Korach – Peninim on the Torah

ותנו בהן אש ושימו עליהן קטרת... והיה האיש אשר יבחר ד' הוא הקדוש רב לכם בני לוי

And put fire in them and place incense upon them. Then the man whom Hashem will choose – he is the holy one. It is too much for you, O offspring of Levi. (16:7)

Rashi asks a simple, but piercing, question: Korach was far from a fool. Indeed, he was well-known as a pikeach, wise, intelligent man. If so, what did he see that motivated him to commit to such a foolish act? He knew that there could be only one winner. Offering Ketores, incense, was not child’s play. It had to be done correctly by the right person, or else the person who offered it became history. Only a fool would risk so much. Korach certainly was no fool. We wonder why Rashi asks this question with regard to the Ketores. Why not…

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וישמע משה ויפל על פניו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5774

And Moshe heard and fell on his face. (16:4)

Moshe Rabbeinu had heard it all. This was the final straw. As Rashi explains, She’kvar zeh b’yadam sirchon revii, “This was already the fourth foulness that the Jews had committed.” They had worshipped the Golden Calf – after which Moshe prayed for them. They were misonenim, complained for no good reason, just for the sake of complaining; again, Moshe prayed for them. They heeded the false and slanderous reports of the meraglim, spies, and wept bitterly for no reason; Moshe again prayed for them. This was the fourth time that the nation had defied Hashem. It was too much. Moshe…

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ומדוע תתנשאו על קהל ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5774

Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem? (16:3)

In his commentary to Sefer Yechezkel (18:6), Radak writes that once a Jew, always a Jew. “There is a covenant between Hashem and Klal Yisrael, stating that those who are descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov (who are of the Patriarchal lineage) will never cease their commitment to Judaism. Those, however, who, over time, apostatized themselves and reneged on their faith in Hashem had never been real descendants of the Patriarchs. They are the offspring of the asafsuf, those insincere individuals who attached themselves to the Jewish People.” In his Igeres Teiman, the Rambam makes a similar statement: “Those who…

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ויקומו לפני משה ואנשים מבני ישראל חמשים ומאתים נשיאי עדה קראי מועד אנשי שם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5774

They stood before Moshe with two hundred and fifty men from Bnei Yisrael, leaders of the assembly, those summoned for meeting, men of renown. (16:2)

The two hundred and fifty men that rallied with Korach were not ordinary people. They were from among Klal Yisrael’s spiritual elite. This, of course, did not prevent them from making the mistake of their lives. Perhaps their distinguished position, thinking themselves infallible, might have led to the error which cost them their lives. No one should think that he is above reproach. One who does is in serious trouble. Who were these two hundred and fifty men? Rashi claims that they were all from the Tribe of Reuven. Ibn Ezra, however, contends that they were representatives of all of…

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ויקח קרח

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Korach, 5774

Korach separated himself. (16:1)

Vayikach Korach, “Korach separated himself”: two words that define what was to become one of the greatest tragedies of Moshe Rabbeinu’s leadership, the consequences of which we continue to live with to this very day. Dispute, controversy and machlokes have been present since Korach publicized the concept of dissent, taking it to an unprecedented nadir, which incurred previously unheard of punishment – unparalleled for its severity and finality. All of this happened because “Korach separated himself.” Obviously, there is more than one meaning to Korach’s separating himself. We will address the opinion of Rashi, because its simplicity is unusually profound,…

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ותנו בהן אש ושימו עליהן קטרת... והיה האיש אשר יבחר ד' הוא הקדוש רב לכם בני לוי

And put fire in them and place incense upon them. Then the man whom Hashem will choose – he is the holy one. It is too much for you, O offspring of Levi. (16:7)

וישמע משה ויפל על פניו

And Moshe heard and fell on his face. (16:4)

ומדוע תתנשאו על קהל ד'

Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem? (16:3)

ויקומו לפני משה ואנשים מבני ישראל חמשים ומאתים נשיאי עדה קראי מועד אנשי שם

They stood before Moshe with two hundred and fifty men from Bnei Yisrael, leaders of the assembly, those summoned for meeting, men of renown. (16:2)

ויקח קרח

Korach separated himself. (16:1)

YEARS

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