וּקְח֣וּ ׀ אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וּנְתַתֶּ֤ם עֲלֵיהֶם֙ קְטֹ֔רֶת וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֞ם לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֔וֹ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתַ֖יִם מַחְתֹּ֑ת וְאַתָּ֥ה וְאַהֲרֹ֖ן אִ֥ישׁ מַחְתָּתֽוֹ׃
너희는 각기 향로를 잡고 그 위에 향을 두고 각 사람이 그 향로를 여호와 앞으로 가져오라 향로는 모두 이백오십 이라 너와 아론도 각각 향로를 가지고 올지니라
Midrash Tanchuma
(Numb. 16:31:) “Then it came to pass, as soon as he had finished speaking […, that the ground under them was split apart].” [This is] to teach you He causes retribution to spring up from any place that He wants.43Numb. R. 18:19. (Numb. 16:33:): “So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol.” Some say they are alive and being punished up to the present. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the earth closed over them.” They perished but not their offices; indeed, other leaders were appointed in their stead. (Numb. 16:34:) “Then all Israel, since they were round about them, fled at their cry”; since they cried out to Moses, “Moses our master, save us!” (Numb. 16:35:) “And a fire went forth from the Lord [and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense].” These had been swallowed up, but those were burned; and Korah stood among those who were burned, as Moses had said (in Numb. 16:17), “you also and Aaron, each his censer.” Moreover, Korah received more [punishment] than all of them, in that he was [both] burned and swallowed up. And why were both sentences carried out against him? Because if he had been burned but not swallowed up, those who were swallowed up would have complained and said that though only Korah had brought retribution upon them, here they were being swallowed up while he escaped. But if he had been swallowed up and not burned, those who were burned would have complained and said, “Although only Korah brought this retribution upon us, here we are burned while he escaped.” For that reason he was condemned to both deaths. First in the sight of all who were being burned, he was set ablaze; in his hand was the censer with the incense in it, and [then] the fire rolled him up like a ball.44Numb. R. 18:19. And the fire rolled him along until it brought him to the mouth of the earth among those being swallowed up, as stated (in Numb. 16:32), “And the earth opened its mouth.”
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).
Bamidbar Rabbah
“It was, as he concluded speaking all these words, the ground that was beneath them split” (Numbers 16:31) – to teach you that the Holy One blessed be He causes punishments to develop from any place that He chooses.
“They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss, and the earth covered them, and they were lost from the midst of the assembly” (Numbers 16:33).
“Alive into the abyss” – some say that they live and endure to this day.
“Covered them” – they were eliminated, but not their positions of authority, as others were appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds.
“All Israel that were around them fled due to their sound, as they said: Lest the earth swallow us” (Numbers 16:34).
“All Israel…fled due to their sound” – as they were screaming with their voices: ‘Moses our teacher, save us!’
“Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, the presenters of the incense” (Numbers 16:35).
“Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, the presenters of the incense” – these were swallowed and those were consumed, and Koraḥ was standing among the consumed, as Moses said: “And you and Aaron, each his firepan” (Numbers 16:17). Koraḥ was stricken more that all of them, as he was consumed and swallowed. Why were two sentences executed upon him? It is because had he been consumed and not swallowed, the swallowed would have protested that is was none other than Koraḥ who brought this punishment upon them, and they are swallowed and he is spared? Had he been swallowed and not consumed, the consumed would have protested that is was none other than Koraḥ who brought this punishment upon them, and they were consumed and he was spared? That is why he was sentenced to two deaths. The fire first blazed before the eyes of the consumed, in whose hands were the firepan and the incense that was in it. The fire folded him into a ball and the fire rolled him until it brought him to the mouth of the earth with the swallowed, as it is stated: “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, and their households, and all the people who were with Koraḥ, and all the property” (Numbers 16:32).
“They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss, and the earth covered them, and they were lost from the midst of the assembly” (Numbers 16:33).
“Alive into the abyss” – some say that they live and endure to this day.
“Covered them” – they were eliminated, but not their positions of authority, as others were appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds.
“All Israel that were around them fled due to their sound, as they said: Lest the earth swallow us” (Numbers 16:34).
“All Israel…fled due to their sound” – as they were screaming with their voices: ‘Moses our teacher, save us!’
“Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, the presenters of the incense” (Numbers 16:35).
“Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, the presenters of the incense” – these were swallowed and those were consumed, and Koraḥ was standing among the consumed, as Moses said: “And you and Aaron, each his firepan” (Numbers 16:17). Koraḥ was stricken more that all of them, as he was consumed and swallowed. Why were two sentences executed upon him? It is because had he been consumed and not swallowed, the swallowed would have protested that is was none other than Koraḥ who brought this punishment upon them, and they are swallowed and he is spared? Had he been swallowed and not consumed, the consumed would have protested that is was none other than Koraḥ who brought this punishment upon them, and they were consumed and he was spared? That is why he was sentenced to two deaths. The fire first blazed before the eyes of the consumed, in whose hands were the firepan and the incense that was in it. The fire folded him into a ball and the fire rolled him until it brought him to the mouth of the earth with the swallowed, as it is stated: “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, and their households, and all the people who were with Koraḥ, and all the property” (Numbers 16:32).