잠언 18:19의 미드라쉬

(Numb. 16:1:) “Now Korah betook himself.” This text is related (to Prov. 18:19), “A brother offended (rt.: psh') is more formidable than a fortified city; [such] contentions are like a castle bar.” The brother offended is Korah, in that he sided against Moses.¹Numb. R. 18:1, 14. So he rebelled and sank from whatever glory that he possessed. Now offended (rt: psh') can only imply rebellion, since it is stated (in II Kings 3:7), “The king of Moab has rebelled (psh') against me.” It also says (in II Kings 8:22), “then did Libnah rebel (rt.: psh').” (Prov. 18:19:) “[Such] contentions are like a castle bar.” [The earth raised its bars against him like a castle.] (Prov. 18:19:) “Like a castle bar.” [These words also refer to Korah,] who sided against Moses and against the Omnipresent.²See the commentary of Enoch Zundel on Tanh., Numb.5:1. This explanation is also given by Issachar Berman Ashkenazi in his commentary, Mattenot Kehunnah, on Numb. R. 18:1. (Numb. 16:1:) “[Now Korah …] took.”³In this and some of the following sections, the midrash is explaining the fact that the transitive verb, TOOK, has no object. Biblical translations offer solutions such as translating the verb intransitively, e.g., BETOOK HIMSELF, or by supplying an object, e.g., TOOK MEN. “Took” can only be a word for "attracting with persuasive words," in that he attracted all the leaders of Israel and the sanhedraot [to follow] after him.⁴Numb. R. 18:2. Concerning Moses it is written (in Numb. 1:17), “So Moses and Aaron took these men.” And similarly it is written (in Numb. 8:2), “Take Aaron and his sons with him.” And so does it say (in Hos. 14:3), “Take words with you and repent….” And so does it [also] say (in Genesis 12:15), “and the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh.” Ergo (in Numb. 16:1) “Now Korah […] took,” in that he drew (i.e., took) their hearts with persuasive words. (Numb. 16:1:) “Now Korah […] betook himself.” Because of what did he dissent? Because of Elizaphan, the son of his father's brother, who had been appointed prince (nasi) over his clan. So it says (in Numb. 3:30), “And the prince of the ancestral house for the Kohathite clan was Elizaphan ben Uzziel.” Korah said, “Father had four brothers.” It is so stated (according to Exod. 6:18), “And the sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.” “As for Amram, the first-born; his son Aaron and his sons attained the high priesthood, and his brother Moses [attained] the kingship. So who deserves to get second [place]? Should it not be the second [son]? Now I am Izhar's son. I deserved to be prince of my clan, but he has appointed the son of Uzziel. Should the youngest of father's brothers become superior to me? See, I am dissenting and declaring everything invalid, whatever he had done.” Therefore, there was dissent.

(Numb. 16:1:) NOW KORAH <BEN IZHAR BEN KOHATH BEN LEVI> BETOOK HIMSELF. This text is related (to Prov. 18:19): A BROTHER OFFENDED (rt.: PSh') IS MORE FORMIDABLE THAN A FORTIFIED CITY; <SUCH> CONTENTIONS ARE LIKE A CASTLE BAR. The BROTHER OFFENDED is Korah, in that he sided against Moses.¹Tanh., Numb.5:1; Numb. R. 18:1, 14. So he rebelled and sank from whatever glory that he possessed. Now OFFENDED (rt: PSh') can only imply rebellion, since it is stated (in II Kings 3:7): THE KING OF MOAB HAS REBELLED (PSh') AGAINST ME. It also says (in II Kings 8:22): THEN DID LIBNAH REBEL (rt.: PSh'). (Prov. 18:19:) <SUCH> CONTENTIONS ARE LIKE A CASTLE BAR. <These words also refer to Korah,> who sided (PSh') against the Holy One and against Moses.²See the commentary of Enoch Zundel on the parallel text in Tanh., Numb.5:1. He would have the text read: “The earth raised its bars against him as <if it were> a castle.” This explanation is also given by Issachar Berman Ashkenazi in his commentary, Mattenot Kehunnah, on Numb. R. 18:1.

(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.>

(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. A BROTHER OFFENDED IS MORE <FORMIDABLE> THAN A FORTIFIED CITY. R. Aha said: this refers to Korah, who was one of the bearers of the Ark.²⁴Cf. above, Numb. 5a:2; Numb. R. 18:14. It is so 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. Now he was the greatest in the whole tribe, and yet he sinned against the Ark. (Prov. 18:19): A BROTHER OFFENDED IS MORE <FORMIDABLE> THAN A FORTIFIED CITY (literally: CITY OF STRENGTH <'oz>), and 'oz can only denote an Ark, as stated (in Ps. 78:61): AND HE HAS DELIVERED HIS STRENGTH ('oz) TO CAPTIVITY.²⁵The biblical context concerns the loss of the Ark from Shiloh.

14 "A brother offended is more formidable than a stronghold; such strife is like the bars of a fortress" (Proverbs 18:19). This is Korach, who violated the Torah - which is strength, as it is stated (Psalms 29:11), "May the Lord to His people give strength, may the Lord bless His people with peace." "Such strife is like the bars of a fortress" - and did he not know that his opponents were hard? "Like the bars of a fortress" - this is [referring to] Moshe and Aharon. Just like a bar does not move, so [too] Moshe, as it is stated (Exodus 26:28), "The center bar halfway up the planks shall run from end to end."