתוּ (במדבר טז, לג): וַיֵּרְדוּ הֵם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה. אָמַר משֶׁה הוֹאִיל וְלֹא רָצוּ לֵילֵךְ אֶצְלִי אֲנִי אָבוֹא אֶצְלָם אוּלַי יִתְבַּיְשׁוּ וְיַחְזְרוּ בָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טז, כה): וַיָּקָם משֶׁה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם, כְּשֶׁרָאוּ אוֹתוֹ הִתְחִילוּ לְחָרֵף וּלְגַדֵּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טז, כז): וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם יָצְאוּ נִצָּבִים, וְכִי יוֹשְׁבִין אוֹ כּוֹרְעִים אוֹ נוֹפְלִים יוֹצְאִים בְּנֵי אָדָם, אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁיָּצְאוּ הֵן מְחָרְפִין וּמְגַדְּפִין, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן יְצִיאָה וְהַצָּבָה, וְנֶאֱמַר בְּגָלְיַת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי יְצִיאָה וְהַצָּבָה, דִּכְתִיב (שמואל א יז, ד טז): וַיֵּצֵא אִישׁ הַבֵּנַיִם וגו' וַיִּגַּשׁ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי הַשְׁכֵּם וְהַעֲרֵב וַיִּתְיַצֵּב אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, מַה יְּצִיאָה וְהַצָּבָה הָתָם בְּחֵרוּפִין וּבְגִדּוּפִין, אַף כָּאן בְּחֵרוּפִין וּבְגִדּוּפִין, לְפִיכָךְ פָּתַח משֶׁה וְאָמַר (במדבר טז, כט): אִם כְּמוֹת כָּל הָאָדָם יְמֻתוּן אֵלֶּה, (במדבר טז, לב): וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת פִּיהָ, בּוֹא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה קָשָׁה מַחֲלֹקֶת, שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹזֵר בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְאַבֵּד אֶת זִכְרוֹ, שֶׁכָּךְ כְּתִיב (במדבר טז, לה): וְאֵשׁ יָצְאָה מֵאֵת ה' וַתֹּאכַל אֵת הַחֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתַיִם אִישׁ. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה כַּמָּה קָשָׁה הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁבֵּית דִּין שֶׁל מַעְלָה אֵין קוֹנְסִים אֶלָּא מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה וּבֵית דִּין שֶׁל מַטָּה מִבֶּן שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, בְּמַחֲלָקְתּוֹ שֶׁל קֹרַח תִּינוֹקוֹת בֶּן יוֹמָן נִשְׂרְפוּ וְנִבְלְעוּ בִּשְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּית, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר טז, כז): וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וְטַפָּם (במדבר טז, לג): וַיֵּרְדוּ הֵם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה, לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח.
(4) 4 (Numb. 16:1) “Now Korah […] took”: [What] he took [was] his prayer shawl and he went to get counsel from his wife. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Numb. 8:6-7), “Take the Levites from among the Children of Israel and purify them. Now this is what you shall do for them to purify them […] and have them pass a razor over all of their flesh.” [Moses] immediately did so to Korah. [Korah] began to go around all Israel, but they did not recognize him. They said to him, “Who did this to you?” He told them, “Moses. And not only that, but taking me by my hands and by my feet, they waved me and said to me, ‘See, you are purified.’ Moreover, he brought his brother Aaron, adorned him like a bride, and had him sit in the tent of meeting.” The enemies of Moses immediately began to incite Israel against him. So they said, “Moses is king, his brother Aaron is high priest, and his children are deputy high priests! The priest has a priestly offering (terumah) from the tithe; the priest has twenty-four priestly gifts!” Immediately (in Numb. 16:3) “They gathered together against Moses and against Aaron, and they said unto them, [‘You have gone too far (rb)’.]” R. Levi said, “At that very time Korah gathered his company and said to them (i.e., to Moses and Aaron), ‘You have increased (rt.: rbh) the burden upon us to be more than the slavery of Egypt. We were better off under the Egyptians than under your authority. Now they wished to stone him. [Therefore] (according to vs. 4), “When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.” Moses said to them, “I do not desire kingship, nor does Aaron [desire] high priesthood. Thus it is stated (in vs. 11), “and as for Aaron, what is he that you should murmur against him?” Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, did you not command me thus (in Exod. 28:1), ‘And you shall bring near unto yourself Aaron [… to serve Me as priests]?’ Now they have arisen against us to kill us.” [So Moses] said to them (in Numb. 16:5), “In the morning the Lord will make known those who belong to Him….” What does this mean? R. Nathan said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘If all the magicians of the world gathered together and tried to turn the morning into the evening and the evening into morning, they would be unable [to do so]; but just as I [formerly] separated the light and the darkness (in Gen. 1:4), so have I separated out Aaron to sanctify him in the holy of holies.’” Immediately (in Numb. 16:12), “Then Moses sent to summon Dathan and Abiram…, but they said, ‘We will not come up.’” "We will not go" or "We will not come" is not written here, but “We will not come up.” (Prov. 18:17) “A fool's mouth is his ruin”: They opened their mouth for a calamity, by saying that they would die by going down and not going up. Just as they spoke, so did they die (according to Numb. 16:33), “So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol.” Moses said, “In as much as they did not want to come [to me], I shall go to them. Perhaps they will be ashamed and repent.” It is so stated (in Numb. 16:25), “Then Moses arose and went unto Dathan and Abiram.” When they saw him they began to curse and blaspheme, as stated (in vs. 27), “and Dathan and Abiram came out standing (rt.: ntsb).” Does one go out sitting, kneeling, or lying prostrate? It is simply [that it is to teach] that they went out cursing and blaspheming. As going out and standing upright (rt.: ytsb) is mentioned here, and going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) is [also] mentioned in reference to Goliath the Philistine, where it is written (in I Sam. 17:4, 16), “And there went out a champion [….] Then the Philistine drew near at dawn and in the evening, and he took his stand (rt.: ytsb) for forty days.” Just as going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) involved cursing and blaspheming in that case, so also in this case did going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) involve cursing and blaspheming. Moses therefore began by saying (in Numb. 16:29, 32), “If these [people] die….” [And it is also written] (in Numb. 16:32), “And the earth opened its mouth [and swallowed them].” Come and see how [harmful] dissension is! As anyone who [even] aids dissension, the Holy One, blessed be He, eradicates his memory. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 16:35), “And a fire went forth from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men [coffering the incense].” R. Berekhyah said, “How harmful is dissension! An emissary of the court on high only imposes a penalty [on people] from the age of twenty years, while the court below [only imposes a penalty] from the age of thirteen years. In the case of Korah's dissension, however, one-day-old babies were burned and swallowed up in nethermost Sheol. Thus it is written (in Numb. 16:27, 33), ‘[and Dathan and Abiram came out standing at the entrance of their tents] with their wives, their children, and their little ones. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol.’” It is therefore stated (Numb. 16:1), “Now Korah […] took.”