In this weeks Parashat we read in Bamidbar (Numbers) 16:1-22:
1. 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: 2. and they rose up in face of Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty men; they were princes of the congregation, the elect men of the assembly, men of renown; 3. and they assembled 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 assembly of the LORD?’ And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. 5And he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying: ‘In the morning the LORD will show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him; even him whom He may choose will He cause to come near unto Him. 6 This do: take you censors, Korah, and all his company; 7 and put fire therein, and put incense upon them before the LORD to-morrow; and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy; ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.’ 8And Moses said unto Korah: ‘Hear now, ye sons of Levi: 9 is it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them; 10and that He hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and will ye seek the priesthood also? 11Therefore thou and all thy company that are gathered together against the LORD—; and as to Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?’ 12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said: ‘We will not come up; 13 is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us? 14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards; wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.’ 15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD: ‘Respect not thou their offering; I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.’ 16 And Moses said unto Korah: ‘Be thou and all thy congregation before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow; 17 and take ye every man his fire-pan, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his fire-pan, two hundred and fifty fire-pans; thou also, and Aaron, each his fire-pan.’ 18 And they took every man his fire-pan, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting; and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
20 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 21‘Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.’ 22 And they fell upon their faces, and said: ‘O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with all the congregation?’
It is very interesting that these men are leaders, in fact princes, and right in Moshe’s face they challenge him and Aaron. My understanding of a leader is that they should be leading their people in holiness, justice, righteousness and the ways of Adonai. These princes and leaders led by Korath attack Moshe, Aaron and The G-d of Israel with words causing a rebellion. It is rather interesting that Koreth says:
“Ye take too much upon you,”
and Moshe uses the same words in his reply in verse 7. What Korath says is correct
“That all the community is Holy” (Exodus 19:6).
The people have forgotten that Adonai had chosen Moshe to lead, and Aaron to be the High Priest. The people had agreed to follow what Moshe and Aaron had to say. Had jealousy crept in? This group of leaders/princes decided that they wanted to take action and take the priesthood for their own and in doing this go against the commands of Adonai. They claim that Moshe and Aaron take to much upon themselves. Moshe and Aaron in their eyes were lording over the people in their own authority and power. This is what they wanted. Moshe replies that the G-d of Israel had called out and separated the Levites as holy. They were to see to things concerning the Tabernacle and now they wanted the priesthood as well. Moshe informs them that this is rebellion against Hashem.
We see that Korach then attacks Moshe and Aaron personally. This is not directly lashon hara, the evil tongue as it is done in the face of Moshe as the scripture says.in Bamidbar 16:2 לפני משה Lashon hara לשון הרע derogatory speech, negative talk about a person and is behind the persons back to cause harm.
I think of the Church and even Messianic Synagogues today and the way there is rebellion against the word of G-d and His ways. Here we see a group of leaders turning from Adonai and Moshe and Aaron. What is sad is that this has happened just after they are told that they will not enter the Promised Land due to lack of faith and trust in G-d. I feel that their lack of faith and trust, and allow fear and envy to come in causing them to blame Moshe and Aaron. We see them saying that Moses brought them from a land of milk and honey, Egypt. The land where they were slaves was now a land of milk and honey in their eyes! Moses has not brought them into the promised land of milk and honey and their inheritance of fields and vineyards. They are unable to see that it is their own sin and rebellion that has caused them not to enter the Land. Is that often not the case with each of us as our carnal nature rises up to blind us from the truth?
The following day when Korath and and his followers, except for Datan and Aviram who have gone even further away from G-d and refused to come, stand before the entrance of the tent of meeting. Hashem tells Moshe and Aaron to move away from from this congregation and immediately Moshe and Aaron fall on their faces and ask Adonai
“Will You be angry with the entire congregation when one man sins.”
Who was the Adonai talking about when he said that He would consume them instantly. Was it just this group of people or was it the entire nation of Israel? We now see something happen that only happens this one time in Scripture as far as I have read. The people were told to move away from the tents and everything owned by Korath, Dathan and Abiram. The earth swallowed them and their wives and families alive with their possesions into the ground below. Scripture states “They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them, the earth closed over them and they vanished....”
The 250 men who were going to offer incense were consumed by fire. Interesting that the fire pans were not consumed as they had been used for an offering to the Lord and were now sacred.
The Sages have the following to say on Parashat Korech
Rashi on Bamidbar 16:7 “It is a great (an important) thing that I have told you, ye sons of Levi”. But were they not fools in that although he so sternly warned them they nevertheless undertook to offer! They, however, sinned against their own souls (i.e., they were regardless of their lives) as it is said, (17:3) “the censers of these sinners against their souls”. — But Korah who certainly was a clever (lit. open-eyed) man, what reason had he to commit this folly? His mind’s eye misled him. He saw by prophetic vision a line of great men (more lit., a great chain) descending from him, amongst them the prophet Samuel who was equal in importance to Moses and Aaron together (cf. Psalms 99:6: משה ואהרן בכהניו ושמואל בקראי שמו), and he said to himself, “On his account I shall escape the punishment”. And he further saw twenty-four Mishmars (shifts of Levites who formed the Temple Choir) arising among his grand-children, all of them prophesying by the Holy Spirit, — as it is said, (I Chronicles 25:5) “All these (prominent musicians) were sons of Heiman” (Heiman was a descendant of Korah; cf. I Chronicles 6:18—23). — He said, “Is it possible that all this dignity is to arise from me and I shall remain silent (be myself of no importance)?” On this account he joined the others in order to attain to that prerogative, because he had indeed heard from the mouth of Moses that all else of them would perish and one would escape:
"He whom the Lord will choose will be holy".
He mistakenly applied this to himself. But he had not seen correctly, for his sons repented of their rebellious attitude and therefore did not die at that time (cf. Numbers 26:11). It was from them that Samuel and the Levitical singers were descended. Moses, however, foresaw this. (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 5).
Korach started off using what is called a machloket מחלוקת a dispute, an argument, conflict, a rabbinic argument with Moshe which in Judaism is absolutely acceptable. Its a way to work out things between people but it is what happened next that was unacceptable to Adonai. Moshe and Aaron were doing what Adonai had asked them to do in leading the people to the land of Milk and Honey.
Why am I looking at this?
The reason being that it is a great, strong warning to us that we can have disputes and arguments about what is right or wrong and this I saw with the general election that has just taken place in the UK but it went from having a machloket to being personal to pulling people down, to lying, to believing everything is owed to us because we live in the UK. We don’t have to do anything, the government must give. If not we will pull you down. This has happened in the USA as well and seems very common in the western world. What are we teaching our children and young adults. We saw Miriam being disciplined with Tzarat (leprousy), the ten scouts who brought an evil report in Bamidbar 14:37 died of plague. Yes, Yeshua has come, but we will bare the consequences of lashon hara (gossip) and lying and turning from Adonai’s ways. This is not only happening in Government it is rife in the work place as well as in the Church, Christian Organisations and Messianic Synagogues. I believe it it time we build people up, have correct machlokets (arguments) in love and start to show the love of Yeshua in us so that we can bring the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth. In this way our children will not reap the consequences of our sin.
This is a big warning to us so that we do not speak evil behind a persons back or in their face. Adonai help me to not use lashonda hara or speak evil in a persons face. ask for forgiveness if have done this.
1. 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: 2. and they rose up in face of Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty men; they were princes of the congregation, the elect men of the assembly, men of renown; 3. and they assembled 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 assembly of the LORD?’ And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. 5And he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying: ‘In the morning the LORD will show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him; even him whom He may choose will He cause to come near unto Him. 6 This do: take you censors, Korah, and all his company; 7 and put fire therein, and put incense upon them before the LORD to-morrow; and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy; ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.’ 8And Moses said unto Korah: ‘Hear now, ye sons of Levi: 9 is it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them; 10and that He hath brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and will ye seek the priesthood also? 11Therefore thou and all thy company that are gathered together against the LORD—; and as to Aaron, what is he that ye murmur against him?’ 12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said: ‘We will not come up; 13 is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us? 14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards; wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.’ 15 And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD: ‘Respect not thou their offering; I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.’ 16 And Moses said unto Korah: ‘Be thou and all thy congregation before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to-morrow; 17 and take ye every man his fire-pan, and put incense upon them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his fire-pan, two hundred and fifty fire-pans; thou also, and Aaron, each his fire-pan.’ 18 And they took every man his fire-pan, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 And Korah assembled all the congregation against them unto the door of the tent of meeting; and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
20 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 21‘Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.’ 22 And they fell upon their faces, and said: ‘O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with all the congregation?’
It is very interesting that these men are leaders, in fact princes, and right in Moshe’s face they challenge him and Aaron. My understanding of a leader is that they should be leading their people in holiness, justice, righteousness and the ways of Adonai. These princes and leaders led by Korath attack Moshe, Aaron and The G-d of Israel with words causing a rebellion. It is rather interesting that Koreth says:
“Ye take too much upon you,”
and Moshe uses the same words in his reply in verse 7. What Korath says is correct
“That all the community is Holy” (Exodus 19:6).
The people have forgotten that Adonai had chosen Moshe to lead, and Aaron to be the High Priest. The people had agreed to follow what Moshe and Aaron had to say. Had jealousy crept in? This group of leaders/princes decided that they wanted to take action and take the priesthood for their own and in doing this go against the commands of Adonai. They claim that Moshe and Aaron take to much upon themselves. Moshe and Aaron in their eyes were lording over the people in their own authority and power. This is what they wanted. Moshe replies that the G-d of Israel had called out and separated the Levites as holy. They were to see to things concerning the Tabernacle and now they wanted the priesthood as well. Moshe informs them that this is rebellion against Hashem.
We see that Korach then attacks Moshe and Aaron personally. This is not directly lashon hara, the evil tongue as it is done in the face of Moshe as the scripture says.in Bamidbar 16:2 לפני משה Lashon hara לשון הרע derogatory speech, negative talk about a person and is behind the persons back to cause harm.
I think of the Church and even Messianic Synagogues today and the way there is rebellion against the word of G-d and His ways. Here we see a group of leaders turning from Adonai and Moshe and Aaron. What is sad is that this has happened just after they are told that they will not enter the Promised Land due to lack of faith and trust in G-d. I feel that their lack of faith and trust, and allow fear and envy to come in causing them to blame Moshe and Aaron. We see them saying that Moses brought them from a land of milk and honey, Egypt. The land where they were slaves was now a land of milk and honey in their eyes! Moses has not brought them into the promised land of milk and honey and their inheritance of fields and vineyards. They are unable to see that it is their own sin and rebellion that has caused them not to enter the Land. Is that often not the case with each of us as our carnal nature rises up to blind us from the truth?
The following day when Korath and and his followers, except for Datan and Aviram who have gone even further away from G-d and refused to come, stand before the entrance of the tent of meeting. Hashem tells Moshe and Aaron to move away from from this congregation and immediately Moshe and Aaron fall on their faces and ask Adonai
“Will You be angry with the entire congregation when one man sins.”
Who was the Adonai talking about when he said that He would consume them instantly. Was it just this group of people or was it the entire nation of Israel? We now see something happen that only happens this one time in Scripture as far as I have read. The people were told to move away from the tents and everything owned by Korath, Dathan and Abiram. The earth swallowed them and their wives and families alive with their possesions into the ground below. Scripture states “They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them, the earth closed over them and they vanished....”
The 250 men who were going to offer incense were consumed by fire. Interesting that the fire pans were not consumed as they had been used for an offering to the Lord and were now sacred.
The Sages have the following to say on Parashat Korech
Rashi on Bamidbar 16:7 “It is a great (an important) thing that I have told you, ye sons of Levi”. But were they not fools in that although he so sternly warned them they nevertheless undertook to offer! They, however, sinned against their own souls (i.e., they were regardless of their lives) as it is said, (17:3) “the censers of these sinners against their souls”. — But Korah who certainly was a clever (lit. open-eyed) man, what reason had he to commit this folly? His mind’s eye misled him. He saw by prophetic vision a line of great men (more lit., a great chain) descending from him, amongst them the prophet Samuel who was equal in importance to Moses and Aaron together (cf. Psalms 99:6: משה ואהרן בכהניו ושמואל בקראי שמו), and he said to himself, “On his account I shall escape the punishment”. And he further saw twenty-four Mishmars (shifts of Levites who formed the Temple Choir) arising among his grand-children, all of them prophesying by the Holy Spirit, — as it is said, (I Chronicles 25:5) “All these (prominent musicians) were sons of Heiman” (Heiman was a descendant of Korah; cf. I Chronicles 6:18—23). — He said, “Is it possible that all this dignity is to arise from me and I shall remain silent (be myself of no importance)?” On this account he joined the others in order to attain to that prerogative, because he had indeed heard from the mouth of Moses that all else of them would perish and one would escape:
"He whom the Lord will choose will be holy".
He mistakenly applied this to himself. But he had not seen correctly, for his sons repented of their rebellious attitude and therefore did not die at that time (cf. Numbers 26:11). It was from them that Samuel and the Levitical singers were descended. Moses, however, foresaw this. (Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 5).
Korach started off using what is called a machloket מחלוקת a dispute, an argument, conflict, a rabbinic argument with Moshe which in Judaism is absolutely acceptable. Its a way to work out things between people but it is what happened next that was unacceptable to Adonai. Moshe and Aaron were doing what Adonai had asked them to do in leading the people to the land of Milk and Honey.
Why am I looking at this?
The reason being that it is a great, strong warning to us that we can have disputes and arguments about what is right or wrong and this I saw with the general election that has just taken place in the UK but it went from having a machloket to being personal to pulling people down, to lying, to believing everything is owed to us because we live in the UK. We don’t have to do anything, the government must give. If not we will pull you down. This has happened in the USA as well and seems very common in the western world. What are we teaching our children and young adults. We saw Miriam being disciplined with Tzarat (leprousy), the ten scouts who brought an evil report in Bamidbar 14:37 died of plague. Yes, Yeshua has come, but we will bare the consequences of lashon hara (gossip) and lying and turning from Adonai’s ways. This is not only happening in Government it is rife in the work place as well as in the Church, Christian Organisations and Messianic Synagogues. I believe it it time we build people up, have correct machlokets (arguments) in love and start to show the love of Yeshua in us so that we can bring the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth. In this way our children will not reap the consequences of our sin.
This is a big warning to us so that we do not speak evil behind a persons back or in their face. Adonai help me to not use lashonda hara or speak evil in a persons face. ask for forgiveness if have done this.
