Numbers Korach

Korach
Numbers 16:1−18:32

I. Summary

A. Korach = (Now) “Korach” (… betook himself … to rise up against Moses).

B. Korach challenges the authority of Moses and Aaron as well as the special religious status of Levites. Along with Dathan and Abiram (Reubenites) and a group of 250 men, Korach claims that the entire community is holy and that Moses and Aaron do not have the authority to be self-proclaimed leaders. Moses' response to Korach is to get together, offer “firepans” (incense) to God, and let God decide. Moses tells Korach that he shouldn't be acting like this since, as a Levite, Korach is already chosen for a special relationship with God. Dathan and Abiram initially refuse to come but they all do show up. (Num 16:1-19)

C. When Korach, Dathan, Abiram, the 250 supporters and the entire community gather, God instructs Moses and Aaron to move away so that God can destroy everyone. At this point, Moses and Aaron try to convince God not to do act so precipitously by playing to God’s mercy … “when one person sins, will You be wrathful with the whole community?” (Num 16:20-22)

D. Moses urges God to spare the people. While God agrees not to destroy everyone, God does destroy rebels and their families. After God urges the community to “move away from the tents of those wicked men”, the earth then opens and swallows up Dathan, Abiram, Korach and all their households. Fire then consumes the other 250 men. (Num 16:23-35)

E. God orders the firepans of the dead rebels to be hammered into plating for the altar and therefore be made sacred (serving as a warning to the Israelites that only priests can offer incense before God). When the Israelites come to Moses the next day to complain against Moses and Aaron that they ‘brought death on the Eternal’s people”, God is again prepared to kill off all the Israelites. Moses once again intercedes on behalf of Israelites and orders Aaron to offer incense as expiation for action of Israelites (among whom God already started a plague). God relents and plague is stopped by God but only after 14,700 men die. (Num:17:1-15)

F. Per God’s order, the chief of each of the 12 tribes deposits his staff inside the Tent of Meeting. Aaron's staff brings forth sprouts, produces blossoms, and bears almonds … a divine miracle which reinforces the exalted position of Aaron’s family. God orders Moses to put Aaron’s staff before the pact, to be kept as a lesson to rebels to stop their rebellious mutterings against God (but all rebels dead … perhaps meant to prevent future rebellions). Israelites fear the worst (“We are lost … we are doomed to perish”). (Num 17:16-27)

G. The Kohanim and Levites are established and assigned the responsibility of managing the donations to the Sanctuary. All of the firstborn offerings shall go to the priests and all the tithes are designated for the Levites in return for the services they perform. (18:1-32)

II. Commentary (Plaut, various websites, Jewish Study Bible, Hevreh discussions)

A. Why Korach’s rebellion was so dangerous – At least two reasons: 1. Korach was able to speak for the people and gain the popular support that Moses could not rally. 2. Korach’s motives were to move the people away from God and Torah. The challenge, therefore, was not just about the leadership but about the whole existence and purpose of Israel. This might explain why Moses, rather than one of the slaves, was chosen to lead the people. Do religious leaders perhaps need to keep a certain distance from the people they care for and lead? They have to be able to empathize and identify with them, but do they maybe also need to have had a different experience and a broader vision that would keep them from getting caught up too much in parochial concerns?

B. Sin of indifference - God originally intended to destroy the entire nation because they had committed the sin of fence-straddling … the sin of indifference. God wanted to destroy them for not taking a stand against evil.

C. Reasons for rebellion - Korach's rebellion was in response to Moses' granting the religious leadership to the tribe of Levi (instead of to the firstborn, Reuven) and appointing his own brother, Aaron, and his family as the priests over the Levites. (Numbers 18:1-10) Alternatively, the rebellion had more to do with Korach's own ambitions. Last week's parasha told the story of the spies. The Israelites were afraid of being overpowered and outmaneuvered. Korach waited until the Israelites were scared for the perfect time to stage a rebellion and expect the best results. This premeditated and extreme behavior demanded extreme retribution.

D. Moses’ reaction to Korach’s accusation - Threatened by Korach, Moses “fell on his face” (Numbers 16:4). Suggests prayer, humility or powerlessness. Same reaction later with Moses and Aaron (Num 16:22) and Israelites (Num 17:10).

E. Irony of Korach’s accusation - In challenging Moses and Aaron, Korach raised himself above his followers while accusing Moses and Aaron of that very same offense.

F. Korach as our dark side - Are we not sometimes like Korach and his followers despite ourselves? Don't we sometimes wonder whether our leaders are either hogging the limelight or working for their own advantages? Is it possible that most of us are, like Korach, darkly jealous? Perhaps this is what gives Korach the merit to have a Torah portion in his name. Whatever the original intent of this parashah was, using it as a catalyst to examine our dark sides is certainly a worthwhile purpose.

G. Significance of earth swallowing up people - Torah understands the earth itself as God’s partner; it seems to speak for God. When the earth “opened its mouth,” it proclaims the guilt of Korach and his followers (Numbers 16:32). This is similar to the way the earth behaves in Genesis after Cain kills his brother Abel. The witness to Cain’s deed is the earth itself. “What have you done?” asks God. “The voice of your brother’s blood calls out to Me from the ground! Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand” (Genesis 4:10–11). That is, the earth knows what you’ve done, and as in the case of Korach, the earth’s own mouth executes judgment on those who see themselves as beyond the law.

H. Rebellion as an assertion of individuality prevailing over community - Rebellion was an assertion of individual superiority and personal privilege above that of communal responsibility and duty. Korach’s followers were simply a band of malcontents, each harboring his own personal grievances against authority, animated by individual pride and ambition, united to overthrow Moses and Aaron and hoping thereby to attain their individual desires. Ego driven and selfish motives can inappropriately place self before community. On the other hand, there can be healthy tension between individual autonomy/freedom and the well-being of community. Are two goals mutually exclusive, i.e. are they check and balance for each other or simple priority call depending on the circumstance?

I. Paradox of Korach’s rebellion v. survival and prominence of his descendants - While Korach and the 250 with him perish, if he is completely in the wrong, why do we hear in Numbers 26:11 that the sons of Korach survive? How is it that his descendants become prominent Levitical singers with their poems included in the Book of Psalms? After all, Torah text is clear in its threat that the sins of the fathers will be visited upon the children, even unto the fourth generation (Exodus 34:7). But as the Rabbis point out, the first part of the same verse speaks of God’s “kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. . . .”.

J. God’s punishment – While God “relents” in face of pleas from Moses and Aaron to spare people, God still destroys Korach, Dathan, Abiram, 250 people and then 14,700 people. Does this still qualify God as merciful?

K. Israelite impressionability - Rebellion reinforces pattern of impressionability established by last two parashot (Israelites being incited by “riffraff” in Num 11:1 and by pessimistic scouts in Num 14:1). Does this pattern suggest lack of development of Israelites?

III. Lessons for today

A. Individual responsibility and accountability - Just as individuals are responsible for their own misdeeds, fairness requires that we also pursue those who refuse to take full responsibility for their illegal acts. Accountability is not only for the one who wronged but also for the one who enabled the wrong to occur, e.g. one who permits lashon hara is guilty of lashon hara.

B. Inadvisability of sacrificing well being of another for personal benefit – Korach was not satisfied with his position and sought to bring down Moses and Aaron in order to heighten his own stature. Sometimes a person’s discontent with his/her position or status motivates him/her to seek something that will change that position or status, not by looking within to change him/herself but by undermining what is around him/her. Understanding one’s own true motivations can validate or invalidate actions.

C. Assume the best - Just as Moses went out of his way to try to reason with complainers, we too should always give people the benefit of the doubt before resorting to drastic measures. While there are patterns to look out for, we do need to look at each conflict on its own in order to find the best solution.

D. Look at the other side - Think through an issue through the other person's eyes. Try to understand their point of view.

E. Realize when winning is not worth the price - Often, the best way to win an argument is to lose it. This applies in a case when the argument isn't worth the fight or the hard feelings.

F. Put ego aside for the sake of peace – By offering to meet with rebellious Datan and Aviram, Moses (who was totally in the right) exposed himself to insult and humiliation. Nevertheless, Moses did all he could to stop a tragedy. In acting this way, Moses provided subsequent generations with an exemplary model of what constitutes true humility and showed how far one must go to put ego aside for the sake of peace.

G. Realize the risks created by of jealousy - Jealousy deprives the jealous of the joys of their own acquisitions. In the case of Korach, it caused him to act so irrationally that he destroyed everything he ever worked for, including himself.

(Revised 6/24/09)