Moshe Rabbeinu’s reaction to the sinful rebellion of Korach and his followers is atypical of our quintessential leader. This was the not first time the Jewish People had rebelled. First, it was the sin of the Golden Calf, which consisted of idol worship accompanied by licentious revelry. Nonetheless, Moshe asked Hashem to forgive them. Then came the meraglim, the princes who left as spies and returned as rebellious usurpers. We observe Tishah B’Av, our national day of mourning, thanks to their scurrilous report and the people’s inexcusable reaction. Once again, Moshe asked Hashem to accept their sincere repentance. Concerning Korach, however, Moshe asked Hashem to punish them is such a manner that how and why they were punished would go down in the history of Klal Yisrael.
The Malbim, zl, explains that Korach’s rebellion was different, because he impugned the integrity of Mattan Torah on Har Sinai, the Revelation and Giving of the Torah. When Korach publicly denied the Divine authorship of the Torah, he sealed his fate. When he added that Moshe was not a Divinely-selected Navi, Prophet, he affirmed his punishment. The obvious question is: How did Korach fall so quickly from the pinnacle of spirituality, as one of the carriers of the Aron HaKodesh, to the nadir of depravity, such that he was not getting a free pass to repent? How does one believe in Hashem one day and the very next deny Him? Horav Chaim Kamil, zl, quotes Rabbeinu Maimon, father of the Rambam, who explains that the reason for the plague that attacked the nation following Korach and his henchmen’s demise was that the nation still referred to these usurpers as Am Hashem, “The nation of G-d.” They saw the punishment meted out to them. What part of their actions or ensuing punishment would provoke an Am Hashem appellation? These were traitors who denied Torah Mi’Sinai and the appointment of Moshe Rabbeinu as the Navi Hashem. Am Hashem? This alone indicates that, despite what had deservedly happened to Korach v’adaso, the people were still under their trance.
Rav Kamil explains that clearly Korach, his followers, and those who had lost their way and, despite seeing the folly of their decision, maintained their Am Hashem litany were all very much aware of Mattan Torah and Moshe’s prophet status. They knew this in their minds, but, regrettably, failed to internalize it in their hearts. It was, thus, not aberrant for the people to still view Korach’s encroachment as appropriate. When knowledge remains in the mind and does not penetrate the heart, it can lead to arrogance, hypocrisy and self-deception. A person may “know” the truth, but still act against it, because he has not absorbed and assimilated the truth emotionally or spiritually. This was precisely the cause of Korach’s downfall and the undoing of his followers.
