הבדלו מתוך העדה הזאת, “Separate yourselves from amidst this congregation!” Nachmanides raises the question that if the people were not guilty in the matter of Korach’s rebellion, why was G’d so angry also at them, that He threatened to kill them forthwith? On the other hand, if they were guilty, how could Moses ask G’d why He would kill the whole people on account of one man’s sin? Rabbeinu Chananel answers this question by writing that the words העדה הזאת, “this congregation” refers to the congregation of Korach only. He adds further that G’d’s response to Moses’ question indicates that Moses had misunderstood Him, hence he was told to remove himself only from around the tents of Korach and Datan and Aviram (verse 24) He adds that it was G’d’s hope that when Korach and Datan and Aviram saw that Moses distanced himself from them they would still decide to repent and avoid disaster...
The reason for all this is that originally the hearts of the Israelites sympathized strongly with the arguments of Korach, and when Korach and the 250 men lined up with the censers and the incense, Korach reminded the people that what he was about to do was all on their behalf. When the people heard that, they were persuaded by Korach’s arguments and they drew near to watch what would happen. They were actually hoping that the privilege of performing service in the Tabernacle would be restored to the respective firstborns in each family. Thereby they had become guilty of the death penalty, for if someone doubts and suspects his teacher, and especially a teacher and prophet of the caliber of Moses, of acts such as Korach accused him of, he has made himself guilty of death at the hand of heaven.
Moses and Aaron tried to find excuses for them by saying to G’d that the people had not translated their doubts and suspicions into punishable acts, and that therefore they did not deserve to die. This is a standard practice when one appeals to G’d’s attribute of mercy, to portray the sin of the accused as being less severe than it might appear at first glance. In doing so, the person pleading the case allows that there are individuals who deserve the full punishment, as it is they who are the instigators.
Tur on the Torah, trans. Eliyahu Munk
Did all the Israelites deserve to be punished on behalf of Korach's crime?
(א) רב לכם...די לכם מה שהשתררתם עלינו עד היום, כי עד עתה היינו צריכים לכם, ומעתה שהוקם המשכן אין לנו צורך בכם...
It is too much for you...it is enough for you that you have ruled over us until today. For until now, we needed you, but since the establishment of the mishkan, we don't need you...
Is Korach All Bad?
KORACH, NUMBERS 16:1−18:32
D'VAR TORAH BY: WILLIAM CUTTER https://reformjudaism.org/learning/torah-study/korach/korach-all-bad
Parashat Korach reminds me of the story of a small-town rabbi who preached on this portion no matter where he was in the year and no matter the group to whom he spoke. He said that he could always "count on the message." Similarly, one of our own Reform leaders claims, in jest, that this is the only sidrah on which he preaches, because he can say, "Don't be like Korach." The thinking behind this idea that a sermon on this portion is fitting for children, the Rotary Club, and at all special community observances is that the plot outline makes a good case for the punishment-reward cycle.
Whatever we believe about reward and punishment, obedience and disobedience, all of this thinking assumes that plot outcomes determine the Bible's moral standards. That may be how we are raised to read, but it certainly renders the story less interesting.
Putting aside either the fun or the simple morality of the Korach story, we need to go back and ask who was that amazing figure who briefly invaded the biblical narrative, added his streak of disobedience to the sacred canon, and then disappeared into the earth? Korach's end seems to suggest what Moses' spies alluded to when they announced that the land "eats those who dwell on it.…" And yet, isn't there something in us that wants to be a bit like Korach: challenging authority, asserting ourselves, and leading our own band?
It Ain’t Necessarily So: Reconsidering Korach
KORACH, NUMBERS 16:1−18:32
D'VAR TORAH BY:
REX D. PERLMETER https://reformjudaism.org/learning/torah-study/korach/it-ain%E2%80%99t-necessarily-so-reconsidering-korach
After all, Korah is no slouch. He is Moses's first cousin. He has charisma. In fact, he is presented not only as kin to Moses, but also as being akin to Moses. The very language of the text causes us to see Korah as a reflection of his cousin, as they each use the phrase "You have gone too far" (Numbers 16:3, 16:7). And later, when Korah's companions speak the same words as Moses, "Is it not enough for you . . . ?" (Numbers 16:9, 16:13), the text shows that Korah and his partners possess a potential for greatness in leadership. Perhaps, going further, Korah is arguing a point with some justice. Korah takes a rebellious stance when he states that all the people are holy. But in Leviticus 19:2, God, through Moses, expresses that very idea: "You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy." God urges us all to strive to attain holiness. Is it possible that Korah represents the first spark of the evolution of Jewish authority away from an aristocracy toward something like democracy? What nobler bequest could he leave-if only it weren't for that small streak of demagoguery?
Korah is, of course, an antihero. Yet in a tradition that speaks of the presence of both yetzer hatov and yetzer hara, "the good inclination and the bad inclination" in every soul, Korah challenges us to keep our own spark of rebellion alive while also ensuring that we choose the right fight for the right reasons. While some people today attempt to draw equivalencies between challenging authority and treason, we might do well to nurture that spark and see what fires it can light.