וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃
Lalu Yang Mahakekal berfirman kepada Musa dan Harun:
Midrash Tanchuma
(Numb. 16:15, cont.:) “And he said unto the Lord, ‘Pay no attention unto their meal offering.’” Do not accept them in repentance.32Numb. R. 18:10, cont. Scripture should have said, “Pay no attention unto their service"? What is the meaning of “their meal offering?” This is what Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, I know that these have a share in that meal offering that Israel offers every day. [But] in as much as these have withdrawn from Your children, do not pay attention to their portion. Let the fire leave it alone and not consume it.” (Numb. 16:15, cont.:) “I have not taken one donkey from them.” That which I had [a right] to take I did not take. By universal custom, one who works in the sanctuary receives wages from the sanctuary. [In my case, however,] when I went down from Midian to Egypt I had a right to take a donkey from them, since it was on behalf of their needs that I was going down [there]; but I did not take [one]. Similarly also did Samuel the righteous say (in I Sam. 12:3), “Here am I, testify against me before the Lord and before His anointed; whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken?” When I sacrificed an ox for their offerings to seek mercy for them and likewise for anointing a king over them, it belonged to me, as stated (in I Sam. 16:2), “Take a heifer with you […].” And similarly it says (in I Sam. 9:12), “because the people have a sacrifice today at the high place (bamah).” But I took nothing from what belonged to them. Also when I sought to handle their lawsuits and their [other] needs, and when I made the circuit of the cities, as stated (in I Sam. 7:16), “And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those places;” [although] by universal custom litigants go to the judge, I went around from city to city and from place to place.33The midrash is also making a point that he traveled on his own donkey. Now even Moses said to Israel (in Exod. 18:16), “When they have a matter, it comes unto me.” But I (Samuel) did not act in this way. Instead I took the trouble to go to them. (Numb. 16:15, cont.:) “’And I have not harmed a single one of them,’ in that I neither convicted the innocent nor acquitted the guilty.” When Moses saw that they continued in their pride and in their rebellious acts, then (according to Numb. 16:16-18) “Moses said unto Korah, ‘[Tomorrow] you and all your company [are to be present before the Lord: [you, they, and Aaron]; And let each one take his censer […].’ So each one took his censer.” Then Korah went about all that night and led Israel astray. Now he would say to them, “What do you suppose? That I am busy obtaining greatness for myself? I wish for greatness to go the rounds to all of us, while Moses has taken kingship for himself and has given the high priesthood to his brother Aaron as an eternal statute.” So did he go about seducing each and every tribe as it suited them, until they joined him. How is it shown that when they entered and approached, they were all speaking? It is so stated (Numb. 16:19), “And Korah gathered all the congregation against them.” When they entered and came with him, immediately (we read in Numb. 16:20–21), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘Separate yourselves from the midst of this evil congregation, [so that I may consume them in a moment].’” (Numb. 16:22:) “But they fell on their faces and said, ‘O God, the God of all human spirits, [shall one person sin and You become angry with the whole congregation]?’” They said to him,34Numb. R. 18:11. “Master of the world, in the case of a king, when a province rebels against him, when they persist in cursing the king or his deputies, ten or twenty of them, he sends out his legions35Lat.: legiones. and carries out reprisals36Gk.: androlempsia (=androlepsia). against it. So he kills the good with the evil, because he does not know who among them has rebelled and who has not rebelled, who has honored the king and who has cursed him. You, however, know the thoughts of every person, even what the hearts and the reins counsel. So You know who has sinned and who has not sinned, for You know the spirit of each and every person.” It is therefore stated (in Numb. 20:22), “O God, the God of all human spirits.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “You have spoken well. I am making the matter known, who has sinned and who has not sinned.”
Bamidbar Rabbah
“Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram, sons of Eliav and they said: We will not go up” (Numbers 16:12).
“Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram” – they, too, remained in their wickedness and did not bother to answer him. “They said: We will not go up” – the mouths of the wicked ones thwarted them, and a covenant is made with the lips, as they died and descended into the deepest abyss after they descended alive into the abyss.
“Is it not enough that you took us up from a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Will you also reign over us?” (Numbers 16:13).
“Is it not enough that you took us up…. Will you…reign over us?” On what basis do you elevate yourself over us? What favor have you performed for us? You took us out of Egypt, which is “like the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10), and into the land of Canaan you did not take us. Rather, we are in the wilderness and plague is rampant in our midst.
“Yet you did not take us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and give us an inheritance of field and vineyard; will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not go up” (Numbers 16:14).
“Moses was very incensed, and said to the Lord: Do not turn to their offering; not one donkey did I take from them, nor did I wrong any one of them” (Numbers 16:15).
“Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not go up. Moses was very incensed” – why? It is because a person who deliberates with another and argues, and he responds to him, he has satisfaction. But if he does not respond to him, he is aggrieved.
“Moses…said to the Lord: Do not turn to their offering” – do not accept them in repentance. The verse should have said: Do not turn to their service. What is “to their offering”? Thus Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, I know that these have a portion in that meal offering that they sacrificed, as it is stated: “Besides the daily offering and its meal offering” (Numbers 29:19), and it was of all of Israel that sacrificed. Since these withdrew from your children, do not look to their portion. Let the fire leave it and fail to consume it.’
“Not one donkey did I take from them” – even what was within my right to take, I did not take from them.15The midrash wonders: What is the great virtue of not taking an item that is not his? The way of the world is that a person who acts on behalf of the consecration, takes his wages from the consecration. But when I was descending from Midian to Egypt, it would have been within my rights to take a donkey from them, as I was descending for their purposes, but I did not take.16“Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on the donkey and they returned to the land of Egypt” (Exodus 4:20).
Likewise, the righteous Samuel said: ‘“Here I am; testify against me before the Lord, and before His anointed: Whose ox did I take? Whose donkey did I take?” (I Samuel 12:3). The ox that I would sacrifice on their behalf as an offering, and ask for mercy upon them, and likewise, to anoint a king over them; it was from my own, as it is stated: “Take a calf with you” (I Samuel 16:2). Likewise it says: “As there is a feast offering today for the people at the private altar” (I Samuel 9:12); I did not take from theirs.’
[Samuel said:] ‘When I would circulate, and see to their judgments and their needs, and I would circulate in all the cities of Israel, as it is stated: “He would go each and every year and make the rounds of Beit El, [Gilgal, and the Mitzpa, and he would judge Israel in all those places]” (I Samuel 7:16). The way of the world is that litigants go to the judge, but I would go and circulate from city to city and from place to place, and the donkey was mine.’ Likewise, Moses said: ‘“When they have a matter, it comes before me and I adjudicate” (Exodus 18:16), but I did not do so, but rather, I went to them. “Nor did I wrong one of them” – I did not find the innocent guilty, nor did I exonerate the guilty.’
“Moses said to Koraḥ: You and your entire congregation, be before the Lord: you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow” (Numbers 16:16).
When Moses saw they were steadfast in their haughtiness, he said to them: “You and your entire congregation…”
Koraḥ went that entire night and was misleadingIsrael and saying to them: ‘What, do you think that I am engaged in taking all this prominence for myself? I seek to have this prominence circulate among all of us, as Moses took the kingship for himself, and the High Priesthood, he gave to his brother.’ He would go and cajole each and every tribe in a manner appropriate for them, until they joined him. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Koraḥ assembled the entire congregation” (Numbers 16:19). They all approached, speaking as he did. Immediately, “the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation [that I may annihilate them in an instant.] They fell on their faces” (Numbers 16:20 –22).
“Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram” – they, too, remained in their wickedness and did not bother to answer him. “They said: We will not go up” – the mouths of the wicked ones thwarted them, and a covenant is made with the lips, as they died and descended into the deepest abyss after they descended alive into the abyss.
“Is it not enough that you took us up from a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Will you also reign over us?” (Numbers 16:13).
“Is it not enough that you took us up…. Will you…reign over us?” On what basis do you elevate yourself over us? What favor have you performed for us? You took us out of Egypt, which is “like the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10), and into the land of Canaan you did not take us. Rather, we are in the wilderness and plague is rampant in our midst.
“Yet you did not take us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and give us an inheritance of field and vineyard; will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not go up” (Numbers 16:14).
“Moses was very incensed, and said to the Lord: Do not turn to their offering; not one donkey did I take from them, nor did I wrong any one of them” (Numbers 16:15).
“Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not go up. Moses was very incensed” – why? It is because a person who deliberates with another and argues, and he responds to him, he has satisfaction. But if he does not respond to him, he is aggrieved.
“Moses…said to the Lord: Do not turn to their offering” – do not accept them in repentance. The verse should have said: Do not turn to their service. What is “to their offering”? Thus Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, I know that these have a portion in that meal offering that they sacrificed, as it is stated: “Besides the daily offering and its meal offering” (Numbers 29:19), and it was of all of Israel that sacrificed. Since these withdrew from your children, do not look to their portion. Let the fire leave it and fail to consume it.’
“Not one donkey did I take from them” – even what was within my right to take, I did not take from them.15The midrash wonders: What is the great virtue of not taking an item that is not his? The way of the world is that a person who acts on behalf of the consecration, takes his wages from the consecration. But when I was descending from Midian to Egypt, it would have been within my rights to take a donkey from them, as I was descending for their purposes, but I did not take.16“Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on the donkey and they returned to the land of Egypt” (Exodus 4:20).
Likewise, the righteous Samuel said: ‘“Here I am; testify against me before the Lord, and before His anointed: Whose ox did I take? Whose donkey did I take?” (I Samuel 12:3). The ox that I would sacrifice on their behalf as an offering, and ask for mercy upon them, and likewise, to anoint a king over them; it was from my own, as it is stated: “Take a calf with you” (I Samuel 16:2). Likewise it says: “As there is a feast offering today for the people at the private altar” (I Samuel 9:12); I did not take from theirs.’
[Samuel said:] ‘When I would circulate, and see to their judgments and their needs, and I would circulate in all the cities of Israel, as it is stated: “He would go each and every year and make the rounds of Beit El, [Gilgal, and the Mitzpa, and he would judge Israel in all those places]” (I Samuel 7:16). The way of the world is that litigants go to the judge, but I would go and circulate from city to city and from place to place, and the donkey was mine.’ Likewise, Moses said: ‘“When they have a matter, it comes before me and I adjudicate” (Exodus 18:16), but I did not do so, but rather, I went to them. “Nor did I wrong one of them” – I did not find the innocent guilty, nor did I exonerate the guilty.’
“Moses said to Koraḥ: You and your entire congregation, be before the Lord: you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow” (Numbers 16:16).
When Moses saw they were steadfast in their haughtiness, he said to them: “You and your entire congregation…”
Koraḥ went that entire night and was misleadingIsrael and saying to them: ‘What, do you think that I am engaged in taking all this prominence for myself? I seek to have this prominence circulate among all of us, as Moses took the kingship for himself, and the High Priesthood, he gave to his brother.’ He would go and cajole each and every tribe in a manner appropriate for them, until they joined him. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Koraḥ assembled the entire congregation” (Numbers 16:19). They all approached, speaking as he did. Immediately, “the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation [that I may annihilate them in an instant.] They fell on their faces” (Numbers 16:20 –22).
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Numb. 16:15, cont.:) <Moses continued:> I HAVE NOT TAKEN ONE DONKEY FROM THEM. That which I had a right to take I did not take. By universal custom, one who works in the sanctuary receives wages from the sanctuary.37See I Corinthians 9:13. <In my case, however,> when I went down from Midian to Egypt I had a right to take a donkey from them, since it was on behalf of their needs that I was going down <there>; but I did not take <one>. Similarly also did Samuel the Righteous say (in I Sam. 12:3): HERE AM I;38The translation follows the Masoretic Text. Buber’s HERE ARE WE is almost certainly in error. TESTIFY AGAINST ME BEFORE THE LORD AND BEFORE HIS ANOINTED. WHOSE OX HAVE I TAKEN? OR WHOSE DONKEY HAVE I TAKEN? When I sacrificed an ox for their offerings to seek mercy for them and likewise for anointing a king over them, it belonged to me, as stated (in I Sam. 16:2): TAKE A HEIFER WITH YOU…. And similarly it says (in I Sam. 9:12): BECAUSE THE PEOPLE HAVE A SACRIFICE TODAY AT THE HIGH PLACE. But I took nothing from what belonged to them. Also when I went back to handle their lawsuits and their <other> needs, and when I made the circuit of the cities, as stated (in I Sam. 7:16): AND HE WENT <ON A CIRCUIT> YEAR BY YEAR <TO BETHEL, GILGAL, AND MIZPAH; AND HE JUDGED ISRAEL IN ALL THOSE PLACES, although> by universal custom litigants go to the judge, I went around from city to city and from place to place.39The midrash is also making a point that he traveled on his own donkey. Now even Moses said to Israel (in Exod. 18:16): WHEN THEY HAVE A MATTER, IT COMES UNTO ME. But I (Samuel) did not act in this way. Instead I took the trouble to go to them. (Numb. 16:15, cont.:) AND I HAVE NOT HARMED A SINGLE ONE OF THEM, in that I neither convicted the innocent nor acquitted the guilty. When Moses saw that they continued in their pride and in their rebellious acts, THEN (according to Numb. 16:16–18) MOSES SAID UNTO KORAH: <TOMORROW> YOU AND ALL YOUR COMPANY <ARE TO BE PRESENT BEFORE THE LORD: YOU, THEY, AND AARON >; AND LET EACH ONE TAKE HIS CENSER…. SO EACH ONE TOOK HIS CENSER…. Then Korah went about all that night and led Israel astray. Now he would say to them: What do you suppose? That I am busy obtaining greatness for myself? I wish for greatness to go the rounds to all of us, while Moses has taken greatness for himself and has given the high priesthood to his brother Aaron as an eternal statute.40Below, Numb. 5a:2. So did he go about seducing each and every tribe as it suited him, until they took his side. How is it shown? Because when (according to vs. 19) they entered and came with him, immediately (we read in Numb. 16:20–22): THEN THE LORD SPOKE <UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON, SAYING>: SEPARATE YOURSELVES <FROM THE MIDST OF THIS CONGREGATION, SO THAT I MAY CONSUME THEM IN A MOMENT>. BUT THEY FELL ON THEIR FACES AND SAID: O GOD, THE GOD OF ALL HUMAN SPIRITS, <SHALL ONE PERSON SIN AND YOU BECOME ANGRY WITH THE WHOLE CONGREGATION>? They said to him:41Tanh., Numb. 5:7, cont.; Numb. R. 18:11. Sovereign of the World, in the case of a king, when a province rebels against him, when they persist in cursing the king or his deputies, ten or twenty of them, he sends out his legions42Lat.: legiones. and carries out reprisals43Gk.: androlempsia (=androlepsia). against it. So he kills the good with the evil, because he does not know who among them has rebelled and who has not rebelled, who has honored the king and who has cursed him. You, however, know the thoughts of every person, even what the hearts and the reins counsel. So you know who has sinned and who has not sinned, for you know the spirit of each and every person. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 20:22): O GOD, THE GOD OF ALL HUMAN SPIRITS. The Holy one said to them: You have spoken well. I am making the matter known, who has sinned and who has not sinned.