Korach's Rebellion/2

Korach's Rebellion

Exegetical Approaches

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Against Priest

The rebels were united in protesting the choice of Aharon as priest.

Sources:Philo, JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 4:2Antiquities of the Jews 4:3:1-4Antiquities of the Jews 4:4:2About Josephus, perhaps RashiBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki,¹ perhaps R. Yosef KaraBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17About R. Yosef Kara,² R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:5-23About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RalbagBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:17About R. Levi b. Gershom,

When does the story take place

"...וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח"

Who were the 250 men?

Incense Test

"וְיֹדַע י״י אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְאֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְהִקְרִיב אֵלָיו וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר בּוֹ יַקְרִיב אֵלָיו "

Datan and Aviram

"לֹא נַעֲלֶה"

"אַל תֵּפֶן אֶל מִנְחָתָם"

"בְּזֹאת תֵּדְעוּן כִּי י״י שְׁלָחַנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כׇּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים הָאֵלֶּה"

Against Priest and Prophet

The rebellion had two focal points.  Korach and his 250 followers objected to Aharon's priesthood, while Datan and Aviram questioned Moshe's leadership.

Sources:RambanBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:6, 20, 25About R. Moshe b. Nachman, R. S.R. HirschBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:6:18Bemidbar 17:6-28About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, perhaps NetzivBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin

Against Priest, Levites, and Prophet

The rebellion was multi-faceted, with groups complaining about both spiritual and political status.  Some protested the priestly class, others challenged the choice of the Levites, while yet others had issue with Moshe or others.

Sources:Ibn EzraBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:6, 17-18About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, Chizkuni, RambanBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:6, 20, 25About R. Moshe b. Nachman, Abarbanel

¹ Rashi appears to read the entire narrative in light of a complaint about the priesthood alone. In his comments to verse 5, though, he writes "יודע י״י את אשר לו – לעבודת לוייה", implying that the incense test was meant to address a complaint against the Levites as well. Rashi does not elaborate and no where else in his commenatry does he refer to such a complaint, suggesting that he thinks that even if some were bothered by the choice of Levites, by far the major focus of the rebellion was the choice of Aharon.

² As we do not have all of R"Y Kara's commentary on the rebellion, it is difficult to know for certain how he reads the story.  However, in his comments to 16:35, he appears to assume that the compaints of the 250 people and those of Datan and Aviram were identical (leading him to question why they then deserved different punishments).  As he later writes that Korach objected to aharon's priesthood, it is possible that he thinks that the entire rebellion revolved around this one issue.