Korach 2020

1I often wondered how Korach could have had the chutzpah to challenge Moshe. If there ever was a leader who was unassailable it was Moshe with his supernatural shining countenance and his history of performing extraordinary miracles. Even more puzzling is how Korach was able to convince 250 otherwise intelligent individuals to join in his rebellion. The Ibn Ezra says that the Korach rebellion took place immediately following the incident of the golden calf. One consequence of that event was that the tribe of Levi replaced the firstborn’s priestly rights. The 250 were all firstborn and wanted to reclaim those rights. Other individuals from within the tribe of Levi wanted an upgrade to the Priesthood. Korach, argues Ibn Ezra, was a first born and a Levi. He wanted to be the High Priest in place of Aaron! Dasan and Aviram were resentful that the first born status had been taken from their ancestor Reuven and granted to Joseph.

2The Ramban rejects this interpretation instead offering his own. According to the Ramban Korach coveted the title of “Head of the family” that had been granted to Elitzaphan a younger cousin. In addition Korach wanted to be a priest as the pasuk says, “And you desire to be a priest!”. Dasan and Aviram had no first born aspirations. They were not trying to reinstate Reuvane as the first born of the family. The first born status had been taken away by father Jacob centuries earlier. Theirs was a completely different complaint. They challenged Moshe’s ability to be an effective leader. Ramban argues that following the splitting of the sea Moshe was unassailable “And they believed in G-d and in Moshe His servant”. Now, after several disappointments, including the golden calf, the spies, and other events, Dasan and Aviram sensed that Moshe had leadership issues. They wanted Moshe and his brother Aaron gone from leadership. They fantasized and saw themselves taking over the leadership. Ramban agrees with the Ibn Ezra with respect to the 250. The 250 were all firstborns and wanted to be priests. The Levites in the group according to the Ramban did not actually want anything. Moshe addressed them preemptively suggesting that they should walk away from the situation as they had already achieved an elevated status.

3The pasuk reads “And Moshe heard the complaints and fell on his face.” The Ramban asks, “Why was it that only Moshe fell on his face, when the complaints were against Aaron as well?” Ramban answers that Aaron accepted that he was unworthy. Moshe got angry and was not like Aaron. Is there a basis for Moshe’s wrath?

4We read later in the Parsha about the punishment meted out by Hashem to Korach and his unfortunate followers. For Korach and for Dasan and Aviram the earth actually opened up and swallowed them alive. Why was this needed? Furthermore there are five major miracles recorded in this week’s Parsha: 1\The earth’s mouth opening up, 2\The fire that came down from heaven, 3/The stopping of a plague with use of the incense, 4\The flowering of Aaron’s staff, and 5\The healing of the snake bites by looking at the iron snake. It seems odd that the supernatural plays such an important role in the stories of our Parsha. On an even more basic level one can wonder why it was necessary to respond to the complaints of Korach and his associates. Couldn’t Moshe and Aaron just have ignored them?

5To answer these questions I would suggest that the first born and the Levites had legitimate complaints. The first born lost their service rights because of the events at the golden calf. Aaron, on the other hand, was not demoted even though he was intimately involved in making the calf. After all it was Aaron who called for the gold and it was Aaron who threw the gold into the fire! Why, they argued, should Aaron be spared and they as first born are demoted? The members of the tribe of Levi were still not happy with their lot. Shouldn’t they become the new priests? When Moshe called out “Who is for G-d shall come to me” they all gathered as opposed to Aaron who was complicit.

6The complaints were legitimate and would have been dealt with differently if not for Dasan and Aviram. By questioning Moshe’s legitimacy as a leader they placed the entire nation and even the earth itself at risk. The pasuk in Genesis chapter one verse one reads, “In the beginning the world was created”. Rashi quotes the Midrash “The world was created for the sake of the nation of Israel and for the Torah both of which are called Reishis!” Had Dasan and Aviram mounted a successful challenge to Moshe’s leadership the Torah would have also been subject to challenge. The result would have been catastrophic. The result may have been the end of the world as we know it. In that dangerous environment Moshe used language lifted out of Creation. “If G-d will create a new creation, let the earth swallow them up.” The earth itself was at risk, hence the earth responded! (See Taanit 8a re: human characteristics attributed to the earth, “let the weasel and the pit be my witness”) It also explains why Moshe made the famous challenge “If these die like the death of all men, and the destiny of all men is visited on them G-d has not sent me” The reference to “Destiny of all men” is all telling. We understand better why miracles were invoked because G-d will provide miracles when the nation is at risk; the splitting of the sea in response to the Egyptian army, Manna from heaven and water from stone in response to starvation in the desert. The Korach rebellion put our nation at risk and Moshe responded with miracles.