Commento su Numeri 16:19

ויקהל עליהם קרח AND KORAH CONVENED [ALL THE CONGREGATION] AGAINST THEM, by means of scoffing language: that whole night he went round to all the tribes and tried to win them over: “Do you really think that I care for myself alone? It is only for all of you that I have a care! These men come and occupy every high office: royal rank for himself, for his brother the priesthood!” — until in the end all of them submitted to his persuasion (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 7).

AND KORACH ASSEMBLED ALL THE CONGREGATION AGAINST THEM.¹³²Verse 19. The meaning of [the phrase “all the congregation” is] the leading men of all tribes, who are always summoned [as the congregation’s representatives] unto the door of the Tent of Meeting, or [it may refer to] the firstborn of all Israel who were [originally] eligible for the service [of the offerings]. Scripture does not mention [that Korach assembled] “the people,” [a phrase which it uses in the incidents of the [golden] calf¹³³Exodus 32:9: I have seen ‘this people’ … and the spies,¹³⁴Above, 14:11: How long will ‘this people’ despise Me? for if all Israel were guilty [here in the rebellion of Korach] He would have said: “that I may consume them in a moment¹³⁵Verse 21 before us. — and will make thee a nation.”¹³⁶Above, 14:12. This is the phrase used in the case of the spies, where all the people sinned, and G-d wanted to destroy them and form a new nation from Moses. Since it is not used here, it implies that He did not want to direct His punishment to the whole congregation. Now all that I have mentioned [above] about the firstborn is in accordance with the explanation of our Rabbis, who say¹³⁷Zebachim 112b. See above, Note 22. that the service [of the offerings before the building of the Tabernacle] was performed by the firstborn. But according to the plain meaning of Scripture, all the Israelites [without exception] were at first eligible for the service of the offerings, for such is [indeed] always the law with respect to a High Place of an individual,¹³⁸In the period when it was permitted to bring offerings on High Places, i.e., during the fourteen years of the conquest and division of the Land, [when they had not yet built the Sanctuary at Shiloh], and after the destruction of that Sanctuary until the building of the Sanctuary in Jerusalem, there were two kinds of High Places: those of a private individual, where any Israelite could perform the service, and a public one for the whole congregation of Israel — for example, the one at Nob, and later on at Gibeon. The Passover-offering could only be brought at the public High Place, and the service there was only valid if performed by a priest (Zebachim 119b-120 a-b). See also (Leviticus), Volume III, p. 123, Note 122. and Aaron was chosen for the Service in the Tabernacle and Sanctuary. Korach thus was protesting against this selection [of Aaron alone], and wanted to restore the service [of the offerings] to all the Israelites, seeing all the congregation are holy.¹³⁹Above, Verse 3.

ויקהל עליהם קרח, Korach assembled against them, etc. This tells us that these people did not voluntarily assemble against Moses but only after Korach had put heavy pressure on them to do so. Accordingly, the Torah reports something here that is favourable for this whole congregation of 250 men. On the other hand, the words ויקהל עליהם may only provide the background to the command by G'd in verse 20 to separate themselves from this congregation in order that G'd could destroy them simultaneously and at once. The verse would provide the answer to the people who questioned why the animals had to perish along with their masters. What sin had the animals committed? To this the Torah answered that seeing the animals had obeyed Korach they were considered as if they had been supporters of his.

ויקהל עליהם קרח את כל העדה, “Korach assembled (on the following morning) the whole congregation (all the people)” Nachmanides claims that this phrase cannot be understood at face value, as if indeed Korach had succeeded in rousing the entire people into this confrontation we are faced with a dilemma. How could Moses respond to G’d’s threat to wipe out all the people instantly by saying “if one man sins should the whole people pay the penalty” unless the people had been innocent bystanders? (Verse 22) If G’d had indeed meant to wipe out the whole people, He would have concluded as He had at the time of the golden calf, by saying to Moses that He would found a new Jewish people whose patriarch Moses would become. The words כל העדה in our verse therefore must refer to all of the people’s dignitaries, i.e. they represented the people as a whole. Whatever I have mentioned about the subject of the firstborn, is based on the approach to our portion by our sages of old, who were convinced that the Temple service was the domain of the firstborn prior to the sin of the golden calf If we were to follow the plain meaning of the text, the פשט, originally any Israelite was acceptable for performing sacrificial service in the Tabernacle, something that was the practice during all the many years that private altars were acceptable for presenting offerings to G’d. Aaron’s special privileges extended only to his performing the sacrificial service within the area of the Tabernacle. Korach’s objection concerned this special privilege accorded Aaron, and he wanted that every Israelite would share in that privilege seeing that he claimed that they were all holy.

ויקהל עליהם קרח, “Korach gathered against them, etc.” The firstborn all agreed with Korach’s accusation that Moses had disqualified the firstborn from performing ritual sacrifices, whereas the members of the tribe of Levi agreed with him that they had become subservient to Aaron and his sons at Moses’ bidding. Our sages explain that Korach had said to them: “look at what the son of Amram has done to you! Whereas by rights Reuven is the firstborn of the tribes of Israel, Moses appointed Nachshon the prince of the tribe of Yehudah to offer the first of the inaugural sacrifices in the Tabernacle instead!” These kinds of arguments won Korach sympathy among large segments of the people until the Torah could report that Korach managed to assemble the whole community in a confrontation with Moses. This demonstrates the power of a single sinful individual to cause the whole people to become sinners themselves. This was a demonstration of the far-reaching negative influence exerted by people who engage in לשון הרע, badmouthing others.

With mockery. For if not so, how could he have congregated all of Yisroel against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting? Surely only Korach, Dasan and Aviram and the two hundred fifty men were involved in the dispute. If the congregation were in the dispute from the beginning they would have also gathered against Moshe and Aharon. Rather, one must say that only on that night he enticed them with mockery.

V. 19. ויקהל וגו׳. So sicher fühlte sich Korach, so völlig untergegangen muss bei ihm der Gedanke an die Wahrhaftigkeit der hier in Frage stehenden Gottesbeziehungen gewesen sein, dass er selbst im Momente der so verhängnisvollen Entscheidung das ganze Volk zu Teilnehmern seines Streites und zu Zeugen seines Triumphes herbeirief. Es müsste denn sein, dass er durch Massengewalt, ohne die göttliche Intervention abzuwarten, seinen Willen durchzusetzen die Absicht hatte. Jedenfalls war dieser Volkszusammenlauf gegen Mosche und Aharon gerichtet und trat, wer kam, damit auf Korachs Seite.

וירא כבוד ה׳ AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED [UNTO ALL THE CONGREGATION] — He came in a pillar of cloud.

He came in a pillar of cloud. Rashi is answering the question: Was the Glory of Hashem not constantly over the Mishkon? Re’m explains that this does not mean that He caused the Divine Presence to rest upon them, because surely He said “Separate yourselves from among this congregation…” (v. 21).

וירא כבוד השם The glory of the Lord appeared, etc. The entire congregation experienced this glory of the Lord in order that they would recognise that it was G'd Himself who carried out this judgment and that only He decides who is worthy to serve Him in the capacity of a priest.