Комментарий к Бамидбар 16:35

ואש יצאה מאת ה', “fire had come forth from the Lord, etc.” G’d matches the punishment to the crime. Seeing that Korach had demanded to be elevated to a position in life which he did not deserve he was punished by being relegated instead to a position below the earth. This corresponds to what our sages said on Numbers 21,20: ומבמות הגי, “and from the heights to the valley.” Here, in the matter of the fire described, this was also a demonstration of the principle of “measure for measure,” seeing the 250 men who were firstborn came to offer incense, i.e. a fire-offering on their fire-pans. Seeing that they aspired to a privilege which they had not earned this very fire became the instrument causing their death, i.e. their punishment. Concerning these people David said in Psalms 106,18: ”a fire blazed among their party, a flame that consumed the wicked.”

V. 35. ואש יצאה וגו׳ gleichzeitig, während im Lager sich der Erduntergang vollzog, wurden die מקריבי הקטרת durch אש מאת ד׳ getötet. Das Feuer, das sonst das Opfer verzehrt, ergriff hier die unberechtigten Opferer.