Questions tagged [parshat-korach]
The weekly Torah portion of Korach (Numbers 16:1–18:32)
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What is the practical lesson on this side of the Korach story?
It is often said that the Torah is not a history book, and is very selective in which events and lessons it relates, such that they are relevant to all generations.
The story of Korach seems to be ...
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According to Korach, why was Moshe still the leader?
Korach and his companions accused Moshe of inventing Mitzvot and of placing himself and his favorites in places of high importance. Didn`t they think that God Himself would remove Moshe from his post ...
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How do we ultimately know Korach was wrong?
As I was learning Maseches Moed Katan Daf 16a, the following question occurred to me (Just in time for the Parsha).
The Gemara in Moed Katan (see https://www.sefaria.org/Moed_Katan.16a.3?lang=bi&...
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Parashas Korach: and take every man his censer, and put incense in them: why this procedure?
In parashas Korach, we read about the complaint of Korach that Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon HaKohen took to much upon themselves.
The Torah writes (Bamidbar 16:3):
and they gathered themselves together ...
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Korach, Chukas, Balak - The mouth of the earth, well & donkey
I noticed something this week when reciting Pirkei Avos...
In Perek 5, Mishna 6 - the mishna famously says:
עֲשָׂרָה דְבָרִים נִבְרְאוּ בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, פִּי ...
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Should we stay out of causes in which we have no personal interest?
A follower of Korach, named On, was swayed by his wife to stay out of the rebellion and was saved:
Rav says: On, son of Peleth -- his wife saved him. She said to him: "What is the difference to ...
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Ariza"l and Seer (Chozeh) of Lublin on Korach
This fascinating article says:
The Seer of Lublin said: “Were I alive at the time, I would have
supported Korah” … Rabbi Yitzhak Luria Ashkenazi, the Ari, writes: “In
the future, Korah will be shown ...
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Translating a passage from Ma'asei ha-Shem
I'm struggling with two short phrases from the Ma'asei ha-Shem commentary on Parashat Korach. I've bolded the relevant bits below, can anyone help?
אשמים אנחנו כאשר נתרשל מלחקור בסתרי תורתנו באמרנו ...
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Denying Moshe's Prophecy
In Parshas Yisro G-D guarantees Moshe that his prophecy will not be doubted by the Jewish nation from hereon "וגם בך יאמינו לעולם". However in Parshas Korach (although not in Korach's ...
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Missing Korach in Deuteronomy
In Parashat Korach we read that the Jews distanced themselves from the tents of Korach, Datan and Aviram (Bemidbar 16:27), and then the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up Korach and his company (...
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Why Is A Parasha Named after Korach?
Proverbs 10:7 states, "The name of the wicked shall rot." In the Talmud (Yoma 38b) Rabbi Elazar comments on this by saying, "It means that decay will spread on their names, meaning that ...
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Parshat Korach - Why did God finally take off his gloves here?
We find previously that G-d warned Moses that he would destroy the nation, but it seems quite clear that it was just a way of having Moses intervene on their behalf and was just a warning. Here we ...
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Did Korach get Tzaraat?
When Korach was rebelling against Moshe Rabbeinu, was he in fact stricken with Tzaraat? If he was stricken, then couldn't that serve as an indication that he was in the wrong?
Korach rebelled not too ...
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Significance of Parshas Noach, Chayei Sarah, Yisro, Korach, Balak, and Pinchas
This question was asked regarding Parshas Balak (Parasha named after Balak?), however, I'd like to see a source or reason that explains why the Torah chose these 6 individuals to name the Parsha/Sedra ...
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Korah the "holy grandfather"
Various online and written sources claim that various chassidic rabbis referred to Korah as "our holy grandfather". Some of these sources are mustered here, but they're all very secondary sources.
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Parshas Korach: Why does the Torah say Moshe got very angry, and Rashi translates it as Moshe got very distressed or pained
In Parshas Korach (Bamidbar 16:15), the Torah says ויחר למשה מאוד. Rashi translates it as Moshe was distresed a lot. Rashi doesnt say Moshe was very angry.
Why doesnt Rashi translate it the way the ...
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Of what material were the staffs made in Parshas Korach?
Bamidbor 17 (17) records the instruction to take a staff for each of the chieftains.
דַּבֵּ֣ר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְקַ֣ח מֵֽאִתָּ֡ם מַטֶּ֣ה מַטֶּה֩
לְבֵ֨ית אָ֜ב מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־נְשִֽׂיאֵהֶם֙ ...
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Why was Korach specifically punished via being swallowed by the ground?
(slightly similar to:Why did Korach have to be buried alive?)
In this week's Parsha, Korach and his assembly challenge Moshe's authority and are punished by being swallowed alive by the ground (...
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Korach vs Elitzafan - what's the big deal?
Rashi on Korach's claims:
וּמָה רָאָה קֹרַח לַחֲלֹק עִם מֹשֶׁה?
נִתְקַנֵּא עַל נְשִׂיאוּתוֹ שֶׁל אֱלִיצָפָן בֶּן עֻזִּיאֵל,
שֶׁמִּנָּהוּ מֹשֶׁה נָשִׂיא עַל בְּנֵי קְהָת עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר
...
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Korach's logic regarding the link between birth order and jobs
I'm confused with Rashi's view on Korach's claims:
"אָמַר קֹרַח, אַחֵי אַבָּא אַרְבָּעָה הָיוּ,
עַמְרָם הַבְּכוֹר נָטְלוּ שְׁנֵי בָנָיו גְּדֻלָּה ...
מִי רָאוּי לִטֹּל אֶת הַשְּׁנִיָּה?
לֹא ...
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Clarifying Korach's practical demands
Pretty strangely for me, the Korach plans and intentions are widely discussed by interpreters (see this question). In the Torah, He uttered two clear statements:
all the community are holy, all of ...
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How many did Moshe/Aharon have on their side?
Korach had "250" on his side. How many did Moshe/Aharon have on their side?
What do the rabbis say?
The other side of the coin:
How many "Elders of Israel" (Bamidbar 16:25) were ...
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Why does Rashi preface his comments by saying "The Medrash Explains This Well"?
The first Rashi in Parshas Korach contains an introduction, where Rashi says that the Medrash explains this section well:
ויקח קרח. פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ יָפֶה נִדְרֶשֶׁת בְּמִדְרַשׁ רַבִּי
תַנְחוּמָא:
...
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Pshat of what did Korach take?
In Parashat Korach (Bamidbar 16:1-2):
וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י וְדָתָ֨ן וַאֲבִירָ֜ם בְּנֵ֧י אֱלִיאָ֛ב וְא֥וֹן בֶּן־פֶּ֖לֶת בְּנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵֽן׃
ב וַיָּקֻ֙מוּ֙ ...
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The cloak full of techeiles is the Me'il?-Korach's issue
During the reading of this week's parsha ( Tetzaveh) I noticed that the Me'il is referred to as a cloak complete of techeiles. Then I remembered that Korach had an issue with a beged that was full of ...
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Korach never speaks independently, why?
A plain reading of Bamidbar chapter 16 suggests that Korach was basically silent in the whole "episode of Korach". However, Chazal and the midrash explain, at length, about Korach's ...
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Moadim a time to witness?
The word Moadim (מועדים), Moadei (מועדי) or singular Mo'ed (מועד) is most often translated as a appointed (fixed) time (or season).
From the visual look of it these words seem to have a connection ...
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How can we reconcile Devarim 24:16 with BaMidbar 16:27?
It is written at BaMidbar 16:27 וַיֵּעָלוּ, מֵעַל מִשְׁכַּן-קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם--מִסָּבִיב; וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם יָצְאוּ נִצָּבִים, פֶּתַח אָהֳלֵיהֶם, וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם, וְטַפָּם (here it ...
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What "really" occurred with Moshe having to ask G-d a "halachic" question? [duplicate]
I begin with Rashi's explanation on Vayikra 25:1 that says that all the mitzvoth including their details were mentioned to Moshe at Mt. Sinai.
Assuming this explanation, why did Moshe not know the ...
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Rambam's view of Moses's miracles
The Rambam writes in Hilchos Yesodei hatorah (chapter 8),
משה רבינו לא האמינו בו ישראל מפני האותות שעשה שהמאמין על פי האותות יש
בלבו דופי שאפשר שיעשה האות בלט וכשוף. אלא כל האותות שעשה משה במדבר ...
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Why don't Korach and his followers ask if an all Techeiles Beged is Patur from Techeiles?
רש"י במדבר ט"ז:א' ד"ה דתן ואבירם. ... מֶה עָשָׂה? עָמַד וְכָנַס ר"נ רָאשֵׁי סַנְהֶדְרָאוֹת — ... וְהִלְבִּישָׁן טַלִּיתוֹת שֶׁכֻּלָּן תְּכֵלֶת, בָּאוּ וְעָמְדוּ לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ טַלִּית ...
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How can Moshe risk the trustworthiness of his Nevuah?
Bamidbar 16:29
אִם־כְּמ֤וֹת כָּל־הָֽאָדָם֙ יְמֻת֣וּן אֵ֔לֶּה וּפְקֻדַּת֙ כָּל־הָ֣אָדָ֔ם יִפָּקֵ֖ד עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם לֹ֥א יְהוָ֖ה שְׁלָחָֽנִי׃
If these men die as all men do, if their lot be the common fate ...
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Why is the survival of the sons of Korach not mentioned in Parshat Korach?
In Parshat Korach we read about the deaths of Korach and Datan and Aviram, and that the families of Datan and Aviram descended with them as the earth swallowed them up.
In Parshat Pinchas, when it is ...
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The blossoming of Ahron's staff a miracle not a trick?
For years I have read the pesukim of Korach 17:20 -25 which describes the episode of the blossoming of Ahron's staff amongnst the other tribe leader's staffs. However, if you notice Moshe Rabbeinu ...
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Why do we read the story of Korach by the Levi portion?
In parshas Ki Sisa, the portion of Levi is long in order not to read the story of the eigel (golden calf) by the regular Yisroelim in order not to embarrass them by repeating their transgressions. The ...
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Understanding Wording in Bamidbar 16:6
Numbers 16:6 says:
זאת עשו קחו לכם מחתות קרח וכל עדתו.
This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
I'm struggling to understand the last three words which are in the third person when the ...
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Why use the fire pans to cover the copper altar and not the gold one?
In parshas korach, 17:3, Elazar is commanded to take the fire pans of Korach and his followers and hammer them into "pachim" for the mizbeach.
According to Rashi, the command was to turn them into ...
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What was the birth year of Korach?
We know from the text that he was son of Itzhar, son of Kehas, son of Levi. Is there a reference that talks about his age at any point, or his birth year?
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What happened to Korach's third co-conspirator?
Numbers 16 begins:
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;
They rebelled ...
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What is the plague being referred to in Parshas Korach?
Bamidbar 17:11
ויאמר משה אל אהרן קח את המחתה ותן עליה אש מעל המזבח ושים קטרת והולך מהרה אל העדה וכפר עליהם כי יצא הקצף מלפני יהוה החל הנגף
And Moses said unto Aaron: 'Take thy fire-pan, and put fire ...
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how could Korach have ruach hakodesh
Rashi says that Korach saw with ruach hakodesh (divine inspiration) that the prophet Samuel would descend from him. Yet Rashi also implies he had the bad traits of jealousy and arrogance.
How could ...
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Parshas Korach: What Was Korach Thinking?
The Medrash Tanchuma asks a question regarding the motives of Korach. "Korach was a clever man; what did he see that brought him to such foolishness? The medrash answers "His eyes misled him, for he ...
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Does the Torah command three different ma'aser?
Devarim 14:28
כח. מִקְצֵה | שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים תּוֹצִיא אֶת כָּל מַעְשַׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִוא וְהִנַּחְתָּ בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ׃
"At the end of three years, you shall take out all the tithe of your ...
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Korach's progeny
In Parshas Pinchas it says that the children of Korach did not die. Is there anyone alive today that is aware that they are from the descendents of Korach?
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Why is Korach's rebellion referred to as בְּנֵי לֵוִי?
In Bamidbar 16:7, Moshe chastises Korach and his congregation saying, רַב לָכֶם בְּנֵי לֵוִי. However, other than Korach himself being from Levi, the rest of the co-conspiritors seemed to be mainly ...
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Why did Korach have to be buried alive?
Korach had to die an unnatural death; otherwise his death wouldn't prove Moshe right, because a natural death could be because his time had come. But why did he have to still stay alive after being ...
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Honor of old people vs. honor of parents
Who has precedence in honor: A father or an old person? It seems that the answer would be a father; (*) however, there is a midrash that implies otherwise:
Yalkut Shimoni, end of Bemidbar 752
...
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Post-Korach altar cover: how was it made and used?
Numbers 17:2-5 describes the covering that was made for the altar from the fire-pans of Korach's rebels:
[...] 4 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen fire-pans, which they that were burnt had ...
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