Korach קֹרַח - Korach
Numbers 16:1-18:32
Reading #3 - Numbers 16:20–17:8
My Thoughts:
Do we ever learn? First Korath and his household are swallowed up into the ground, and then the 250 leaders with censors are consumed. You would think that people would get on their knees and beg forgiveness to Hashem. And maybe some did. But others began to complain -- the very next day! Oh no! What were they thinking? Hashem is not happy with this and begins a plague, a huge plague. Moses intercedes and Hashem, Aaron runs between the living and the dead and the plague is halted. Here is the lesson. If we disobey Hashem, don’t try to make excuses or think that it is okay. It is not. Beg for forgiveness, repent and be holy. Or another punishment may follow! Hashem loves us either way, but will not let us go unpunished or He will find a way so we learn.
Challenge:
At the end of today’s reading we learn about the story of proving to the Israelites who is their leader. Hashem tells Moses to assemble the leaders with their rods. He gathers them and sets them before the testimony. This is to settle who is truly Hashem’s leader -- once and for all -- so that the complaining ceases! Everyone brings their rods and the next day ONLY Aaron’s buds with almonds. The leader is confirmed! How wonderful of Hashem is to give this wonderful display to prove His point. It is a really interesting visual. Can you think of a time when Hashem showed the reason why He told you something? Maybe He didn’t turn a stick into flowers, but maybe He did give you a “visual” sign? Take some time to think of this and remember His miracles.
Reading #3 - Numbers 16:20–17:8
16:20 Hashem spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”
22 They fell on their faces, and said, “Elohim, the Elohim of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”
23 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”
25 Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”
27 So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.
28 Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that Hashem has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Hashem hasn’t sent me. 30 But if Hashem makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall understand that these men have despised Hashem.”
31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35 Fire came out from Hashem, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
36 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy, 38 even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Hashem. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”
39 Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 40 to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before Hashem, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as Hashem spoke to him by Moses.
41 But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed Hashem’s people!”
42 When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and Hashem’s glory appeared. 43 Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting. 44 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.
46 Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from Hashem! The plague has begun.”
47 Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun among the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah. 50 Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.
17:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and take rods from them, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod. 3 You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses. 4 You shall lay them up in the Tent of Meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you. 5 It shall happen that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud. I will make the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you, cease from me.”
6 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, a total of twelve rods. Aaron’s rod was among their rods. 7 Moses laid up the rods before Hashem in the Tent of the Testimony.
8 On the next day, Moses went into the Tent of the Testimony; and behold, Aaron’s rod for the house of Levi had sprouted, budded, produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.
