Korach's Rebellion/2

Korach's Rebellion

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Against Aharon

The whole rebellion revolved around one main issue, 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,

The complaint

"...וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח" – This position might suggest that the verse means that Korach took the various people mentioned in the verse (Datan and Aviram, On and the 250 men), who all shared his grievances  against the choice of Aharon, to join him in his rebellion. 

Who were the 250 men? This position might maintain, as does R. ChananelBemidbar 16About R. Moshe b. Nachman, that the 250 people were from the tribe of Levi.  They, like Korach, were not satisfied with "serving the priests" and aspired to be priests themselves.
According to Rashi, they were mainly

"רַב לָכֶם בְּנֵי לֵוִי"

Purpose of the incense test

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

Datan and Aviram's complaint :"כִּי תִשְׂתָּרֵר עָלֵינוּ גַּם הִשְׂתָּרֵר"

"לֹא נַעֲלֶה" - what are they refusing to do?

"אַל תֵּפֶן אֶל מִנְחָתָם"

" לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כׇּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים הָאֵלֶּה"

Test of staffs

Different punishments

When does the story take place? R"Y Bekhor Shor suggests that the story is chronological and follows the decree of death in the wilderness after the sin of the spies. It is possible that the depair felt by the nation fomented unrest and rebellion.

Against Aharon and Moshe

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

Sources:RambanBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:6, 20, 25About R. Moshe b. Nachman #2, R. S.R. HirschBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:6:18Bemidbar 17:6-28About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, ?NetzivBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, ?Hoil Moshe

Against the Tribe of Levi, Aharon and Moshe

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.

Sources:Ibn EzraBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:6, 17-18About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, ChizkuniBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach, RambanBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17:6, 20, 25About R. Moshe b. Nachman #1, AbarbanelBemidbar 16Bemidbar 17About R. Yitzchak 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.