민수기 16:19의 미드라쉬

(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 [But] in as much as these have withdrawn from Your children, do not pay attention to their portion.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.”

(Numb. 16:19): AND KORAH GATHERED <THE WHOLE COMMUNITY> AGAINST THEM. He said to them (in Numb. 16:3): <YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR,> FOR ALL THE CONGREGATION ARE HOLY, EVERY ONE OF THEM, [AND THE LORD IS IN THE MIDST OF THEM].²¹Tanh., Numb. 5:4, cont.; Numb.R. 18:6. Moreover, every one of them heard on Sinai (in Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6): I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. (Numb. 16:3, cont.:) SO WHY DO YOU ELEVATE YOURSELVES? Immediately Moses trembled, because it was already the fourth transgression on their hands. It is comparable to a king's son who had transgressed against his father. Now his friend effected a reconciliation with him once,²²Rt.: PSY. See the Gk.: peithein, peisai in the aorist. twice, and three times. When he transgressed a fourth time, the king's friend became discouraged. He said: How many times shall I bother the king. So also <it was with> Moses. They had sinned with the calf, AND (according to Exod. 32:11) MOSES IMPLORED <THE LORD HIS GOD>. In the case of the murmurers, (according to Numb. 11:2) MOSES PRAYED UNTO THE LORD. [In the case of the spies, (according to Numb. 14:13): MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD:] WHEN THE EGYPTIANS HEAR <WHAT HAPPENED>….: In the case of Korah's dissension, he became discouraged. He said: How often can I bother the Omnipresent? Therefore (in Numb. 16:4): WHEN MOSES HEARD THIS, HE FELL ON HIS FACE.

6 (Numb. 16:19) “And Korah gathered [the whole community] against them”: He said to them (in Numb. 16:3), “’You have gone too far, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them.’ Moreover, every one of them heard on Sinai (in Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6), ‘I am the Lord your God.’ (Numb. 16:3, cont.,) ‘So why do you elevate yourselves?’” If only you had heard, and they did not hear, you could have said [that you are more worthy]. But now they all heard, “so why do you elevate [yourselves]?” Immediately Moses trembled, because it was already the fourth transgression on their hands. It is comparable to a king's son who had transgressed against his father. Now his friend effected a reconciliation with him once,¹⁶Rt.: PSY. See the Gk.: peithein, peisai in the aorist. twice, and three times. When he transgressed a fourth time, the king's friend became discouraged. He said, “How many times shall I bother the king?” So also [it was with] Moses towards Israel. They had sinned with the calf, and (according to Exod. 32:11,) “Moses implored.” In the case of the murmurers, (according to Numb. 11:2,) “Moses prayed.” In the case of the spies, (according to Numb. 14:13,) “Moses said unto the Lord, when the Egyptians hear [what happened].” [So] in the case of Korah's dissension, he said, “How often can I bother the Omnipresent?” Therefore (in Numb. 16:4), “When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.”

10 (Numb. 16:12) Then Moses sent to summon Dathan and Abiram: They also persisted in their wickedness and did not care to answer him (ibid., cont.), “and they said, ‘We will not come up.’” Their [very] mouths tripped up [these] wicked men, for a covenant is made with the lips. So they died and went down to the nethermost Sheol, after they had gone down alive to Sheol. (Numb. 16:13) “Is it so small a matter that you have brought us up [from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert], that you must also lord it over us”: They said to him, “On what basis do you assume superiority over us? What good have you done with us? You brought us out of the land of Egypt, which was (according to Gen. 13:10) ‘like the garden of the Lord’; but you have not brought us into the land of Canaan. Rather here we are in the desert, where the plague is sent among us; (according to Numb. 16:14) ‘would you put out the eyes of these people….’” (Numb. 16:15) “Now Moses was very angry”: He was very anguished. Why? When a man argues with his companion and reasons with him; when he answers him, he has peace of mind; but if he does not answer him, then this involves anguish. (Numb. 16:15, cont.) “And he said unto the Lord, ‘Pay no attention unto their meal offering’”: Do not accept them in repentance. 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], as stated (Numb. 29:19), ‘in addition to the daily burnt offering, and its meal offering.’ And it is offered from all of Israel. [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 and the donkey was mine. 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, then he said to them (according to Numb. 16:17,) “‘[Tomorrow] you and all your company [are to be present before the Lord].” 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.” So did he go about seducing each and every tribe as it suited them, until they joined him. It is so stated (Numb. 16:19), “And Korah gathered all the congregation against them.” When they all entered, they were speaking 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 evil congregation, [so that I may consume them in a moment].’ But they fell on their faces.”