Midras Bilangan 16:22: Sifra, Vayikra Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma & Shir HaShirim Rabbah

1) (Midbar [desert] is mentioned three times in this section:) 15:10, Bamidbar 16:21, and Bamidbar 16:22 — to include (the [sending away to the] desert requirement for the sanctuaries of) Nov, Givon, Shiloh, and the Temple.

Ḥizkiya taught: “Israel are scattered sheep” (Jeremiah 50:17). Israel is likened to sheep. Just as, if a sheep is struck on its head or one of its limbs all its limbs feel it, so it is with Israel; one of them sins and all of them feel it. “Shall one man sin, [and You will rage against the entire congregation?]” (Numbers 16:22). Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai taught: This is analogous to people who were sitting in a ship. One of them took a drill and began drilling a hole. His counterparts said to him: ‘What are you sitting and doing?’ He said to them: ‘Why do you care? Am I not drilling under myself?’ They said to him: ‘Because the water will rise and flood the ship we are on!’ So too, Job said: “If indeed I erred, with me my error rests” (Job 19:4). His counterparts said to him: “For he adds transgression to his sin, he extends [yispok] among us” (Job 34:37); you extend your iniquities among us.
Rabbi Elasa said: A certain gentile asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa: ‘It is written in your Torah: “Incline after the majority” (Exodus 23:2). We are more numerous than you are. Why do you not become like us regarding idol worship?’ He said to him: ‘Do you have children?’ He said to him: ‘You have reminded me of my troubles.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said to him: ‘I have many children. When they sit at my table, this one prays to the god of so and so and that one prays to the god of so and so, and they do not leave until each of them has cracked the skull of the other.’ He said to him: ‘Do you bring them to uniformity?’ He said to him: ‘No.’ He said to him: Before you get us to become [like you], go and bring your children to uniformity.’ He hurriedly went on his way.
When he left, his disciples said to him: ‘Rabbi, you rebuffed this one with a broken reed.²³It was not a particularly strong response to his question. What do you respond to us?’ He said to them: ‘Regarding Esau, six people are mentioned in the verse, and [the term] written about them is “souls” in plural, as it is written: “Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the souls [nafshot] of his household” (Genesis 36:6). Regarding Jacob, seventy people [are mentioned in the verses], and [the term] written about them is “soul” in the singular, as it is written: “All the souls [hanefesh] who emerged from Jacob's loins were seventy souls [nefesh] and Joseph was in Egypt” (Exodus 1:5). It is, rather, that Esau worshipped multiple gods, and therefore multiple souls are written in his regard. But Jacob worshipped one god, so one nefesh is written in his regard: “All the souls [hanefesh]…were.”

(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.”