Parshat Korach 5759
\u201cPerfidy\u201d
Rabbi Ari Kahn

While the story of the rebellion of Korach is well known, the very idea of a rebellion against Moshe seems strange to us. Moshe was surely the greatest leader the Jewish people had ever known. More than that, he was our greatest teacher and to top it off Moshe was the most modest man to ever live. Adding these characteristics together should produce an extremely attractive package, a leader of unparalleled stature. How was Korach able to convince anyone to join him in a rebellion against Moshe? Undoubtedly, Korach was sly and devious. The Midrash stresses his manipulative demagoguery and deception. But how did this movement gain a foothold within the Jewish community?

A number of the steps are clear (and were discussed in last year\u2019s Notes). Korach gathers the disenfranchised, namely the tribe of Reuven who had lost their stature of eldest tribe and the rights and privileges thereof. The timing is also significant: the people had just been sentenced to wander in the desert for forty years. Although this was not Moshe\u2019s doing, there most likely was whispered criticism Moshe\u2019s mismanagement of the spies, murmuring which called Moshe\u2019s leadership into question.

All this being said, the seeds of the insurrection perhaps can be found in an unexpected quarter. The most important and debilitating attack on Moshe came from his own brother and sister, Aharon and Miriam.

And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moshe because of the Kushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Kushite woman. And they said, \u2018Has G-d indeed spoken only by Moshe? Has he not spoken also by us?\u2019 And G-d heard it. And the man Moshe was very humble, more than any other man upon the face of the earth. And G-d spoke suddenly to Moshe, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, \u2018Come out you three to the Tent of Meeting.\u2019 And the three came out. (Bamidbar 12:1-4)

Perhaps this talk against Moshe from such reputable people burst the bubble of Moshe\u2019s unparalleled status in the eyes of the people. It is interesting that while Miriam was immediately punished, Aharon apparently escaped that episode unscathed.1 Ironically,

when Korach wages his war against Moshe, he points his accusations at Aharon as the beneficiary of Moshe\u2019s nepotism.

Ya\u2019akov get the audacity to contemplate killing Yosef, when it was obvious to them that their father would take any harm to Yosef in the most severe manner? The answer is-- from Reuven. Reuven acted in a manner which was almost too shocking to be understood.

And it came to pass, when Yisrael lived in that land, that Reuven went and lay with Bilhah his father\u2019s concubine; and Yisrael heard it. Now the sons of Ya\u2019aacob were twelve. (Bereishit 35:22)

The Talmud declares that Reuven was certainly not guilty of that nefarious crime; he merely moved his fathers bed from the tent of Bilhah to the tent of his mother:

R. Shmuel b. Nachman said in R. Yonatan's name: Whoever maintains that Reuven sinned is merely making an error, for it is said, \u2018Now the sons of Ya\u2019acov were twelve\u2019, teaching that they were all equal. Then how do I interpret, \u2018and he lay with Bilhah his father's concubine\u2019? This teaches that he transposed his father's couch, and the Writ imputes [blame] to him as though he had lain with her\u2026 He resented his mother's humiliation. Said he, If my mother's sister was a rival to my mother, shall the bondmaid of my mother's sister be a rival to my mother? [Thereupon] he arose and transposed her couch. (Shabbat 55b)

It seems strange; how can moving furniture be associated with arguably one of the cardinal sins of Judaism? The answer is that had Reuven not committed this act, the other brothers would never have dreamt of selling Yosef. Once the brothers saw that Reuven was able to act in such an impertinent manner toward their father, the reins of awe and respect were loosened, and the brothers\u2019 impudence surged. This is evident from the explanation offered by the Midrash for Reuven\u2019s disappearance during the sale of Yosef.

\u201cAnd Reuven returned to the pit\u201d. Where had he been? R. Eleazar said: He was taken up with his fasting and sackcloth, and when he became free he went and looked into the pit. Hence it is written, \u201cand Reuven repented\u201d. (a play on the word \u201creturned\u201d) (Midrash Rabbah \u2013 Bereishit 84:19)

Apparently, at that point, Reuven understood the ramifications of his actions; his impertinence led directly to the sale of Yosef. His moving of furniture almost led to murder \u2013 one of the cardinal sins of Judaism.3

RENT HIS CLOTHES. AND HE RETURNED UNTO HIS BRETHREN AND SAID: THE CHILD IS NOT, ETC . For even Reuben did not know that Joseph had been sold. As already said, the brothers associated the Shekinah with them in the oath of secrecy,

Rashi, based on the Midrash Tanchuma, explains the sin of Miriam. The Torah had said \u201cAnd Miriam and Aharon spoke against Moshe because of the Kushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Kushite woman.\u201d According to Rashi the problem was not the marriage, but Moshe\u2019s decision to separate himself from his wife. In the opinion of Miriam and Aharon this was undue, excessive asceticism.4 After all, G-d had spoken to them as well and never made such demands. This separation is arguably one of the decisions Moshe had taken on his own:

This was one of the three things which Moshe did of his own accord, but which received the full approval of G-d. He separated himself from his wife, because- said R. Shimon ben Yochai--Moshe thus reasoned to himself: ' If in connection with Mount Sinai, which was hallowed only for the occasion [of Revelation], we were told: \u2018Come not near a woman\u2019 (ib. 19:15), then how much more must I, to whom He speaks at all times, separate myself from my wife?\u2019 R. Akiva said: [No!] it was G-d Himself who told him [to separate himself from his wife], (Midrash Rabbah \u2013 Sh\u2019mot 46:3)

Whether G-d had actually told Moshe to separate from his wife or merely agreed ex post facto, it is clear that Aharon and Miriam had not known that Moshe\u2019s actions enjoyed the Divine blessing (at least). This opened the door for Korach\u2019s insidious claim that Moshe was \u201cmaking things up\u201d and not acting within the Divine mandate.

It was the same with Korach. He contended with Moshe, and said that the latter had invented all these things from his own mind and on his own initiative. (Midrash Rabbah - Bamidbar 18:12)

Korach would never have been able to make such a claim had Aharon and Miriam not said as much before him. Interestingly, all three decisions mentioned in the Talmud as independent decisions by Moshe may be connected to the insurrection and demagoguery of Korach:

For it was taught, Three things did Moshe do of his own understanding, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave His approval: he added one day of his own understanding, he separated himself from his wife, and he broke the Tablets. \u2018He added one day of his own understanding\u2019: what [verse] did he interpret? Today and tomorrow: \u2018today\u2019 [must be] like \u2018tomorrow: just as tomorrow includes the [previous] night, so \u2018today\u2019 [must] include the [previous] night, but the night of today has already passed! Hence it must be two days exclusive of today. And how do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave his approval? \u2014 Since the Shechinah did not rest [upon Mount Sinai] until the