Korach's Rebellion/1/en
Korach's Rebellion
Introduction
An Ambiguous Complaint
Sefer Bemidbar recounts a whole litany of protests, from the nation's complaints about the manna in Chapter 11, to Aharon and Miryam's critique of Moshe in Chapter 12, and finally, the nations' murmurings upon hearing the spies' report in Chapters 13-14. These culminate in Chapters 16-17, with the infamous uprising of Korach and his congregation. Perhaps surprisingly, however, there is no consensus regarding the central grievance that led to the rebellion. The initial complaint is recounted in but one verse:
וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל מֹשֶׁה וְעַל אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם רַב לָכֶם כִּי כׇל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם י״י וּמַדּוּעַ תִּתְנַשְּׂאוּ עַל קְהַל י״י.
and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Hashem is among them: why then lift yourselves up above the assembly of Hashem?”
Though these words clearly express dissatisfaction with the nation's leadership and a desire for a more equitable distribution of power, it is not clear if they are aimed mainly at Moshe, Aharon, or both. Mention of the nation's "holy" status might suggest that the issue is a cultic one, perhaps directed at Aharon's priesthood, and Moshe's retort, "וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם גַּם כְּהֻנָּה... וְאַהֲרֹן מַה הוּא כִּי [תַלִּינוּ] (תלונו) עָלָיו" would seem to support this. Later, though, when Datan and Aviram express their grievances, this issue plays no role. They instead focus solely on Moshe's political leadership, criticizing his failure to bring them to the Promised Land:
(יג) הַמְעַט כִּי הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ לַהֲמִיתֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר כִּי תִשְׂתָּרֵר עָלֵינוּ גַּם הִשְׂתָּרֵר. (יד) אַף לֹא אֶל אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ הֲבִיאֹתָנוּ וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ נַחֲלַת שָׂדֶה וָכָרֶם הַעֵינֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָהֵם תְּנַקֵּר לֹא נַעֲלֶה.
(13) is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us? (14) Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”
What is the relationship between the various complaints? Regardless, what were the rebels hoping to accomplish?
Historical Backdrop and Chronology
Our chapter provides no background as to what prompted the rebellion, and why it was specifically now that the nation expressed their concerns. The story, like many others, is not dated, making it hard to set in a specific context. Since the previously dated event, the Sin of the Spies, takes place in the second year, and the next dated event, Aharon's death, occurs in the fortieth, the rebellion could have erupted at any point during the 38 intervening years in the Wilderness! If the episode closely followed the sending of the spies, might those events have spurred the rebellion? What might be the connection between the sin and its aftermath and the people's complaints here? If, on the other hand, the revolt broke out many years later, why would the nation first challenge the priesthood, which by then would have been in place for years, at such a late point?
The Rebels
The rebels who participated in the uprising are discussed in verses 1-2:
