Korach's Rebellion/1/en
Korach's Rebellion
Introduction
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. These culminate in Chapters 16-17, with the infamous uprising of Korach and his congregation. Perhaps surprisingly, 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?”
What?
The Rebels
The rebels who participated in the uprisiing are discussed in verses 1-2:
