מדרש אויף במדבר 16:19

Another interpretation of “Blessed is the person” (Psalms 1:1) – these are the children of Korah who didn’t walk in the counsel of their father, as it is said, “Move away from the tents of these wicked people” (Numbers 16:26); “in the way of sinners” (Psalms 1:1) [also refers to the Korah rebellion, as it is said,] “the firepans of those sinners” (Numbers 17:3); “and the company of scoffers” (Psalms 1:1) – this refers to Korah, since he scoffed over Moses and over Aaron. What did he do? He assembled all the congregation, as it is said, “Korah gathered the entire community against them” (Numbers 16:19). He began to scoff, and he said to them, “There was a widow in my neighbourhood, and she had two young orphaned daughters, and she owned a single field. She came to plough [her field], and Moses said to her, “You shall not plough with an ox and a donkey together” (Deuteronomy 22:10). She came to sow [her seeds in her field] and Moses said to her “You shall not sow two types of seed together in your field” (Leviticus 19:19). She came to harvest, and to make bundles [of her harvested crop], and he told her to leave the forgotten gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corners [of her field, for poor people to gather]. She came to thresh [her produce] and he said to her [that she must give] a gift [to the priest], the tithe [of a Levi to a priest], the tithe of an Israelite to a Levite, and the second tithe [to be eaten by its owner in Jerusalem during specific years of the agricultural cycle]. She made herself right with the law and gave [all of these taxes] to him. What did she do? She sold her field and bought two sheep, in order to dress herself with their shearings, and to benefit from their offspring. When they gave birth, Aaron came and said to her, “Give me the first born, because the Holy One, blessed be He, told me, “[You shall consecrate to the Lord you God] all the male firstlings that are born in your herd and in your flock” (Deuteronomy 15:19).” She made herself right with the law and gave them to him. The time for shearing came along and she sheared them. [Aaron] said to her, “Give me the first of your shearing, because the Holy One, blessed be He, told me, “The first of the shearings of your flock should be given to him” (Deuteronomy 18:4).” She said [to herself], “I don’t have the strength to withstand this person, behold, I’m going to slaughter them and eat them.” Once she had slaughtered them, he said, “Give me the foreleg, the jaw, and the stomach.” She said to him, “Even after I slaughtered them, I wasn’t saved from his hand, let [the sheep] be proscribed to me [as if to say, I altogether wash my hands of these sheep!]” He told her to give him [what remained of the sheep], for so the scripture says, “Everything that has been proscribed shall be yours” (Numbers 18:14).” He took [the remains of the sheep] and he went on his way. He left her and her two daughters weeping. Can such appropriation be according to the law?! This is wretched looting! All of this they do, and they hang it upon the Holy One, blessed be He!” From here [we can see that] he was a scoffer. “But his delight is in the Torah of God” (Psalms 1:2), this refers to his children who sang a song [of praise to God], and they said, “We are obligated to honour our father, let us apportion honour [instead] to Moses our teacher. They stood, and they established themselves [as being on the side of Moses] because of the honour [due to] Moses; “and on His Torah he meditates [day and night]” (ibid.), this refers to the children of Korah. When the congregation of Korah were swallowed up, his children were [left standing on a pillar of earth that didn’t sink down; rising from the depths] like the mast of a ship, as it is says, “and they became an example” (Numbers 26:10). [The verse is referring to those who died, serving as an example. But the Midrash re-reads the verse creatively to suggest that Korah’s righteous children were left standing like a ship’s mast, since the word for an example, in this verse, נס, can also mean a banner; like one finds on the mast of a ship – the wicked people who died were one sort of example, and the children of Korah were a different sort of example]. Rabbi [Yehuda Ha-Nassi] says all of the [earth] surrounding them was torn away, but the earth upon which [the children of Korah] was standing was not torn. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, the three [children of Korah] were not standing in the same place. Rather, each one of them was standing in their own location, and they [were left looking] like three pillars. This accords with the teaching [that says], “Upon what does the world stand? Upon three pillars.” There are those that say [that these three pillars] are the three forefathers. There are those that say [that these three pillars] are Chananya, Mishael, and Azariya [from the book of Daniel]. And there are those that say [that these three pillars are] the three children of Korah. “Not so the wicked” (Psalms 1:4) — this refers to Korah and his congregation. “For God knows the way of the righteous” (Psalms 1:6) — this refers to the children of Korah; “but the way of the wicked is doomed” (ibid.) — this refers to Korah and his congregation.

(Numb. 16:1:) “[Korah who is] the son of Izhar [who is] the son of Kohath [who is] the son of Levi betook himself.” But there is not written "the son of Jacob" [or] "the son of Israel."¹⁸Numb. R. 18:5; cf.Gen. R. 98:5. This text is related (to Gen. 49:6), “Let not my soul come into their council,” i.e., that of the spies; “and let not my glory be joined with their congregation,” i.e., that of Korah. Jacob said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, with reference to the spies and with reference to the dissension of Korah, let not my name be mentioned [in connection with] those evil men, who are going to cause provocation. So when should my name (Israel) be joined upon them? When they are joined together to stand on the dais (as Levitical singers), as stated (I Chron. 6:[17,] 22–23) ‘[These are the ones whom David put in charge of song in the house of the Lord….] The son of Assir [who is] the son of Ebiasaph [who is] the son of Korah [who is] the son of Izhar [who is] the son of Kohath [who is] the son of Levi [who is] the son of Israel.’” (Numb. 16:1, cont.:) “Along with Dathan and Abiram.” From here the sages said, “Woe to the wicked one, [and] woe to his neighbor.”¹⁹Numb. R. 18:5, cont.; see Neg. 12:6; Sifra to Lev.14:40 (157: Metsora‘, pereq 4); ARN, A, 9; cf. ARN, B, 16; Numb.R. 3:12; Suk. 56b; above, Numb.1:13. As see that Dathan and Abiram were destroyed by the dissent of Korah, because they were neighbors of Korah. As he was dwelling to the south (of the tabernacle), as stated (in Numb. 3:29), “The families of the Children of Kohath were to camp along the side of the tabernacle to the south.” The standard of Reuben was near them, as stated (in Numb. 2:10), “The standard of the camp of Reuben shall be to the south.” However, the standard of Judah was in the east, and with him were Issachar and Zebulun, as stated (in Numb. 2:3), “Now these camping in front to the east shall be the standard of the camp of Judah.” And near them were Moses, Aaron, and his children, as written (in Numb. 3:38), “Those who camped before the tabernacle, in front before the tent of meeting to the east, were Moses, Aaron, and his children.” Because these were near the Torah, they were therefore worthy to be Torah scholars, as written (in Ps. 60:9), “Judah is my lawgiver.”²⁰Mehoqeq. Most translations render the word as scepter, since kingship was what Judah actually attained. And it is [also] written (in I Chron. 12:33), “And from the Children of Issachar, those who had an understanding of the times.” And it is [also] written (in Jud. 5:14), “and from Zebulon those who wield the scribal pen.” But Dathan and Abiram, who were neighbors to Korah – the one responsible for the dissent – were struck with him and perished from the world. (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.’²¹Numb. 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 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 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.”

(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.”