Questions on Parshas Korach to think about and discuss:

Questions about Korach and his congregation:

1. How do women being the deciding factor, both for the good and the bad, come into Parshas Korach?
2. Why is the parsha named after a rosha, evil person?
3. What lies behind his name Korach that means bald? (See Tosfas to Gemora Shabbos 150a with R’ Yehoshua Ben Korcha.)
4. What was Korach thinking that he was so confident that he could rebel against Moshe and be successful?
5. The people who clubbed together with Korach were Doson and Avirom, Oin and 250 people. According to some commentaries, most were from the tribe of Reuven. Why did they specifically become allies to Korach’s arguments?
6. Who were these trouble makers Doson and Avirom and why did they not die already in Mitzrayim, Egypt, with the other four fifths of Jews, during the plague of darkness, for wanting to stay in Mitzrayim?
7. Yakov davened that his name should not be traced in connection to ancestry of Korach. Yet he is traced elsewhere in Divrei Hayomim (Rashi, 16:1). What then is the whole point of praying not be mentioned in one place? How does it help to not be mentioned if the facts remain the same that he descended from him?
8. How many things did Korach argue against?
9. Who were these 250 people who joined Korach? Which tribe were they from and why did they join him?
10. Why did Moshe approach Korach and Doson and Avirom to try and make them change their minds but does not do so to the 250 elders?
11. Why did Moshe choose the test of the Ketores, incense, for those who argued against Aaron being made into the Kohen Godol, High Priest?
12. In tehilim, psalms, we mention about the Bn’ei Korach. Are they connected to Korach? Why are they not mentioned being saved in Parshas Korach but are only mentioned later elsewhere (Pinchos, 26:11)?
13. How did Aaron know to bring the ketores, incense, to stop the plague?
14. Did Korach do teshuva or mention any regrets?
15. What mitzva comes out from Korach’s rebellion?
16. What was wrong with Korach’s arguing?
17. How many different factions made up Korach’s camp? How do i know this?
18. What is the theme of the parsha?
19. When King Talmi called in the 72 zekainim, elders, into separate places and ordered them to right the Torah, Hashem put into all their minds several changes. One of them appears in Parshas Korach. Which possuk, verse, is it and why make that change?
20. After the great miracles of the ground opening and closing and the fire killing the 250 people, the people again complain against Moshe and Aaron. How can they do such a thing after witnessing this miracles and not be scared of endangering themselves?

Ideas for answers on Korach and his congregation:

1. The wife of Oin Ben Peles saves him by getting him drunk and sitting by the doorway and revealing her hair to keep away Korach’s influence. In contrast, the wife of Korach encourages him to rebel, making fun how as a Levi he was totally shaven, leading to his death. (See Gemora Sanhedrin 109b-110a)
2. The Mishna in Avos (4:1) tells us that a Chochom, wise man, learns from everyone – what yes to do and what not to do. Perhaps the parsha is called after Korach, a rasha, to remind us of the severe punishment meted out to those who oppose the chosen leaders by Hashem. The idea of not mentioning a rasha is in order not to remember them for the good. However, to remember then for the bad need not be a problem as this is in line with the reason of why not to mention them.
3. The Gemora (Sanhedrin 109b) learns that he was called bald to express like a bald man has no hair, Korach had no remembrance.
4. He saw that the great prophet Shmuel would descend from him. In his reasoning, this meant that he would remain alive. He therefore had nothing to lose trying to get a better position. (See Rashi, 16:7)
5. Both the tribe of Reuven and Kehos, whom Korach descended from, were situated on the Southern side of the Mishkon, Tabernacle. From here we learn woe to bad neighbours. (Rashi, 16:1) Additionally, Reuven as the firstborn was meant to serve in the Mishkon. This was taken away and given to the Kohanim. This is why they sided with Korach in his attack on who should act as the Kohanim.
6. There is a Midrash that says that in Mitzrayim, when Moshe saw the babies being placed instead of the missing number of allocated bricks, he complained to Hashem. Hashem told him that these babies were reshoim and deserved to die. Moshe still persisted that they be saved. Hashem let him save two who went on to become the infamous Doson and Avirom. With this we can suggest that this is why they were saved and did not die amongst the other four fifths during the plague of darkness. Their continued existence was to prove to Moshe that they were reshoim and should have been left to die as babies.
8. Three things: why the Leviyim were separated from the rest of the Jews; why was Aaron separated from the other Leviyim; Why was Moshe chosen as a king and prophet? (Tosfas Al HaTorah)
9. Ibn Ezra (16:1) says that all 250 people were firstborns. Rashi (ibid) says that most of them were from the tribe of Reuven. The Ramban brings Rabbeinu Chananel who says that they all were from the tribe of Korach.
12. They were his sons. They are mentioned in Tehilim since they prayed at the last moment and did teshuva and found themselves in a special place in the ground, like on a ledge. (Gemora Sanhedrin 110a) What they sang there is what we find in Tehilim (Rashi, Tehilim, 42:1). Afterwards, they went up out of the ground and settled in Eretz Yisroel, Israel. The reason why they are not mentioned in Parshas Korach is for Moshe’s honour since his prayers was that there should not be any remembrance of Korach. (Shach)
13. Moshe was told this secret by the Malach Hamoves, Angel of Death, himself! (Gemora Shabbos 89a) This was after the giving of the Torah when all the angels gave Moshe a present.
14. The Gemora (Sanhedrin 110a) brings a story about an Arab who showed Rabba Bar Bar Chana a place where smoke was coming out of the ground. He told him to listen and he heard people saying Moshe and the Torah is true and we are incorrect. The Arab said that this takes place every thirty days, i.e. Rosh Chodesh (Rashi to Bava Basra 74a).
15. The mitzva not to be like Korach and his congregation that expresses the idea of strengthening rife and creating arguments.
16. The Mishna in Pirkei Avos (5:) describes Korach’s argument as the example of arguing not for the right reasons…
17. We see from the different punishment that Korach’s camp composed of different factions. Korach and his family, the 250 Elders and Doson and Avirom. There were two different arguments: against Moshe and also against Aron as leaders. The 250 elders were only disputing Aaron receiving the Kehuna. This is seen by the test with the ketores, incense, something that only the Kohen does. Therefore their punishment was their Neshama, soul, being burnt but their guf, body remained intact. Doson and Avirom were also arguing against Moshe as leader. Their punishment therefore involved also their body – being swallowed up alive by the ground. Korach had a different punishment, dying in a plague. …
18. The theme of Parshas Korach is that of Kehuna – arguing against it, proving the chosen Kohanim and what presents the Kohanim are granted.
19. The possuk is 16:15 – about Moshe not taking even one donkey from community funds. The change was in the word… (Gemora Megilla 9b)
20. There were two arguments by Korach and his congregation: One was against the Leviyim being chosen and the other was against the chose for the Kohanim. What was proven until now with the death of the Korach was the picking of the Leviyim. However, the death of the 250 people, was not proof to the chosen Kohanim. The people thought that their death was due to some other reason. Therefore the people thought that they still needed proof as to the chosen Kohanim. This is why they complained, something they thought was a valid thing to do, and this is why there is then the episode with the flowering stick to prove the chosen Kohen.

Questions on the punishments for Korach and his congregation:

1. What is the difference between a natural earthquake and the pi ho’oretz, the opening up of the ground to swallow alive the group of Korach?
2. Why were even the innocent children not spared from being swallowed up alive?
3. How were the 250 people punished?
4. Why didn’t Moshe daven to save Korach and bring them on to teshuva? Why did Moshe pick a new type of miracle that never had been to disprove Korach?

Ideas for answers on punishments for Korach and his congregation:

1. Here are some differences: An earthquake after happening, the ground remains cracked with signs of devastation. However, miraculous by Korach, the earth closed up after swallowing them alive immediately with no signs that it had ever opened! (Ramban, 16:30); An earthquake can occur at any random time. Moshe davened to Hashem for it to happen and immediately upon finishing his words the earth opened up (Korach, 16:31) This timing showed again that it was truly miraculous; Usually an earthquake strikes randomly and there is no way of knowing for definite which people will be effected. By Korach, only his congregation were effected. When any of them tried to run away, only underneath them did the earth sink in like a slide to bring them to the large opening where all the others had fallen in (see Rashi, Devorim, 11:6). No other Jews were effected! After death, people take some comfort when visiting their graves. However, here the earth swallowed them alive and closed up leaving no trace. The place of their deaths are not known and therefore there is no remembrance for them!
2. This is the difference between judgement from Above and judgement meted out by Beis Din in this world…
3. The Gemora (Sanhedrin 52a) brings two opinions: either literally burnt or their Neshama, soul, were burnt whilst their bodies remained intact.
4. The Malbim explains this beautifully. The fundamental emuna, faith, is to believe that by Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah, Hashem told everyone that Moshe was the leader and prophet. The congregation of Korach came to question this very point. If they argue against this then the next stage can lead to arguing and questioning the very Torah, chas vesholom. Therefore in order to re-enforce Moshe as leader, a new miracle, something never done before, needed to happen. Something totally unnatural to reconnect to the situation at Har Sinai. This is also why Moshe did not daven since these arguments are very dangerous and needed dealing with publicly so everyone could learn from it.

Questions on the flowering stick of Aaron:

1. How many sticks were taken?
2. What lies behind the stick of Aaron’s that flowered to prove he was the Divinely selected Kohen, priest?
3. What lies behind these three different stages of flowering?
4. When did these stages take place? Who saw them?
5. When was the stick of Aaron created and what happened to it? Where is it now?

Ideas for answers on the flowering stick of Aaron:

1. Ramban (and Rashi) say twelve, as the tribes are always only twelve. Therefore when the tribe of Levi is counted then the tribes of Menashe and Efrayim are counted together as one – the tribe of Yosef. The Netziv says that there were thirteen as Menashe and Efrayim were counted separately so that they could not have complaints that had their stick been there then their stick would have been chosen with the flowering.
2. A stick represents something that a leader has. (Like Moshe had a special mata, stick.) Here the test was to decide the right leader for Kehuna, priesthood. Therefore a stick was used. The idea of flowering…
3. The Kli Yokor (17:23) explains that there were three stages each with an allusion to the quality needed for the chosen Kohanim. The first stage of flowering, the word “perach” alludes to the “pirchei” kehuna, the young kohanim. The second stage of Tzitz, blossoming, alludes to the Tzitz that was worn by the Kohen Godol, High Priest, as one of his eight garments. The third stage of Shekaidim, almonds, since these are one of the quickest fruit to develop and allude to the attribute of Kohanim who are zerizim, act with quickness.
4. Some say that they all took place in front of the Aron. The Rashbam says that Moshe found only the first stage of flowering there. Afterwards, Moshe brought it out in front of the people and then the next two stages happened for all to see.
5. The Gemora (Pesochim 54a) brings that this stick was one of the things created Erev Shabbos Bein Hashmoshes. The Gemora (Yuma 52b) brings that it was hidden away with the Aron before the churban.

Questions on the Matnas Kehuna:

1. Why does the Matnas Kehuna, presents for the Kohanim, come into Parshas Korach?
2. What are the 24 presents the Kohanim, priests, are given?
3. What is the significance of 24 presents? Why not more or less?
4. Why don’t we give any of these presents nowadays to the kohanim?
5. Why do only the kohanim get these presents? Why are they more special that they have rights to them?

Ideas for answering about the Matnas Kehuna:

1. The parsha discusses questioning who were the right people to be Kohanim and what happened to them. It therefore goes on to prove the right people and continues to discuss what benefits and presents they get.
2. They are split into ten presents to be eaten in the Mikdosh, four presents that had to be eaten in Yerushalayim and ten presents that can be eaten outside Yerushalayim. The ten in the Miskon were: Chatos of animal and bird; Oshom Vadai Vitolui; Zivchei Shalmai Tzibur; the loig of oil of the meztorah; the Shtei Halechem; and left over from the minochois and mincha of the omer. The four to be eaten in Yerushalayim were: Bichoir; Bikurim; what was lifted from the korban toida and the ram of the Nozir and the skins from the kodshim animals. The ten outside Yerushalayim were: Teruma; terumas ma’aser; challa; reishis hagoz; the presents of the zeroya, lichoyayim and keiva; pidyon haben; pidyoin peter chamoir; sidei hacherem; sedei achuza and gezel hager.
4. Nowadays, even the people who are known to be kohanim, are not definitely kohanim. As such, we have a rule that המוציא מחבירו עליו הראיה – that since the kohanim are claiming their rights to these presents they must prove first that they are definite kohanim. Since they cannot do so, we do not give it to them. Additionally, these presents can only be eaten as such in a purified state and since nowadays we are all assumed to be tomai, impure, from coming in contact with dead people, they cannot have them.
5. The kohanim are considered to be totally devoted to Hashem’s service. They did not get any land in Eretz Yisroel, Israel. They therefore need to be supported by their brethren. This is why only they need to be given these presents. The Leviyim also are somewhat dedicated to Hashem’s service and this is why they also receive a present – like ma’aser, a tenth of the produce, is given to the Leviyim. However, there is a difference between the Kohen and the Levi’s presents – the Kohen is משולחן גבוה קא זכי, the person so-to-speak gives it first to Hashem and then the Kohen gets it from Hashem, while the Levi gives it directly to the person.