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July 4, 2003/Tamuz 4 5763, Vol. 55, No. 45
Moses confronts twin rebellions
RABBI SHLOMO RISKIN
Korach/Numbers 16:1-18:32
The Torah portion of Korach is one of the most tragic in the entire Torah. Moses, the greatest leader liberator of all time, stands accused by 250 rebels and only God comes to his defense. Indeed, the Almighty punishes the upstarts in front of the entire congregation of Israel. But God does not mete out only one punishment; God metes out two punishments.
The Bible records, "And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all Korach's people and all their possessions." (Numbers 16:32) And then, only two verses later, comes a second punishment: "And a fire went forth from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense." (Numbers 16:35)
Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra not only takes note of these two punishments, but even queries which of the two befell Korach. Interestingly enough, he concludes that since Korach was one of those who offered the incense, and since the biblical text mentions Korach's men, but not Korach himself, as having been swallowed up by the earth, it is logical to assume that Korach was consumed by the fire from heaven.
Why two punishments and why did Korach get the second?
As the Ibn Ezra sees it, there were two different groups of sinners who merited two different types of punishment. Korach questioned Moses' leadership; he felt that he had been overlooked, that he should have been the High Priest instead of Aaron. That's why Moses lashes out at him, "now that (God) has advanced you and all your fellow Levites with you, do you seek the priesthood too?" (Numbers 16:10)
Korach was not merely expressing ambition; in a far more insidious fashion he was denying the fact that all of Moses' teaching and all of Moses' appointments were not from Moses himself but were rather from God. Korach questioned the divinity of Moses' Torah and like Nadav and Avihu wanted to bring a false fire of incense that had not been commanded.
His sin was against Torah from heaven; a fire from heaven therefore descended to consume him and his cohorts.
According to Rashi, Datan and Aviram led the second group of sinners. They were old-time enemies of Moses, who - in the beginning of his career after having slain the Egyptian taskmaster - they confronted him with the words, "who made you chief and ruler over us." (Exodus 2:14)
Their fundamental opposition to Moses at that time was based on their anti-Zionist feeling; they wished to remain in Egypt rather than to risk an unknown future in a questionable land. Years later, they had not changed.
When Moses now in our portion asks to see them, they refuse to come. They say to him, "is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, that you would also lord it over us?" (Numbers 16:13) They call Egypt the land flowing with milk and honey and a place they never wanted to leave. They have sinned against the land of Israel, and so the earth swallows them up.
Moses emerges fully justified. His appointment of Aaron and his descendants for the priesthood according to the divine word is proven to be correct, as illustrated by the fact that the staff of Aaron had sprouted: "It had ... produced blossoms and borne almonds," (Numbers 17:23)
Rashi teaches that this blossoming is evidence of Israel's faith in God: If Israel will merit it by remaining faithful, "the vine shall produce its fruit, the ground shall produce its yield, and the skies shall provide their moisture." (Zechariah 8:12)
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is the spiritual leader of Efrat, Israel.
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