[Commentary from Pentateuch and Haftarahs, ed. Dr. [J.H.Hertz; he uses the Soncino edition; reformatting and highlights added.
S6K preferred translation is EF/Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses.—Admn1]
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THE GREAT MUTINY
In the last Sedrah we had seen the people threatening to appoint a chieftain who was to take them back to Egypt. It was ominous of further serious revolt. When the rebellion broke out, it was widespread though not homogeneous.
- On the one hand, there were those who were discontented with the leadership of Moses. These were led by Dathan and Abiram, of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe that once possessed what had now lost the ‘birthright’ in Israel, and was, it seems, chafing for the recovery of that primacy.
- On the other hand, there were Korah—himself a Levite—and his followers, who were aggrieved with Aaron, to whose family all priestly privileges were now confined.
These two groups of malcontents worked separately, and they were in the end cut off by entirely different acts of God (v.32 and 35). Their punishment was signal, since the vindication of Moses and Aaron had to be complete. Otherwise, anarchy would soon have destroyed national unity; and, in its trail, there would have followed the total frustration of whatever Divine Mission was in store for Israel on the arena of history.
The general drift of the story of Korah and his companions is thus quite clear, though we cannot follow all the details. The unprejudiced student finds nothing improbable in the story of such a revolt; and he knows that if it did arise, it could only have taken place in the Desert. During that period alone, the tribes of Reuben and Levi marched side by side, their joint conspiracy growing out of their proximity to one another at that time. ‘The two tribes afterwards became entirely parted asunder in their characters and fortunes; the one was incorporated into the innermost circle of the settled civilization of Palestine; the other hovered on the very outskirts of the Holy Land and Chosen People, and dwindled away into a Bedouin tribe. But the story of Korah belongs to a time when Levi was still fresh from the great crisis in Sinai, by which that tribe had been consecrated and divided from the rest; when the recollection of birthright of Reuben still lingered in the minds of his descendants’ (Stanley).
Numbers/Bamidbar 16
and Datan and Aviram the sons of Eliav and On son of Pelet, the sons of Re’uven
2 to rise up before Moshe with men-of-stature from the Children of Israel, fifty and two hundred, leaders of the community, those Called in the Appointed-council, men of name.
of the congregation. Hailing not from one tribe only, but from all Israel, summoned for consultation as need arose.
men of renown. Distinguished and influential men.
3 They assembled against Moshe and against Aharon and said to them:Too much (is) yours!
Indeed, the entire community, the entirety-of-them, are holy,
and in their midst is YHVH! Why then do you exalt yourselves over the assembly of YHVH?
all the congregation are holy. With the instinct of the true demagogue, Korah posed as the champion of the People against the alleged dictatorship of Moses and Aaron, the two brothers who usurped all power and authority in Israel.
4 Now when Moshe heard, he flung himself on his face.he fell upon his face. Either an expression of despair at this sinful rebellion, or of prayer for guidance.
5 Then he spoke to Korah and to his entire community, saying:At daybreak YHVH will make-known who is his and who is
holy and he will declare-him-near to him;
the one that he chooses, he will declare-near to him.
who are His . . . holy. God will reveal which tribe He has chosen to be nearest unto Him, and who in that chosen tribe is fitted to be high priest.
6 This, do:Take yourselves (fire-)pans,
Korah and his entire community,
take you censers. Moses here addresses Korah and those Levites who were envious of the higher privileges of the priesthood. He challenges them to test their claims to equality with Aaron by undergoing a species of ordeal. They are to assume, for once, the functions of priesthood, and God would show whether or not He approved of such assumption.
7 and put fire in them,
placing incense on them, before the presence of YHVH,
tomorrow.
And it shall be:
the man whom YHVH chooses, he is the holy-one.
Too much (is) yours, Sons of Levi!
you take too much upon you. Indignantly he retorts upon the rebels in their own words.
8-11. Moses upbraids Korah and he Levites for their discontent with the position already assigned to them.
8 And Moshe said to Korah:Pray hearken, Sons of Levi:
unto Korah. While Moses deals with Korah and his group, Dathan and Abiram stand in the background with their grievance, v. 12.
9 Is it too little for youthat the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israelto bring you near to him,
to serve the serving-tasks of the Dwelling of YHVH,
to stand before the community, to attend on them?
10 He has brought-near you and all your brothers, the Sons of Levi, with you-
would you seek the priesthood as well?
11 Truly, (it is) you and your entire community that come-together against YHVH-
as for Aharon, what is (wrong) with him that you should grumble against him!
that ye murmur against him. Aaron was not self-appointed. God Himself had called him to his office, and his duties and privileges were duly assigned to him. As a result of this appeal by Moses, some of the Levites—the children of Korah among them—seem to have been detached from the body of rebels. Furthermore, we learn from I Chronicles VI,22, that in the line of Korah’s descendants appeared leaders of sacred song. Several of the Psalms are attributed to the ‘Sons of Korah’. See on XXVI,11.
12-15. Dathan and Abiram contemptuously refuse Moses’ summons to attend before him, accuse him of misleading the people, and charge him with playing the prince over the People on the strength of promises he cannot fulfil.
12 Moshe sent to call Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eliav,but they said: We will not go up!
13 Is it too little that you have brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to cause-our-death in the wilderness?
that you should play-the-prince over us, even the prince?
a land flowing with milk and honey. Insolently—and ironically—they apply to Egypt the very words by which Moses described the Promised Land.
14 Then too, not to a land flowing with milk and honey have you brought us,(nor) have you given us an inheritance of field and vineyard.
The eyes of these men, would you gouge out? We will not go up!
not brought us. Probably a satiric reference to the disaster that overtook the Israelites when, despite the warning of Moses, they attempted to enter Canaan, recorded in XIV,45. Wickedly Dathan and Abiram now by insinuation shift the blame for that disaster on Moses! (Wiener).
put out the eyes. Are you trying to blind us to the true facts?
these men. A euphemism for ‘us’.
15 Then Moshe became exceedingly upset,he said to YHVH:
Do not turn your face toward their grain-gift-
not (even) one donkey of theirs have I carried off, I have not done ill to (even) one of them!
wroth. Grieved and vexed.
respect not Thou their offering. ‘Accept not the offering of incense which they are about to present unto Thee on the morrow’ (Rashi).
not taken one ass. ‘They accuse me of tyranny. But I have never so far abused my power and position as to accept even the meanest gift from any one of them!’ In I Sam VIII,11-17, we read what an autocrat of early times had it in his power to do.
16-19. KORAH AND HIS COMPANY ACCEPT MOSES’ CHALLENGE
16 Moshe said to Korah:You and your entire community,
be (there) before the presence of YHVH,
you and they and Aharon, tomorrow.
Moses said unto Korah. To be ready on the morrow and put his claim to the test.
17 And take, each-man, his pan,place on them smoking-incense,
and bring-it-near, before the presence of YHVH,
each-man his pan,
fifty and two hundred pans,
and (also) you and Aharon, each-man his pan.
18 So they took each-man his pan,
placing on them fire,
putting on them smoking-incense, and stood at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment,
as (did) Moshe and Aharon.
19 And Korah and his entire community assembled against them,
at the entrance to the Tent of Appointment.
Now the Glory of YHVH was seen by the entire community;
assembled all the congregation. The rebellion was indeed a serious matter. Korah’s demagogy, in addition to his rallying round him the ambitious leaders, had won over to his banner large sections in all the tribes.
20-24. MOSES’ INTERCESSION
20 and YHVH said to Moshe and to Aharon, saying:21 Separate (yourselves) from the midst of this community,
that I may finish them off in an instant!
from among this congregation. As the whole congregation, favouring Korah, had rendered itself worthy of extermination.
O God, God of the spirits of all flesh,
when one man sins,
at the entire community will you be furious?
God of the spirits of all flesh. He who made all hearts can be trusted to distinguish between the guilty and those misled by the guilty.
shall one man sin. Korah, the chief instigator who leads the masses astray; Gen.XVIII,25 (‘That be far from Thee . . . to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from Thee: shall not hte Judge of all the earth do justly?”)
wroth with all the congregation. The dupes of that one man and his misguided confederates.
25-34. DESTRUCTION OF THE REBELS
Nothing could now have prevented the complete disintegration of the People save the destruction of the instigators of the sedition. That destruction, moreover, had to be in so striking a way that it would clearly reveal the Divine purpose.
23 YHVH spoke to Moshe, saying:24 Speak to the community, saying:
Go up from around the dwelling-place of Korah, Datan and Aviram!
25 Moshe arose and went to Datan and Aviram,
and there went after him the elders of Israel.
the elders of Israel. Ibn Ezra suggests that these were the 70 elders who, according to XI,16,17, were to assist Moses in bearing the burden of the people. These remain loyal during the upheaval.
26 And he spoke to the community, saying:Pray turn away from the tents of these wicked men,
do not touch anything that is theirs,
lest you be swept away for all their sins!
in all their sins. On account of the great multitude of their sins.
27 They went up from the dwellings of Korah, Datan and Aviram,all around. Now Datan and Aviram had come out, stationed at the entrance to their tents,
with their wives, their children, and their little-ones.
Dathan and Abiram . . . stood at the door. With a brazen mien, reviling and blaspheming God (Rashi).
28 Moshe said:By this you shall know
that (it is) YHVH (who) sent me to do all these deeds,
that (it was) not from my (own) heart:
all these works. i.e. constituting myself the leader, and my brother the High Priest.
not . . . of mine own mind. But at the express Divine command.
29 if like the death of all humans these-men die,and the calling-to-account of all humans is accounted upon them,
(it is) not YHVH (who) has sent me.
these men. Dathan and Abiram and their followers.
die the common death. A natural death.
visited after the visitation of all men. i.e. suffer no extraordinary or significant fate.
30 But if YHVH creates a new-creation,and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows up them and all that is theirs,
and they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have scorned YHVH.
make a new thing. lit. ‘ create a creation’; i.e. work a miracle which sweeps the rebels out of existence by one stroke; then will their guilt be apparent, and Moses’ authority vindicated.
into the pit. lit. ‘into Sheol’; regarded as deep down under the earth, and as the place where the wicked go after death.
31 Now it was, just as he finished speaking all these words,there split the ground that was beneath them;
32 the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up them and their households,
all the human beings that belonged to Korah and all the property..
that appertained unto Korah. All who associated themselves with Korah in his rebellion were suddenly engulfed.
alive, into Sheol;
the earth covered them,
and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
34 Now all Israel that were around them fled at the sound-of-their-voice,
for they said: Lest the earth swallow us up!
at the cry of them. At the mingled sound of the human shrieks and of the earth-convulsions that engulfed the men.
35 Now fire went out from before the presence of YHVHand consumed the fifty and two hundred men,
those who had brought-near the incense.
that offered the incense. The Reubenites who accused Moses of misleading the people were destroyed—like Nadab and Abihu–by fire from the LORD.