민수기 16:7의 미드라쉬

"Who is greater than Moses among all Israel, who was attended at his death by God himself, as it is said (Deut. 34, 6) And He buried him in the land of Moab, opposite, Beth-Pe'or, etc. (Ib. 6, 25) And the Lord said unto us, 'Let it suffice thee.'" Said R. Levi: With the word Rab did Moses inform others, [of grave tidings.] And with the word Rab he himself was informed [of grave tidings]; i.e., with the word Rab did he inform others, as it is written (Numb. 16, 7) You assume too much [Rab] ye sons of Levi, and he was in turn informed by the word. And the Lord said unto me, '(Rab lack) let it suffice thee:' in another way may Rab be explained, thou hast a Rabbi whose name is Joshua. Still in another way may Rab be explained. Let it suffice to thee so that people should not say, "How rigorous the teacher [Lord] is and how persistent is the scholar." And why did the Lord act so rigorously against Moses? In the academy of R. Ishmael it was explained: According to the camel is his load [the greater the man the greater is his responsibility]. (Deut. 31, 2) Moses said unto them: 'I am one hundred and twenty years old today.' He need not say today, [if there is no special significance]. What does he mean by the word to-day? This means that today have my days been completed; from this we may infer that the Holy One, praised be He, grants the righteous the fulfillment of the years of their life to the very month and day, as it is said (Ex. 23, 26) The number of thy days will I make full. (Deut. 31, 2) I am not able any more to go out and come in. What does that mean, to go out and come in? Shall we take it literally? Behold it is written further (Ib. 34, 7) And Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eyes were not dimmed, and his natural strength has not abated, and again it is written (Ib., ib., ib.) And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to the Mount of Nebo. Concerning which we are taught in a Baraitha the following explanation: There were twelve stairs to the Mount and Moses surmounted them all in one step. [Hence we see that Moses was healthy and strong up to his death?] Said R. Samuel b. Nachmeni in the name of R. Jonathan: "To come forth, refers to the discussions of the Torah, from which it may be inferred that the wellsprings of wisdom were shut up for him." (Ib. 13, 14) Moses and Joshua went and placed themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation. We are taught that that particular Sabbath was a Sabbath of Transmittance of office by two. The office was taken irom one (Moses) and given to the other (Joshua). [Hence both served on the same day].

8 (Numb. 16:6) “Do this; take censers, [Korah and all his company…]”: What was his reason for saying this to them? He said to them, “In the religions of the nations there are many laws,¹⁷NYMWSYN. Gk.: nomoi. and many priests, and they all assemble at one time. Now as for us, we only have one God, one Torah, one justice, one altar, and one high priest; but you two hundred and fifty men are [yet all] seeking high priesthood! I also am willing in this regard.” (Numb. 16:11,) “Therefore you and all your company.” (Numb. 16:6) “Do this, take censers, Korah and all his company”: Here you have a ministry more precious than all the others. It is the incense, the most precious of the sacrifices. But a deadly poison had been put within it, through which Nadab and Abihu were burned. He therefore warned them (in vs. 7, cont.), “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one,” Moses said to them, “See, I am telling you that you are not to incur guilt, [only] the one to be chosen from among you shall come out alive, and all [the rest] of you shall perish.” (Numb. 16:7,) “You Levites have gone too far”: See, I have told you a great thing! Were they not fools, in that when he gave them this warning, they took it upon themselves to offer sacrifice? They had sinned against their own lives, as stated (in Numb. 17:3), “The censers of these who have sinned at the cost of their lives.” Now since Korah was a clever man, how did he see fit to commit this folly? It is simply that his eyes misled him. He foresaw a great lineage stemming from himself, [e.g.,] Samuel, who was the equivalent of Moses and Aaron, as stated (in Ps. 99:6), “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call His name.” Moreover, the twenty-four [Levitical] shifts would stem from his descendants, all of whom would prophesy by the holy spirit, as stated (in I Chron. 25:5), “All these were sons of Heman.”¹⁸A descendant of Korah. He said, “Is it possible that, when this greatness is going to stem from me, I should perish?” But he did not foresee correctly, since his children would repent, and those [great ones] would stem from them. But Moses did foresee well. [Korah] therefore participated on this assumption, when he heard from the mouth of Moses that they all would perish, but one would escape, as stated (Numb. 16:7) “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one.”

18 "It is enough for you, sons of Levi" (Numbers 16:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, "You have struck with a stick, and you will be struck with that with which you struck. You said, "It is enough for you." And tomorrow you will hear, "It is enough for you" (Deuteronomy 3:26).