Korah was a Levite who rebelled against Moses, Aaron, and the priests of Israel. He was joined in his rebellion by 250 other Levites, as well as other Israelites who thought they should be priests instead of just being ordinary people.
In Numbers 16:1-3, Korah and his followers challenged Moses’ authority when he told them that their families would not inherit any land because of their rebellion. They also accused him of being selfish for taking all the glory for himself. They said that if he wanted to be like God, then he should come down from Mount Sinai and make himself known to them.
Moses took this challenge very seriously and asked God what should be done about it. God told him not to act rashly but instead wait until morning to see what would happen next. That night, however, all 250 men died in an earthquake when they were swallowed up by a huge landslide while they slept outside on top of Mount Sinai (Numbers 16:32-35).
Korah: The Rebel of the Bible
Korah is a well-known figure in the Bible who is famous for his rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of challenging authority and going against the will of God.
- Numbers 16:1-3 – “Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?”
- Numbers 16:31-33 – “And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.”
- Numbers 26:9-10 – “And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.”
- Jude 1:11 – “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”
| Character | Action | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Korah | Challenged Moses and Aaron | Swallowed by the earth |
| Dathan and Abiram | Joined Korah in rebellion | Swallowed by the earth |
In conclusion, Korah’s rebellion serves as a stark reminder of the importance of respecting authority and following God’s will. His story teaches us the consequences of pride, disobedience, and rebellion against the established leadership. Let us learn from Korah’s mistakes and strive to live according to God’s word.
Korah (Korach) was the leader of a rebellion against Moses and his brother Aaron, during the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the Land of Israel. As punishment, he met his end by miraculously being swallowed up by the earth. His story is told in the Book of Numbers, in the portion known as Korach.
Korah, the Man of Stature
Korah1 was a great-grandson of Levi, the third of Jacob’s twelve sons, and a first cousin to Moses and Aaron, the Jewish leader and High Priest, respectively.
Korah was born in Egypt,2 at the time when the Jews were enslaved to King Pharaoh. He experienced the miraculous Exodus from Egypt and journey through the Red Sea on dry land, and received the Torah at Mount Sinai along with the rest of his brethren.
Korah was extremely wealthy,3 and was a clever and astute individual.4 His status as a member of the Levite tribe enabled him to participate in the service in the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary the Jews carried with them throughout their journey to the Promised Land.
Despite—and because of—his many qualities, he felt able to take a stance against Moses and Aaron, which ultimately led to his downfall.
Korah’s Rebellion
Korah was envious of Aaron’s selection as High Priest, which eliminated all other candidates from consideration. Aaron was the only candidate. In addition, Korah’s cousin Elitzafan had been selected to lead the Levite family of Kehot, which was the family to which he belonged, and Korah believed that this position was legitimately his.
These individual complaints prompted Korah to mount a full-scale insurrection against the government. He was accompanied by Dathan and Abiram, who had been causing problems in Egypt ever since they were little, and he was successful in rallying an additional 250 community leaders to support his mission. Together, they approached Moses and Aaron, asserting that he had nominated his brother as High Priest on his own initiative, without being directed to do so by God. They maintained that this was a completely independent act. In addition to this, they demanded that each of them be granted permission to serve as High Priests.
Moses reacted by stating that this was not possible because this holy position could only be held by a single individual. Aaron gave the instruction to all of them to take pans the following day and offer ketoret (incense) before God. For the purpose of demonstrating that Aaron was actually ordained by God, he stated that God would accept the sacrifice of the one whom He regarded to be worthy.
Korah’s group expanded in size as he enticed thousands of others to join his side throughout the course of the night. The following day, the 250 men moved closer to the sanctuary while carrying pans that were loaded with incense.
Miraculous Demise
Depiction of the mountain opening up, swalling Korah and his cohorts. (Art by Yoram Ranaan)
At this point, Moses warned the Jews to stay clear of the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Addressing the crowd, he foretold of the punishment that would befall them: the earth would open its mouth and swallow them alive.
As Moses finished speaking, the earth indeed opened up and swallowed Korah and his two cohorts along with their families and possessions, never to be seen again. At the same time, a Heavenly fire went forth and consumed the 250 incense-bearers.
The Aftermath
As a reminder to the nation of the calamitous outcome of the rebellion, Aaron’s son Elazar was instructed to melt the pans and craft them as plates to cover the Tabernacle altar.
To further demonstrate that Aaron was Divinely chosen, each tribe was instructed to give a staff to Moses, upon which was inscribed the name of the tribe’s leader. On the staff of the tribe of Levi, Aaron’s name was inscribed. Moses placed the staffs in the sanctuary before the Ark of the Covenant, and the next morning, Aaron’s staff was discovered to have miraculously flowered and produced almonds.
Additionally, G‑d solidified Aaron’s position by bestowing upon him and his sons twenty-four priestly gifts.
Korah’s Descendants
At the beginning of the argument, Asir, Elkanah, and Aviasaf, Korah’s three sons, participated in their father’s dispute. However, not long after that, they expressed sorrow for their conduct and expressed regret for their behavior. Because of this, they were spared the fate that befell their father and managed to survive.6.Indeed, the descendants of Korah were among the Levites who sang in the Holy Temple, and a number of the psalms that are included in the Book of Psalms were either penned by them or sung by them on their behalf. Samuel, the renowned prophet, was one of the descendants of Korah. Samuel was anointed by some of the first kings of Israel, including Saul and David.ten
Of Blue Threads and Doorposts
Some of the drama that occurred during Korah’s insurrection is filled in by the Midrash. A number of commandments that Korah considered to be unreasonable were brought up in an effort to undermine Moses.
He started off by concentrating on the mitzvah of tzitzit, which is the mandate to connect strings to the corners of our garments. Additionally, one of the threads should ideally be made of wool that has been dyed blue or purple.11 Korah made 250 cloaks that did not have tzitzit but were made from wool that had been colored in a similar manner. He distributed these cloaks to his supporters. Specifically, he inquired, “Do these cloaks require tzitzit?” In response, Moses stated, “Yes, they do.” They started making fun of it by saying things like, “When making a garment of a different color, a single wool string that has been dyed is sufficient, but when dyeing an entire garment, the color itself is not sufficient?”
A further question that Korah posed to Moses was, “Does a house that is full of Torah scrolls require a mezuzah?” Mezuzahs are pieces of parchment that are attached to the doorpost and contain the Shema prayer written on them. In response, Moses stated, “Yes, it does.” Korah teasingly asked, “If a complete Torah scroll is not sufficient, then how can a single paragraph be sufficient?! These rules were not given to you by God; rather, you came up with them out of your own imagination!”12”
In the Hands of the Woman
Korah and another erstwhile friend named On ben Peleth are compared and contrasted in another chapter from the Midrashist. A wise woman creates her home, while a foolish one ruins it, according to the Talmud, which focuses on the line in Proverbs 13 that says, “A wise woman builds her home, while a foolish one destroys it.” The Talmud claims that the wise woman constructs her home, and that the foolish woman destroys it, which alludes to the wife of On Ben Peleth.
So, what took place? This disagreement would not have been started by Korah on his own; rather, it would have been sparked by his wife’s persuasion and encouragement. On the other hand, On’s wife prevented her husband from experiencing the same fate as his coworkers as a result of her actions.
After he had been persuaded to leave their ranks, he posed the following question: “What should I do?” I became a participant in the plot, and I pledged that I would go if they called me to answer their call. She responded, “Don’t worry about it.” I’ll see to it that it gets done.
Following the act of providing her husband with a strong wine to drink and putting him to sleep in their tent, she sat at the entrance and exposed her hair, which she had previously concealed for reasons of modesty. When he saw a woman dressed in an immodest manner standing at the entrance to the tent, any time someone came to call him, he would immediately turn around and go. As a result, his life was preserved.
Korah’s Complaint: A Deeper Look
The connection of a Jew with G‑d consists of two dimensions: the spiritual connection achieved through Torah study and contemplation of the Divine, and the connection accomplished through performing G‑d’s mitzvot (commandments), the majority of which involve material activities and objects.
Korah understood that Moses and Aaron’s spiritual achievements far surpassed his. But it was with regard to mitzvahs that he disputed their supremacy. He argued that the Torah’s main focus is on the practical side of Jewish life and the physical fulfillment of G‑d’s commands. In this regard, he claimed, all Jews are equal; the donning of tefillin performed by Moshe was exactly the same as the donning performed by the simplest Jew. Why should they reign supreme here as well?
However, G‑d desires not only the physical performance of mitzvahs, but also the proper spiritual intent. Thus, while Moses and Aaron’s actual performance of mitzvahs did not differ from that of anyone else, the intent with which they performed them varied greatly, and G‑d considers the intent as well as the deed.15