First Aliya
Korach’s Rebellion
Today’s Chumash begins with the story of Korach and how he led a rebellion against Moshe and Aaron.
The Chumash calls him Korach the son of Itzhar the son of Kohath the son of Levi.
The recounting of his lineage stops there, without including that Levi was the son of Yaakov even though in Divrei HaYamim (6:22-23) Yaakov is included when listing Korach’s descendants. This is because Yaakov prayed to not be included here and thus associated with the divisions Korach caused.
As background, Kohath had four sons, listed by birth order as follows: Amram (the eldest), Itzhar (from whom Korach was descendant), Chebron and Uzziel.
Amram’s two sons, Moshe and Aaron assumed the highest level of greatness, with Moshe being considered a king and Aaron the High Priest.
Korach felt that due to his father being second eldest, he should have been granted the next highest position, that of the prince of the tribe of Levi. He was jealous that instead, this honor was given to Elizaphan the son of Uzziel, the youngest of Kohath’s children.
So Korach, together with 250 heads of courts, mostly from the tribe of Reuven*, including Elitzur the son of Shdeur (the prince of the tribe of Reuven) and his colleagues**, Dathan, Aviram and On the son of Peleth who were from the tribe of Reuven separated themselves and approached Moshe with intent to challenge his authority.
*Side note: Rashi points out that the tribe of Reuven camped in the south which was next to the sons of Kohath. He explains that this is the reason for their involvement in Korach’s dispute. Rashi says that we should learn a lesson from here to be careful about who your neighbors are so as not to be negatively influenced by them.
**Side note: Rashi says that his “colleagues” either means the princes of the other tribes or other important people from the tribe of Reuven.
Korach cloaked them all in cloaks made entirely out of techeilis (i.e turquoise – see the end of last week’s parsha for more details on this) and asked if a garment made entirely out of techeiles would still need tzitzis. Moshe replied that it would. They laughed at this and said mockingly how is this possible if clothing made from another cloth had one thread of techielis it would be exempt from tzitzis yet one which is entirely so is not?
The point of this encounter was for Korach and his assembly to expose how illogical the rules were and thus to infer that the appointment of Aaron to the position of High Priest was similarly illogical.
They protested against Moshe and Aaron saying that they took too much prestige for themselves. After all, all of the Israelites heard G-d’s voice at Mount Sinai, not just the two of them.
Moshe heard all of this and fell on his face. This was the fourth time already that the Israelites had acted out (the previous three times were the incidents regarding the golden calf, the inappropriate asking for meat and the spies). At this point Moshe had lost his strength to pray on their behalf. Rashi likens this to a king’s son who acts despicably towards his father and has a friend who appeases the king on the son’s behalf. He does so once, twice and three times. But by the fourth time he asks rhetorically how much longer can I keep bothering the king?
Moshe responded to Korach’s protests that in the morning, they will do a ceremony in the Mishkan which will make clear whom G-d chooses to be the Levites as well as the Kohanim.
Moshe made this ceremony take place in the morning for a few reasons:
They had just eaten the main meal of the day in which they would drink wine. It is halachically forbidden to perform any temple services even after having consumed even a little bit of wine and people don’t usually drink wine in the morning.
Similar to what Aaron did regarding the sin with the Golden Calf (see Shmos 32:5), Moshe wanted to delay the group and give them a chance to possibly back down.
“Morning” is a metaphor for the idea of boundaries in the world. Moshe was alluding to the idea that just as G-d set up a division between night and morning, so did he set up separations within the Israelites, i.e. with separating the Kohanim from the others.
So Moshe tells Korach and his supporters that the following day they should take the fire pans that are used for raking coals off the altar and put incense in them and put them on the fire.
The incense offering was considered the most precious of all the communal offerings as it was brought entirely out of joy and not to atone from sin. Yet it is also a deadly drug* to anyone who misuses it, as was seen with the story of Nadav and Avihu (see Vayikra 10:1-2).
*Side note: The Maasei Hashem says that the incense included salt of Sodom, which was an actual deadly drug. However the Nachalas Yaakov said that it’s deadly potential was not due to any particular ingredient but rather to its great holiness which made it deadly if misused.
Thus it was this ritual that will determine who Hashem wants to be the rightful Kohen Gadol.
Moshe warns them that they were dealing with a grave and serious matter and whoever the incense did not choose would die.
So why did Korach and his supporters go ahead with this? Were they stupid and not know enough to take Moshe’s warning seriously?
In fact Korach was very smart and his wisdom and prophetic powers were what led to his downfall. He prophetically knew that many great people would descend from him, including the prophet Shmuel (who is described as being greater than Moshe and Aaron combined) as well as “24 watches” (enumerated in more detail in Divrei Hayamim chapters 25 and 26) who were all sons of Heiman who was the “seer of the king in the words of G-d”.
When Moshe said that whoever G-d did not choose would die, Korach thought that his holy lineage would save him.
What he failed to see was that his sons repented and thus survived the incumbent downfall and it was from them that all of these notable descendants came.
At first, Moshe tried to speak gently with Korach however when that didn’t work, Moshe got worried that the rest of the tribe of Levi would join in so he addressed the entire tribe, saying what more do you guys want – G-d already set you aside to perform special services and to sing in the Temple and you want to be Kohanim as well?!
In emphasizing that it was G-d who set them aside as Levites, Moshe was clarifying to them that this dispute was not against Moshe and Aaron but rather against G-d Himself who chose them for their proper positions.
Moshe called upon Dathan and Aviram trying to make peace with them however they refused, saying isn’t it enough that you brought us back from Israel only to have us die in the desert now you want to have more power over us?
Second Aliya
Korach’s Rebellion Cont’d
Dathan and Aviram continue berating Moshe, saying that Moshe did not bring them to a “land flowing with milk and honey” even though he promised them that he would. Nor did he give them a heritage of field or vineyard. They declare that even if Moshe were to threaten to send someone to gouge out their eyes, they would not go with him.
This troubled Moshe greatly and he beseeched G-d not to accept the incense offering the rebels would offer the following day. He requested as well that even their portion of the communal offering should not be accepted and not be consumed on the altar.
Moshe declares that when he traveled from Midian to Egypt together with his wife and sons, this was done on behalf of the Israelites. Thus he had the right at that time to be reimbursed for the donkey which they rode, however he was not. He never wronged any of them.
Moshe tells Korach that he and his followers, 250 people men in total, should each bring a fire pan to offer an incense offering the following day.
So that night, Korach went around to all of the tribes persuading them to join him by speaking mockingly and telling them that he was acting on their behalf because he cared for all of them, fighting against how Moshe and Aaron took positions of power for themselves. He spoke to them throughout the night until they were all convinced.
The following day, they all approached the Ohel Moed and the glory of G-d appeared in the form of the pillar of a cloud* before them.
*Side note: The pillar of a cloud indicates G-d’s anger (see Rashi Bamidbar 12:5 for more info).
Third Aliya
What Happened to Korach and His Followers
G-d tells Moshe and Aaron to separate themselves from the nation and says that he will destroy the nation instantaneously.
Moshe and Aaron prostrate themselves and plead with G-d to not be angry with the entire nation on behalf of one person (i.e. Korach) sinning. They reason that while a king of flesh and blood may not know who is rebelling against him in a rebellion, G-d knows the inner thoughts of everyone so He should only punish whoever sinned. G-d accepts this reasoning and says that He will only punish those who have sinned.
G-d tells Moshe to tell the Israelites to move away from the dwellings of Korach, Dathan and Aviram.
Moshe was still hopeful that he could reason with Dathan and Aviram. He, followed by the elders, approached them, expecting them to rise in his presence. However they did not. So Moshe tells the rest of the nation to go away from the tents of these wicked men, making sure not to touch anything so as not to die on account of their sins.
The nation leaves and Dathan and Aviram leave defiantly together with their entire families*.
*Side note: We will soon see that their families were punished together with them which illustrates how severe their sin were since usually an earthly court does not punish minors (girls under the age of 12 and boys under the age of 13) however in this case, even their baby children were punished/killed.
Moshe declares that through “this” (which is to come) they will come to know that it was G-d who had told him to delegate Aaron as high priest, his sons as Koahnim and Elizaphan as the prince of the Kohatite family.
He says that if they die a natural death, that would be proof that it was Moshe and not G-d who make this decision. However if G-d causes the ground to open up and swallow them alive, they will know that G-d is angry with all of this.
And then, just as predicted, the ground splits open and the earth swallowed Dathan, Aviram, their families and anyone who was part of Korach’s group together with their possessions.
The remaining Israelites flee out of fear of being swallowed up as well.
A fire then comes forth and consumes the 250 men who were offering incense (see yesterday’s aliya).
G-d then tells Moshe to tell Elazar the Kohen (son of Aaron) to pick up the fire pans from within the fire and move the fire off of them as these fire pans have become holy and thus it is forbidden to get any personal pleasure from them, as they have now become implements of the Temple service.
These fire pans which had belonged to people who sinned against their souls in arguing with G-d, should be thinned out into sheets to serve as a covering for the Copper Altar. To serve as reminder of those people who had fought about the priesthood and were then burnt up.
So Elazar did as he was commanded.
The following day, the whole nation complained to Moshe and Aaron saying “you have killed the people of G-d!”
And then the cloud of glory covered the Ohel Moed and Moshe and Aaron approached it.
Fourth Aliya
Aaron Stops the Plague
G-d tells Moshe to separate himself from the nation as He will destroy them instantaneously, whereupon Moshe and Aaron fell on their faces.
Moshe instructed Aaron to burn incense on the fire pan to serve as an atonement for the nation as G-d’s wrath had emerged and the plague had begun.
During the time that Moshe had ascended to heaven, the Angel of Death had given him the secret of the ability of incense to stop a plague. Thus he was certain that his plan with the incense would work.
So Aaron does as he is told and rushes to the middle of the nation. He sees that the plague had begun. He places the incense down which atoned for the nation.
He confronted the the Angel of Death and forced him to stand still and not continue killing the Israelites.
The angel protested “Let go of me so I can perform my mission.”
Aaron replied that Moshe had commanded him to stop the angel.
The angel retorted that he is a messenger of G-d while Aaron is merely a messenger of Moshe.
Aaron shot back that Moshe never says anything of his own accord, he only speaks G-d’s will. Aaron tells the angel that if he doesn’t believe him, he should come with Aaron to ask G-d at the entrance to the Ohel Moed where G-d and Moshe were at that time.
So the plague stopped.
The Israelites had complained that incense was a deadly poison re it having played a role in the death of Nadav, Avihu as well as the 250 people who recently died while burning it (see earlier in this parsha).
Having the incense stop the plague served to teach the nation that it was sin and not incense that killed.
14,700 people died in this plague. This was aside from those who died together with Korach (see yesterday’s aliya).
Aaron returns to Moshe at the entrance of the Ohel Moed.
Fifth Aliya
Aaron’s Staff
G-d tells Moshe to tell the Israelites to take one staff per tribe and have the prince of each tribe inscribed on their respective staff.
Although the Levite clan was divided into Kohanim and Levites, they should be considered like one tribe and Aaron’s name should be inscribed on that staff.
These staffs should then be laid in the Ohel Moed before the Ark and G-d will meet them there. G-d will choose one of the staffs and it will blossom, and G-d’s anger will subside regarding the complaints the Israelites made towrads Him.
So Moshe relates all of this to the Israelites, and places all of the staffs in a circle with Aaron’s in the middle in front of G-d in the Ohel Moed. He placed Aaron’s staff in the middle so no one could claim that the reason why it blossomed (see below) is because it was facing the Shechina.
The following day, Aaron’s staff had blossomed, having sprouted a cluster of almond buds. Rashi comments that the significance of almonds is that they are the quickest fruits to blossom, just like anyone who raising objections over priesthood is quickest to be punished. He gives an example for this from Divrei HaYamim 2 (26:19) where Uzziah the king of Yehudah was afflicted with tzara’as on his forehead immediately upon expressing anger towards the Kohanim.
Moshe then brought out all the staffs to the Israelites and each man took his staff.
Sixth Aliya
The Special Role and Legacy of the Kohanim
G-d tells Moshe to put Aaron’s staff back where it had been, in front of the Ark.
Anyone who was not a Kohen who would enter into the Ohel Moed would die, so having this staff on display there would serve as a reminder and a deterrent to anyone who might have an objection regarding Aaron’s priestly status.
The Israelites protested that they were worried that since they were permitted to enter into the Courtyard of the Ohel Moed, it would be too easy for someone to go a bit closer and enter into the Ohel Moed itself and thus die. Were they indeed doomed to die? They asked.
G-d responds by telling Moshe to relate to Aaron and his family (i.e the Kohanim and Levites who come from Kehoth as did Moshe and Aaron) that they are to take measures to protect the other Israelites from coming too close to the Ohel Moed.
G-d says that any Israelite who sins regarding any of the sacred things which the Kohanim were entrusted with (i.e the Tent, the Ark and the Table), is the Kohanim’s responsibility and they are to bear the punishment in such an instance.
He continues saying that Aaron’s brethren (i.e. the sons of Gershon and Merari) will be part of this effort of protecting the Israelites from approaching too close to the Ohel Moed. The Levites are to attend to the personal needs of the Kohanim by the gates of the Courtyard and appointing clerks to manage the Mishkan’s accounting.
The Levites however are not allowed to approach the holy vessels or the Altar or they will die. They are to prevent other Israelites from getting too close to the Kohanim during their service in the Ohel Moed.
These safeguards will eliminate G-d’s anger against the Israelites.
The Levites have been given to them as a gift to oversee the clerks and managers in the Mishkan.
Similarly, the priesthood was also given as a gift to Aaron and his sons. This section of Chumash states it explicitly in a way that it wasn’t brought up before, though we would have thought that it would have been more appropriate to mention it in the book of Vayirka which deals with laws regarding Kohanim.
Rashi explains the reason why it was placed here, right after the incident with Korach, through a parable of a king who gave a field to a close friend without having anything written up or signed officially or sealed in court. Then one day a person claims this field as his own, so the king then writes up and signs a document and brings it to court to prevent any such protests. The claimant to the field in this case was Korach, and the document G-d wrote up was the 24 gifts of priesthood (enumerated in Bava Kamma 110b and Chullin 137b) with an eternal covenant of salt (detailed later on by Rashi in 18:19 – see below).
G-d says that the Kohanim are to protect His sacrifices for distinction and greatness by making sure that they do not become ritually impure. They are to make sure that the offerings which have the status of being of the highest degree of holiness are only eaten in the Courtyard of the Mishkan or Temple and be only eaten by men.
G-d then outlines those things which are to be set aside as gift to the Kohanim:
The portion which is set aside from the wavings of the Thanksgiving and Peace offerings and the ram of the nazir (to be eaten by any Kohen, even his wife, so long as he is not impure).
The choicest of the first oil, wine and grain which is given to G-d (i.e the first teruma)
Anything set aside in the land of Israel
Any firstborn man or animal (though a firstborn man or impure animal should be redeemed at the age of one month for 5 holy shekels, which equals 12 geirah).
Firstborn oxen, sheep or goats should not be redeemed, as they are holy and offered as sacrifices. These are to to be eaten by Kohanim as well as their wives, children and slaves. This meat can be eaten for two days and one night (this is similar to the rules regarding the breast of the waving and like the right leg of a peace offering, unlike that of the breast and leg of a thanksgiving offering which may only be eaten for one day and one night).
G-d summarizes that anything that the Israelites set aside regarding holy things, G-d has given to the Kohanim. He calls it a “covenant of salt”. Rashi explains that salt is apropos since salt is healthy in that it doesn’t spoil and prevents other things from spoiling thus making them “healthy”.
G-d tells Aaron that they don’t have a share in the land of Israel, not even a share in the spoils of war as G-d is their heritage.
Seventh Aliya
The Legacy of the Levites
G-d now goes on to detail the legacy of the Levites.
The Levites are eternally responsible to prevent the Israelites from approaching the Ohel Moed and if anyone does approach it (in which case the person would die as a result), the Levites are to bear that person’s sin.
While the Levites don’t have a set inheritance in the land like the other tribes, in exchange for their service regarding guarding the Ohel Moed in this way, G-d gave the Levites the tithes of the Israelites.
After taking the tithes from the Israelites, the Levites are then to set aside a tithe from this tithe and give it to the Kohanim. This initial tithe is referred to as Terumah, ie sacred and forbidden to be partaken of until the Levite separates his own tithe from it.
G-d says that the tithe of the Levites should be considered to them as “grain from the threshing floor* (which is what the gift to the Kohanim is called as well) and produce of the vat**”.
*Side note: So named because the tithe that was gifted to them is forbidden to non Levites and ritually unclean people and anyone who eats it intentionally incurs the death penalty and if unintentionally they must pay another fifth.
**Side note: Alluding to ripening produce which has fully grown.
If a Levite goes ahead of a Kohen during the harvest collection and receives his tithes before the Kohen gets the first terumah, the Levite must first separate his tithe 1/50th for the Kohen’s first terumah. The remaining 1/49th does not have the special holy status of terumah and may be used by the Levites. The Levite is then to separate his regular tithe from this remaining 1/49th of the tithe he was given.
The Levites are allowed to eat their portion anywhere, even in a cemetery as it is their pay for their service for their service in the Ohel Moed. This differs from Terumah which may only be eaten in a pure place/state.
Through so setting aside a tithe from their portions, they protect themselves from sin and death which would result from neglecting to separate these portions.