וַיֹּאמֶר֮ מֹשֶׁה֒ בְּזֹאת֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּן כִּֽי־יְהוָ֣ה שְׁלָחַ֔נִי לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשִׂ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה כִּי־לֹ֖א מִלִּבִּֽי׃
모세가 가로되 여호와께서 나를 보내사 이 모든 일을 행케 하신 것이요 나의 임의로 함이 아닌 줄을 이 일로 인하여 알리라
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Numb. 16:1:) NOW KORAH <BEN IZHAR BEN KOHATH BEN LEVI> BETOOK HIMSELF…. This text is related (to Prov. 18:19): A BROTHER OFFENDED IS MORE <FORMIDABLE> THAN A FORTIFIED CITY; <SUCH> CONTENTIONS ARE LIKE A CASTLE BAR. This <verse> teaches about Korah.6Numb. R. 18:14; cf. below, Numb. 5a:5. A BROTHER OFFENDED IS MORE <FORMIDABLE> THAN A FORTIFIED CITY. This is Korah when he rebelled against the Torah, because that is the fortified city (literally: city of strength ['oz]) of the Holy One, as stated (in Ps. 29:11): THE LORD WILL GRANT STRENGTH ('oz) TO HIS PEOPLE.7My student, Jonthan Reich, pointed out that Psalm 29 is traditionally recited when returning the Torah scroll to the ark during the Sabbath liturgy. Moreover, he started a quarrel with Moses, as stated (in Prov. 18:19, cont.): <SUCH> CONTENTIONS ARE LIKE A CASTLE BAR (beriah). What is the meaning of BAR (beriah)? That he removed him (as in Jonah 2:7 [6]) TO THE LAND WHERE ITS BARS (beriheha) CLOSED UPON him. And what caused him to come to all this disgrace? Simply the fact that he sided against Moses and Aaron. But what did he say? See what the son of Amram did! He gave the priesthood to his brother Aaron and took the kingship for himself,8Above, Numb. 5:19. while he made him (i.e., Korah) {a porter} a common laborer,9Gk.: ergates. as stated (in Numb. 7:9): <BUT TO THE CHILDREN OF KOHATH HE GAVE NO WAGONS>, BECAUSE THEY HAD THE SERVICE OF THE HOLY OBJECTS, WHICH THEY CARRIED ON THEIR SHOULDERS.10Thus Korah and the Levites carried the Ark. Also one carries the Torah scroll on the shoulder during the liturgy. When he was carrying the Ark, he began to take issue with them and say: Moses is no prophet, Aaron is no high priest, and Torah has not been given from the heavens. When Moses heard that, he began to go to the Holy One. He said to him: I will overlook my own insult and Aaron's insult, but for the insult to Torah I do make a claim, as stated (in Numb. 16:28): BY THIS YOU MAY KNOW THAT THE LORD HAS SENT ME…. <IF THESE DIE A NATURAL DEATH …, THE LORD DID NOT SEND ME.> Now THIS can only refer to Torah, since it is stated (in Deut. 4:44): AND THIS IS THE TORAH WHICH MOSES SET < BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>. It is comparable11Above, Numb. 5:22; Numb. R. 18:12. to the shoshbin12I.e., the bridal agent who guarded her interests at the consummation of the marriage. of a king's daughter, who asked a bene ficium [which should be read <as a single word,> <beneficium>]13The word is Latin and means “favor”; cf. Gk.: benepfikion. from the king. He said to the King: If you do not seek my bene ficium [which should be read <as a single word>, beneficium], I also shall say that your daughter did not have virginity. Similarly did Moses say to the Holy One: If those die <natural deaths> on their beds, just as all humans <normally> die, with the physicians coming to visit them according to the custom that all the sick are visited, I also will make a denial and say: Surely no Torah has been given from the heavens. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 16:29): IF THESE DIE A NATURAL DEATH …, <THE LORD DID NOT SEND ME.>
Midrash Tanchuma
(Numb. 16:23–24:) “And the Lord spoke […], ‘Speak unto the congregation, saying, “Get away from about [the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram].”’” Although Moses heard it from the mouth of the Almighty,37Numb. R. 18:12. he did not tell them to get away until he had gone and warned them, as stated (in vs. 25), “Then Moses arose and went unto Dathan and Abiram.” [This serves] to make their wickedness known, for although Moses went to them on foot, the[se] wicked ones were too stubborn to make amends. What did they do? They were unwilling to come out of their tents to face him. When Moses saw this, he said, “This much [only] it was incumbent upon me to do.” Immediately (in Numb. 16:26) “And he spoke to the congregation, ‘Please move away from [the tents of these wicked people.]’” Our masters have taught: Four [types of people] are called wicked:38Numb. R. 18:12, cont.; cf. PRK 30 (p.190b in Buber text; “Additional Piska” 28:2 in Braude’s translation). The one who extends his hand against his companion to strike him. Even though he did not [actually] strike him, he is called wicked, as stated (in Exod. 2:13), “so he said to the wicked one, ‘Why would you strike39The midrash understands the verb in accord with post-biblical usage and is stressing the fact that the tense is future. So also Sanh. 58b; Rashi on Exod.2:13. your comrade?’” "Did you strike," is not stated here, but “would you strike.” The one who borrows and does not repay, as stated (in Ps. 37:21), “The wicked person borrows but does not repay.”40Avot 2:9. The one who has an insolent face but does not feel shame from someone greater than himself, as stated (Prov. 21:29), “A wicked person puts on a brazen face.” And the one who is the author of dissension, as stated (in Numb. 16:26), “Please move away from the tents of these wicked men.”
Now two [of these traits] were in Dathan and Abiram, [i.e.,] an insolent face and dissension (mhlqt). Mhlqt ("dissension") is interpreted through its letters. M is for marah ("bitter"); h is for haron ("anger"); l is for lokin ("lash"); q is for qelalah ("curse"); and t is for to'evah ("abomination"). But some say [that t stands for] takhlit ("end"), [since dissension] brings annihilation to the world. (Numb. 16:27:) “So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.” When they saw this, how Israel had moved away from round about them, they came out cursing and blaspheming, as stated (ibid., cont.), “[they] came out standing (rt.: ntsb).” Now [it is stated] elsewhere (in I Sam. 17:16), “Then the Philistine drew near at dawn and in the evening; and he took his stand (rt.: ytsb) for forty days.”41On Goliath reviling Israel, see I Sam. 17:8-10. Moses began by saying, as it is written (in Numb. 16:28-29), “And Moses said, ‘By this you may know that the Lord has sent me…. If these die like the death of every man.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the shoshbin42I.e., the bridal agent who guarded her interests at the consummation of the marriage. of a king's daughter in whose hands lay the testimonials of her [virginity]. When one of the banqueters stood up before him and cursed the shoshbin and said, “The king's daughter has no virginity”; the shoshbin arose in the presence of the king and said to him, “If you do not have this person brought out in order to execute him in everyone's presence, I shall say, ‘Of course the king's daughter has no virginity.’” Immediately the king said, “It is better for me to kill this person, so that the shoshbin will not give out a bad name concerning my daughter.” Similarly Korah contended with Moses and said, “It was in his own heart and on his own that Moses had said all these things.” He began by saying (in Numb. 16:28-29), “’By this you may know that the Lord has sent me […]. If these die like the death of every man,’ then I also am saying (ibid., cont.), ‘the Lord did not send me,’ and I have spoken from my own heart.”
Now two [of these traits] were in Dathan and Abiram, [i.e.,] an insolent face and dissension (mhlqt). Mhlqt ("dissension") is interpreted through its letters. M is for marah ("bitter"); h is for haron ("anger"); l is for lokin ("lash"); q is for qelalah ("curse"); and t is for to'evah ("abomination"). But some say [that t stands for] takhlit ("end"), [since dissension] brings annihilation to the world. (Numb. 16:27:) “So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.” When they saw this, how Israel had moved away from round about them, they came out cursing and blaspheming, as stated (ibid., cont.), “[they] came out standing (rt.: ntsb).” Now [it is stated] elsewhere (in I Sam. 17:16), “Then the Philistine drew near at dawn and in the evening; and he took his stand (rt.: ytsb) for forty days.”41On Goliath reviling Israel, see I Sam. 17:8-10. Moses began by saying, as it is written (in Numb. 16:28-29), “And Moses said, ‘By this you may know that the Lord has sent me…. If these die like the death of every man.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the shoshbin42I.e., the bridal agent who guarded her interests at the consummation of the marriage. of a king's daughter in whose hands lay the testimonials of her [virginity]. When one of the banqueters stood up before him and cursed the shoshbin and said, “The king's daughter has no virginity”; the shoshbin arose in the presence of the king and said to him, “If you do not have this person brought out in order to execute him in everyone's presence, I shall say, ‘Of course the king's daughter has no virginity.’” Immediately the king said, “It is better for me to kill this person, so that the shoshbin will not give out a bad name concerning my daughter.” Similarly Korah contended with Moses and said, “It was in his own heart and on his own that Moses had said all these things.” He began by saying (in Numb. 16:28-29), “’By this you may know that the Lord has sent me […]. If these die like the death of every man,’ then I also am saying (ibid., cont.), ‘the Lord did not send me,’ and I have spoken from my own heart.”
Bamidbar Rabbah
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying” (Numbers 16:23)
“Speak to the congregation, saying: Withdraw from around the dwellings of Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram” (Numbers 16:24).
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying…Withdraw from around the dwellings of Koraḥ” – although Moses heard it directly from the Omnipotent, he did not say to them: “Withdraw” until he went and forewarned them, as it is stated: “Moses arose and went to Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 16:25). This was to make known the extent of their wickedness as, although he went on foot to them, it is difficult to placate these wicked ones. What did they do? They did not wish to come out on their ownto confront him. When Moses saw this, he said: ‘It was incumbent upon me to go this far.’
“He spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart now, away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that is theirs, lest you be destroyed for all their sins” (Numbers 16:26).
“He spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart now, away from the tents of these wicked men” – our Rabbis taught: Four are characterized as wicked: One who extends his hand toward another to strike him, even though he did not strike him, is characterized as wicked, as it is stated: “He said to the wicked one: Why do you strike your counterpart” (Exodus 2:13). “Did you strike” is not written, but rather, “do you strike [takeh].”17The word takeh is in the future tense. One who borrows but does not pay, as it is stated: “Wicked is one who borrows and does not repay; righteous is one who is gracious and gives” (Psalms 37:21). One who has insolence, and is not ashamed in the presence of one who is greater than he, as it is stated: “The wicked man is insolent before him, but the upright discerns his way” (Proverbs 21:29). And one who is a disputant, as it is stated: “Depart now away from the tents of these wicked men.” Two of them [wicked characteristics] were in Datan and Aviram, insolence and dispute [maḥloket]. Maḥloket: mem – maka [smiting]; ḥet – ḥaron [fury]; lamed – likui [punishment]; kof – kelala [curse]; tav – to’eva [abomination]. Some say, takhlit [end], as it brings extermination to the world.
“They withdrew from around the dwelling of Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram, and Datan and Aviram emerged and stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, and their children, and their infants” (Numbers 16:27).
“They withdrew from around the dwelling of Koraḥ” – when they saw that Israel had departed from around them, they emerged cursing and blaspheming, as it is stated: “Datan and Aviram emerged standing” (Numbers 16:27), and elsewhere it is written: “The Philistine approached every morning and evening and stood for forty days” (I Samuel 17:16).18See above, Bemidbar Rabba 16:4.
“Moses said: With this you will know that the Lord has sent me to perform all these actions, as it is not from my heart” (Numbers 16:28).
“If these die like the death of all people, and the destiny of all people will be visited upon them, the Lord has not sent Me” (Numbers 16:29).
“Moses said: With this you will know that the Lord has sent me…. If these die like the death of all people” – to what is this matter comparable? It is to the patron of a king’s daughter, who had her proof in his possession.19He kept the proof that she had been a virgin before her wedding night – a sheet with blood on it. One of the guests stood and cursed the groomsman and alleged that the king’s daughter had not been a virgin.20On her wedding night. The patron stood and confronted the king: 'If you do not demand that retribution be exacted, and you do not take this one out and put him to death before everyone, I, too, will say that, apparently, the king’s daughter had not been a virgin.’ The king immediately said: ‘It is preferable for me to put this one to death and not have the patron disseminating slander about my daughter.’
So, Koraḥ entered into a dispute with Moses and said: ‘From his heart and at his initiative, Moses said all these matters.’ Moses began and said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘If these die in their beds in the manner that people die, and the doctors enter and visit them in the manner that all the ill are visited, I, too, will deny and say: “The Lord did not send me” (Numbers 16:29), and I fabricated it in my heart.’ This is one of three prophets who spoke in this style: Elijah, Mikhaihu, and Moses. Elijah said: “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today it will be known that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and at Your word I performed all these matters. Answer me, Lord, answer me, and this people will know that You, Lord, are God, and it is You who have turned their heart back” (I Kings 18:36–37). ‘If you do not answer my plea, I will say: It is You who turned their hearts back.’
Likewise, Mikhaihu said to Ahab: “If you return in peace” (I Kings 22:28), I, too, say: “The Lord did not speak through me” (I Kings 22:28).
“But if the Lord creates a creation, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that is theirs, and they descend alive into the abyss, you shall know that these people have scorned the Lord” (Numbers 16:30).
Likewise, Moses: “If these die like the death of all people…” The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘What do you seek?’ He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, “but if...a creation” – if You created a mouth to the earth, that is excellent; but if not, “the Lord creates [yivra]” – let Him create [yivra] it a mouth now.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “You decide something, and He will fulfill it for you, and light will shine upon your ways” (Job 22:28).
“Speak to the congregation, saying: Withdraw from around the dwellings of Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram” (Numbers 16:24).
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying…Withdraw from around the dwellings of Koraḥ” – although Moses heard it directly from the Omnipotent, he did not say to them: “Withdraw” until he went and forewarned them, as it is stated: “Moses arose and went to Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 16:25). This was to make known the extent of their wickedness as, although he went on foot to them, it is difficult to placate these wicked ones. What did they do? They did not wish to come out on their own
“He spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart now, away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that is theirs, lest you be destroyed for all their sins” (Numbers 16:26).
“He spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart now, away from the tents of these wicked men” – our Rabbis taught: Four are characterized as wicked: One who extends his hand toward another to strike him, even though he did not strike him, is characterized as wicked, as it is stated: “He said to the wicked one: Why do you strike your counterpart” (Exodus 2:13). “Did you strike” is not written, but rather, “do you strike [takeh].”17The word takeh is in the future tense. One who borrows but does not pay, as it is stated: “Wicked is one who borrows and does not repay; righteous is one who is gracious and gives” (Psalms 37:21). One who has insolence, and is not ashamed in the presence of one who is greater than he, as it is stated: “The wicked man is insolent before him, but the upright discerns his way” (Proverbs 21:29). And one who is a disputant, as it is stated: “Depart now away from the tents of these wicked men.” Two of them [wicked characteristics] were in Datan and Aviram, insolence and dispute [maḥloket]. Maḥloket: mem – maka [smiting]; ḥet – ḥaron [fury]; lamed – likui [punishment]; kof – kelala [curse]; tav – to’eva [abomination]. Some say, takhlit [end], as it brings extermination to the world.
“They withdrew from around the dwelling of Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram, and Datan and Aviram emerged and stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, and their children, and their infants” (Numbers 16:27).
“They withdrew from around the dwelling of Koraḥ” – when they saw that Israel had departed from around them, they emerged cursing and blaspheming, as it is stated: “Datan and Aviram emerged standing” (Numbers 16:27), and elsewhere it is written: “The Philistine approached every morning and evening and stood for forty days” (I Samuel 17:16).18See above, Bemidbar Rabba 16:4.
“Moses said: With this you will know that the Lord has sent me to perform all these actions, as it is not from my heart” (Numbers 16:28).
“If these die like the death of all people, and the destiny of all people will be visited upon them, the Lord has not sent Me” (Numbers 16:29).
“Moses said: With this you will know that the Lord has sent me…. If these die like the death of all people” – to what is this matter comparable? It is to the patron of a king’s daughter, who had her proof in his possession.19He kept the proof that she had been a virgin before her wedding night – a sheet with blood on it. One of the guests stood and cursed the groomsman and alleged that the king’s daughter had not been a virgin.20On her wedding night. The patron stood and confronted the king: 'If you do not demand that retribution be exacted, and you do not take this one out and put him to death before everyone, I, too, will say that, apparently, the king’s daughter had not been a virgin.’ The king immediately said: ‘It is preferable for me to put this one to death and not have the patron disseminating slander about my daughter.’
So, Koraḥ entered into a dispute with Moses and said: ‘From his heart and at his initiative, Moses said all these matters.’ Moses began and said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘If these die in their beds in the manner that people die, and the doctors enter and visit them in the manner that all the ill are visited, I, too, will deny and say: “The Lord did not send me” (Numbers 16:29), and I fabricated it in my heart.’ This is one of three prophets who spoke in this style: Elijah, Mikhaihu, and Moses. Elijah said: “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today it will be known that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and at Your word I performed all these matters. Answer me, Lord, answer me, and this people will know that You, Lord, are God, and it is You who have turned their heart back” (I Kings 18:36–37). ‘If you do not answer my plea, I will say: It is You who turned their hearts back.’
Likewise, Mikhaihu said to Ahab: “If you return in peace” (I Kings 22:28), I, too, say: “The Lord did not speak through me” (I Kings 22:28).
“But if the Lord creates a creation, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that is theirs, and they descend alive into the abyss, you shall know that these people have scorned the Lord” (Numbers 16:30).
Likewise, Moses: “If these die like the death of all people…” The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘What do you seek?’ He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, “but if...a creation” – if You created a mouth to the earth, that is excellent; but if not, “the Lord creates [yivra]” – let Him create [yivra] it a mouth now.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “You decide something, and He will fulfill it for you, and light will shine upon your ways” (Job 22:28).