פָּרָשַׁת שְׁלַח Parashat Korach
INTRODUCTION:
Parashat Ḳoraḥ (Num. 16:1-18:32) contains the following sidrot:
Hundred-and-Nineteenth Sidra՚, Ḳoraḥ's rebellion, the incense pans, complaints and Aaron intercedes;
Hundred-and-Twentieth Sidra՚, the test of the staffs, duties of the kohanim and Levites, the kohen's portion, the Levites portion, and the Levites tithe to the kohen.
ANALYSIS:
Hundred-and-Nineteenth Sidra՚ (Num. 16:1-17:15): Ḳoraḥ's rebellion, the incense pans, complaints and Aaron intercedes.
Ḳoraḥ son of Yiṣhar son of Ḳahath son of Lewi (a cousin of Moses and Aaron) along with Dathan, Aviram, and On from the tribe of Reuben, together with two hundred and fifty Nesi՚im of the Community members of the Appointed council rise up against Moses and Aaron. "Too much is yours, for all the Community all of them are holy, and in their midst is YHWH; and wherefore do you lift yourselves up above the Assembly of YHWH" (Num. 16:3). Moses tells Ḳoraḥ and his followers that in the morning YHWH will make known who is His, who is holy, and whom He will bring near to Him. Moses instructs Ḳoraḥ and his followers that on the next day they are to take censers containing fire and incense, and put them before YHWH, and the man whom He chooses he is to be the holy one. Moses castigates those Levites who have attached themselves to Ḳoraḥ, since they are not content with the honour of YHWH separating them from the Community of Israel in order to bring them near to Him, so as to serve in the Mishkan, and to attend to the Community, "And you also seek the priesthood" (Num. 16:10). Moses declares their rebellion a revolt against YHWH, and summons Dathan and Aviram who refuse to come, an action that shows contempt for Moses' leadership. Dathan and Aviram respond by twisting the words of YHWH, stating that Moses brought them out of a land flowing with milk and honey - i.e. Egypt - in order to lord it over them and to cause their death in the wilderness. They argue that Moses has not brought them to a land flowing with milk and honey, nor has he given to them fields and vineyards. Moses becomes exceedingly angry and asks YHWH not to accept their gift-offerings, for all that he has done for them has been altruistic, no fee has he received, and no evil has he committed evil against even one of them. The next morning Ḳoraḥ and his followers place their censers containing fire and incense before YHWH at the Tent of Appointed Times along with Aaron's censer. Ḳoraḥ his followers as well as Moses and Aaron stand at the entrance of the Tent of Appointed Times and the Glory of YHWH appears to them. YHWH wants to consume the Community in a moment and tells Moses and Aaron to separate from them. Moses and Aaron fall on their faces and plead for the lives of the Community, "God, God of the spirits of all flesh; if one man sins, shall You be wroth against all the Community" (Num. 16:22). YHWH heeds their plea and tells Moses that all the Community is to move away from around the dwellings of Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram. Moses relays YHWH's message to the Community and they move away from the tents of Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, whom Moses refers to as wicked men. No one is to touch anything that belongs to them - lest they too be swept away in the sins of Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram. Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, come out of their tents and stand, each man, at the entrance of his tent along with his wife, children, and infants. Moses tells the people that they will indeed know that YHWH has sent him and it is not something that he has devised out of his own heart. If Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, die of natural causes then YHWH did not send him. However, if YHWH should create a creation making the ground open up so that it swallows Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, and all that belongs to them, then Moses was sent by YHWH. As soon as Moses finishes speaking the ground opens up beneath Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, swallowing them up alive along with their households, all the human beings belonging to Ḳoraḥ, and all the property. Then the earth closes up over them; they perish. The people flee in all directions out of fear that they too will swallowed by the earth. A fire goes out from YHWH and consumes the two hundred and fifty Nesi՚im who were part of the revolt.
YHWH tells Moses to tell Elՙazar the son of Aaron to take the censers from the burning since they have become holy, and to scatter the fire yonder. The censers of those who sinned are to be made into beaten plates to plate over the altar. The plates are to act as a sign for the Children of Israel that a stranger i.e. someone who is not of the seed of Aaron, is not to burn incense before YHWH; so that he does not become like Ḳoraḥ and his community.
The next day the Children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron (some people never learn!) They accuse Moses and Aaron of causing the death of YHWH's people. Just then, those who have assembled against Moses and Aaron turn towards the Tent of Appointed Times, and lo and behold the Cloud was covering it and the Glory of YHWH was seen. YHWH tells Moses to move away from those gathered against him and Aaron so that He may consume them. Moses tells Aaron to take his censer and place into it fire from the altar in addition to incense and to quickly go and atone for the Community, for a wrath has gone out from YHWH; a plague has begun! Aaron did as Moses told him and once he had made atonement for the people - the plague abated. Those that died from the plague totalled 14,700.
Hundred-and-Twentieth Sidra՚ (Num. 17:16-18:32): The test of the staffs, duties of the kohanim and Levites, the kohen's portion, the Levites portion, and the Levites tithe to the kohen.
YHWH instructs Moses to tell the Children of Israel to take the rods of the Nesi՚im of the twelve tribes, one rod per tribe. The Nasi of each tribe is to write his name upon his rod. On the rod for the tribe of Lewi is to be written the name of Aaron. The rods are then to be placed in the Tent of Appointed Times before the Testimony; the man whom YHWH shall choose his rod will bud. Then there will be no more murmurings by the Children of Israel against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses places the rods before YHWH in the Tent of the Testimony. The next day he enters the Tent of the Testimony and behold! Aaron's rod - the rod of the House of Lewi - has brought forth buds blooming with blossom and producing almonds! Moses brings out to the Children of Israel all the rods from before YHWH so that they may see them, and then the Nesi՚im take back their rods. YHWH commands Moses to return Aaron's rod back before the Testimony so that it may serve as a sign to the sons of rebellion and make an end of their murmurings against Him, so that they do not die.
The Children of Israel are now afraid that they will all perish, since anyone who approaches the Mishkan of YHWH will die. YHWH tells Aaron that he, his sons, and his father's house i.e. the Levites, shall bear any iniquity pertaining to the Holy Place. However, only Aaron and his sons shall bear any iniquity pertaining to their priesthood. The tribe of Lewi - Aaron's own tribe - thus becomes joined to the kohanim, enabling them to approach the Mishkan and serve the kohanim in front of the Tent of the Testimony. The Levites are to keep the charge of the Tent and the work involved in the upkeep of the Mishkan. Nevertheless, they cannot approach the Holy vessels, nor can they approach the altar if they do, they will die. A non-Levite may not approach the Tent of Appointed Times. The true priesthood is in the hands of the descendants of Aaron, while the Levites serve as assistant priests.
YHWH tells Aaron that all the holy donations, donated by the Children of Israel, belong to the kohanim as well as to their sons and to their daughters. From the fire-offerings of the Children of Israel: all their sacrifices, gift-offerings, sin-offerings, and guilt-offerings. However, the kohanim must eat the offerings in the Holy Place for they are holy to the kohanim. The kohanim are also to receive from the donations of the Children of Israel all their elevation-offerings, as well as the choicest parts of the fresh oil, new wine, and grain. All the first fruits that the Children of Israel give to YHWH, YHWH gives to the kohanim. Every member of the household of a kohen may eat of it as long as they are in a state of purity. Everything devoted in Israel belongs to the kohanim: the first-born male of the womb of both humans and beasts. However, the first-born of humans and impure beasts are to be redeemed from the age of one month at the value of five silver sheḳels. The first-born of sacrificial beasts - oxen, sheep, and goats - are not to be redeemed since they are holy. Their blood is to be dashed against the altar and their ḥelev is to be turned into smoke, while their meat is for the kohanim like the breast of the elevation-offering and the right thigh. Once the Children of Israel are settled in the land of Canaan the kohanim, unlike the other Israelites, are not to receive a tribal territory, or land inheritance, since YHWH will be their portion and their inheritance in the midst of the Children of Israel.
All the tithes [מַעְשַֹר - literally; a tenth] in Israel are the inheritance of the Levites, and belong to them in exchange for their service in the Tent of Appointed Times. The Children of Israel cannot approach the Tent of Appointed Times lest they bear sin and die, for only the Levites can work in the service of the Tent of Appointed Times. However, like the kohanim they are not to possess land inheritance amongst the Children of Israel. This is another reason why the Levites receive the tithes of the Children of Israel.
YHWH instructs Moses to tell the Levites that when they take their tithes from the Children of Israel they are to set aside a donation for YHWH - a tithe of a tithe consisting of the choice parts along with its holy part. The Levites give their tithe to the kohanim. The Levites and their households may eat the tithes that they receive from the Children of Israel in any place and it is not necessary for them to eat it in a state of purity. Nor will they bear sin due to it since they have set aside its choice parts.
TEACHINGS OF HAKHAM REKHAVI:
Up until now, every revolt by the people against YHWH, Moses, and Aaron has been generated by fear. Fear that their base need for sustenance will not be met as was the case at Ḳivroth Hatta՚awa [The Graves of the Lust], or the fear that gripped them in the Wilderness of Paran when they listened to the words of the lying scouts and refused to take the land. Fear that comes about through a lack of trust in YHWH. These revolts were more or less spontaneous - given over to a particular moment under a particular circumstance - the revolt instigated by the opportunist powered by mob rule.
However, the revolt that takes place in Parashat Ḳoraḥ is of a different nature. This is not a revolt spawned by the moment driven by raw negative emotion, this revolt is well thought out, reasoned by a certain rationale, based upon time honoured ideals. Neither is this a revolt undertaken by a cohesive group unified in one sole objective, but by two separate groups each with its own particular grievance that have formed an alliance in order to overthrow the prevailing system.
"And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:4-6) the Torah does not state that we are a holy nation but that we will be holy - holiness is earned it isn't intrinsic. We do not keep the Torah because we are holy we keep it in order to be holy! Holiness is thus an attainable privilege, an end to strive for, and an ongoing process throughout our lives. Ḳoraḥ misunderstands the concept of holiness, for him holiness is intrinsic. This has theological ramifications for when holiness becomes intrinsic there is nothing to be achieved, no responsibility is demanded from the individual; thus holiness becomes profane. Even an unrighteous individual can claim a place in the holy nation for he is intrinsically holy. How many Jews today believe that they are holy simply because being an Israelite gives them that privilege? Therefore, the objectives of Ḳoraḥism is to impose upon the people a value system fomented out of the political theory of equality and a distorted idea of the concept of holiness. Ḳoraḥism insists - due to its warped understanding of holiness - that if all of Israel is holy then surely all must be equal in their holiness. If this is so then all Levites are equal to any other Levite in their holiness, and since YHWH separated all Levites from Israel to serve in the Mishkan then all Levites have an equal share of the priesthood no less so than Aaron and his sons. Ḳoraḥism is religious egalitarianism governed by a distorted concept of holiness that panders to the egos of man rather than to the word and desire of YHWH; upholding these principles is a revolt against YHWH in the image of Ḳoraḥ.
The revolt of Dathan and Aviram was socio-political. It was purely secular in nature and could even be regarded as being atheistic since it denied YHWH by accrediting Moses for the Exodus and for everything that had happened. Dathan and Aviram have an issue with leadership. According to the time honoured tradition of primogenitary rights (firstborn rights of inheritance), a tradition endorsed by the Torah, the tribe of Reuben being descended from Reuben the firstborn of Jacob should be first among the tribes and thus inherit the leadership of the nation. In the view of Dathan and Aviram it did not matter whether or not YHWH had chosen Moses and Aaron to lead the nation, time honoured tradition and personal ambition overruled YHWH's decision. Actions that are God denying, or place time honoured tradition above the word of YHWH are those in the footsteps of Dathan and Aviram.
Parashat Ḳoraḥ (Num. 16:1-18:32) contains the following sidrot:
Hundred-and-Nineteenth Sidra՚, Ḳoraḥ's rebellion, the incense pans, complaints and Aaron intercedes;
Hundred-and-Twentieth Sidra՚, the test of the staffs, duties of the kohanim and Levites, the kohen's portion, the Levites portion, and the Levites tithe to the kohen.
ANALYSIS:
Hundred-and-Nineteenth Sidra՚ (Num. 16:1-17:15): Ḳoraḥ's rebellion, the incense pans, complaints and Aaron intercedes.
Ḳoraḥ son of Yiṣhar son of Ḳahath son of Lewi (a cousin of Moses and Aaron) along with Dathan, Aviram, and On from the tribe of Reuben, together with two hundred and fifty Nesi՚im of the Community members of the Appointed council rise up against Moses and Aaron. "Too much is yours, for all the Community all of them are holy, and in their midst is YHWH; and wherefore do you lift yourselves up above the Assembly of YHWH" (Num. 16:3). Moses tells Ḳoraḥ and his followers that in the morning YHWH will make known who is His, who is holy, and whom He will bring near to Him. Moses instructs Ḳoraḥ and his followers that on the next day they are to take censers containing fire and incense, and put them before YHWH, and the man whom He chooses he is to be the holy one. Moses castigates those Levites who have attached themselves to Ḳoraḥ, since they are not content with the honour of YHWH separating them from the Community of Israel in order to bring them near to Him, so as to serve in the Mishkan, and to attend to the Community, "And you also seek the priesthood" (Num. 16:10). Moses declares their rebellion a revolt against YHWH, and summons Dathan and Aviram who refuse to come, an action that shows contempt for Moses' leadership. Dathan and Aviram respond by twisting the words of YHWH, stating that Moses brought them out of a land flowing with milk and honey - i.e. Egypt - in order to lord it over them and to cause their death in the wilderness. They argue that Moses has not brought them to a land flowing with milk and honey, nor has he given to them fields and vineyards. Moses becomes exceedingly angry and asks YHWH not to accept their gift-offerings, for all that he has done for them has been altruistic, no fee has he received, and no evil has he committed evil against even one of them. The next morning Ḳoraḥ and his followers place their censers containing fire and incense before YHWH at the Tent of Appointed Times along with Aaron's censer. Ḳoraḥ his followers as well as Moses and Aaron stand at the entrance of the Tent of Appointed Times and the Glory of YHWH appears to them. YHWH wants to consume the Community in a moment and tells Moses and Aaron to separate from them. Moses and Aaron fall on their faces and plead for the lives of the Community, "God, God of the spirits of all flesh; if one man sins, shall You be wroth against all the Community" (Num. 16:22). YHWH heeds their plea and tells Moses that all the Community is to move away from around the dwellings of Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram. Moses relays YHWH's message to the Community and they move away from the tents of Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, whom Moses refers to as wicked men. No one is to touch anything that belongs to them - lest they too be swept away in the sins of Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram. Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, come out of their tents and stand, each man, at the entrance of his tent along with his wife, children, and infants. Moses tells the people that they will indeed know that YHWH has sent him and it is not something that he has devised out of his own heart. If Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, die of natural causes then YHWH did not send him. However, if YHWH should create a creation making the ground open up so that it swallows Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, and all that belongs to them, then Moses was sent by YHWH. As soon as Moses finishes speaking the ground opens up beneath Ḳoraḥ, Dathan and Aviram, swallowing them up alive along with their households, all the human beings belonging to Ḳoraḥ, and all the property. Then the earth closes up over them; they perish. The people flee in all directions out of fear that they too will swallowed by the earth. A fire goes out from YHWH and consumes the two hundred and fifty Nesi՚im who were part of the revolt.
YHWH tells Moses to tell Elՙazar the son of Aaron to take the censers from the burning since they have become holy, and to scatter the fire yonder. The censers of those who sinned are to be made into beaten plates to plate over the altar. The plates are to act as a sign for the Children of Israel that a stranger i.e. someone who is not of the seed of Aaron, is not to burn incense before YHWH; so that he does not become like Ḳoraḥ and his community.
The next day the Children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron (some people never learn!) They accuse Moses and Aaron of causing the death of YHWH's people. Just then, those who have assembled against Moses and Aaron turn towards the Tent of Appointed Times, and lo and behold the Cloud was covering it and the Glory of YHWH was seen. YHWH tells Moses to move away from those gathered against him and Aaron so that He may consume them. Moses tells Aaron to take his censer and place into it fire from the altar in addition to incense and to quickly go and atone for the Community, for a wrath has gone out from YHWH; a plague has begun! Aaron did as Moses told him and once he had made atonement for the people - the plague abated. Those that died from the plague totalled 14,700.
Hundred-and-Twentieth Sidra՚ (Num. 17:16-18:32): The test of the staffs, duties of the kohanim and Levites, the kohen's portion, the Levites portion, and the Levites tithe to the kohen.
YHWH instructs Moses to tell the Children of Israel to take the rods of the Nesi՚im of the twelve tribes, one rod per tribe. The Nasi of each tribe is to write his name upon his rod. On the rod for the tribe of Lewi is to be written the name of Aaron. The rods are then to be placed in the Tent of Appointed Times before the Testimony; the man whom YHWH shall choose his rod will bud. Then there will be no more murmurings by the Children of Israel against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses places the rods before YHWH in the Tent of the Testimony. The next day he enters the Tent of the Testimony and behold! Aaron's rod - the rod of the House of Lewi - has brought forth buds blooming with blossom and producing almonds! Moses brings out to the Children of Israel all the rods from before YHWH so that they may see them, and then the Nesi՚im take back their rods. YHWH commands Moses to return Aaron's rod back before the Testimony so that it may serve as a sign to the sons of rebellion and make an end of their murmurings against Him, so that they do not die.
The Children of Israel are now afraid that they will all perish, since anyone who approaches the Mishkan of YHWH will die. YHWH tells Aaron that he, his sons, and his father's house i.e. the Levites, shall bear any iniquity pertaining to the Holy Place. However, only Aaron and his sons shall bear any iniquity pertaining to their priesthood. The tribe of Lewi - Aaron's own tribe - thus becomes joined to the kohanim, enabling them to approach the Mishkan and serve the kohanim in front of the Tent of the Testimony. The Levites are to keep the charge of the Tent and the work involved in the upkeep of the Mishkan. Nevertheless, they cannot approach the Holy vessels, nor can they approach the altar if they do, they will die. A non-Levite may not approach the Tent of Appointed Times. The true priesthood is in the hands of the descendants of Aaron, while the Levites serve as assistant priests.
YHWH tells Aaron that all the holy donations, donated by the Children of Israel, belong to the kohanim as well as to their sons and to their daughters. From the fire-offerings of the Children of Israel: all their sacrifices, gift-offerings, sin-offerings, and guilt-offerings. However, the kohanim must eat the offerings in the Holy Place for they are holy to the kohanim. The kohanim are also to receive from the donations of the Children of Israel all their elevation-offerings, as well as the choicest parts of the fresh oil, new wine, and grain. All the first fruits that the Children of Israel give to YHWH, YHWH gives to the kohanim. Every member of the household of a kohen may eat of it as long as they are in a state of purity. Everything devoted in Israel belongs to the kohanim: the first-born male of the womb of both humans and beasts. However, the first-born of humans and impure beasts are to be redeemed from the age of one month at the value of five silver sheḳels. The first-born of sacrificial beasts - oxen, sheep, and goats - are not to be redeemed since they are holy. Their blood is to be dashed against the altar and their ḥelev is to be turned into smoke, while their meat is for the kohanim like the breast of the elevation-offering and the right thigh. Once the Children of Israel are settled in the land of Canaan the kohanim, unlike the other Israelites, are not to receive a tribal territory, or land inheritance, since YHWH will be their portion and their inheritance in the midst of the Children of Israel.
All the tithes [מַעְשַֹר - literally; a tenth] in Israel are the inheritance of the Levites, and belong to them in exchange for their service in the Tent of Appointed Times. The Children of Israel cannot approach the Tent of Appointed Times lest they bear sin and die, for only the Levites can work in the service of the Tent of Appointed Times. However, like the kohanim they are not to possess land inheritance amongst the Children of Israel. This is another reason why the Levites receive the tithes of the Children of Israel.
YHWH instructs Moses to tell the Levites that when they take their tithes from the Children of Israel they are to set aside a donation for YHWH - a tithe of a tithe consisting of the choice parts along with its holy part. The Levites give their tithe to the kohanim. The Levites and their households may eat the tithes that they receive from the Children of Israel in any place and it is not necessary for them to eat it in a state of purity. Nor will they bear sin due to it since they have set aside its choice parts.
TEACHINGS OF HAKHAM REKHAVI:
Up until now, every revolt by the people against YHWH, Moses, and Aaron has been generated by fear. Fear that their base need for sustenance will not be met as was the case at Ḳivroth Hatta՚awa [The Graves of the Lust], or the fear that gripped them in the Wilderness of Paran when they listened to the words of the lying scouts and refused to take the land. Fear that comes about through a lack of trust in YHWH. These revolts were more or less spontaneous - given over to a particular moment under a particular circumstance - the revolt instigated by the opportunist powered by mob rule.
However, the revolt that takes place in Parashat Ḳoraḥ is of a different nature. This is not a revolt spawned by the moment driven by raw negative emotion, this revolt is well thought out, reasoned by a certain rationale, based upon time honoured ideals. Neither is this a revolt undertaken by a cohesive group unified in one sole objective, but by two separate groups each with its own particular grievance that have formed an alliance in order to overthrow the prevailing system.
"And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:4-6) the Torah does not state that we are a holy nation but that we will be holy - holiness is earned it isn't intrinsic. We do not keep the Torah because we are holy we keep it in order to be holy! Holiness is thus an attainable privilege, an end to strive for, and an ongoing process throughout our lives. Ḳoraḥ misunderstands the concept of holiness, for him holiness is intrinsic. This has theological ramifications for when holiness becomes intrinsic there is nothing to be achieved, no responsibility is demanded from the individual; thus holiness becomes profane. Even an unrighteous individual can claim a place in the holy nation for he is intrinsically holy. How many Jews today believe that they are holy simply because being an Israelite gives them that privilege? Therefore, the objectives of Ḳoraḥism is to impose upon the people a value system fomented out of the political theory of equality and a distorted idea of the concept of holiness. Ḳoraḥism insists - due to its warped understanding of holiness - that if all of Israel is holy then surely all must be equal in their holiness. If this is so then all Levites are equal to any other Levite in their holiness, and since YHWH separated all Levites from Israel to serve in the Mishkan then all Levites have an equal share of the priesthood no less so than Aaron and his sons. Ḳoraḥism is religious egalitarianism governed by a distorted concept of holiness that panders to the egos of man rather than to the word and desire of YHWH; upholding these principles is a revolt against YHWH in the image of Ḳoraḥ.
The revolt of Dathan and Aviram was socio-political. It was purely secular in nature and could even be regarded as being atheistic since it denied YHWH by accrediting Moses for the Exodus and for everything that had happened. Dathan and Aviram have an issue with leadership. According to the time honoured tradition of primogenitary rights (firstborn rights of inheritance), a tradition endorsed by the Torah, the tribe of Reuben being descended from Reuben the firstborn of Jacob should be first among the tribes and thus inherit the leadership of the nation. In the view of Dathan and Aviram it did not matter whether or not YHWH had chosen Moses and Aaron to lead the nation, time honoured tradition and personal ambition overruled YHWH's decision. Actions that are God denying, or place time honoured tradition above the word of YHWH are those in the footsteps of Dathan and Aviram.