Korach

📜 The Story

Korach was a Levite, and actually Moshe's own cousin. He was jealous of Moshe and Aharon's leadership, and he gathered 250 important leaders of the nation who agreed with him. They came to Moshe and Aharon and said, 'The whole nation is holy, why do you raise yourselves above Hashem's congregation?'

Moshe answered them with humility. He suggested a fair test, everyone should take a fire pan, put ketoret (incense) in it, and bring it before Hashem the next morning. Whoever Hashem chose to accept would be shown clearly. Moshe also warned Datan and Aviram, two of Korach's friends, but they refused to even come speak with him.

The next day, something amazing happened. Moshe told the people to move away from the tents of Korach, Datan, and Aviram. Suddenly the ground split open and swallowed them, along with their families and belongings, and the earth closed back over them. At the same moment, a fire came from Hashem and consumed the 250 men who had offered the ketoret. The Torah tells us the earth 'opened its mouth' in a completely new kind of miracle.

Afterward, the people complained that Moshe and Aharon had caused these deaths, and a plague broke out among them. Moshe told Aharon to quickly take ketoret and stand between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped, though sadly 14,700 people had already died.

To prove once and for all who Hashem chose as Kohen Gadol, Moshe placed twelve wooden staffs, one for each tribe, in the Ohel Moed overnight, with Aharon's staff representing the tribe of Levi. In the morning, only Aharon's staff had sprouted, blossomed, and grown ripe almonds, showing clearly that Hashem chose Aharon and his family for the priesthood. The parsha ends with Hashem describing the special gifts, like terumah and maaser, that the people must give to the Kohanim and Leviim who serve in the Mishkan.