Dasan and Aviram Leaders of Klal Yisroel? Shortly after Korach began the feud with Moshe, Moshe called to speak to Dasan and Aviram in order make peace. According to the Kli Yakar, Dasan and Aviram suspected that since they were the ring leaders, Moshe was going to bribe them with important positions in order for them to exit the fray, and then the whole feud would lose its steam.
This is seen from their response to Moshe of, “Lo Naaleh; We won’t go up,” meaning: up in stature and position. This also explains the reference to their accusation of Moshe blinding them. The pasuk in Devarim says that accepting bribery, “Blinds even the wise.” They claimed that the reason for refusing this offer (that was never made) was that even if they were to accept the offer and turn a blind eye, Moshe cannot blind all the people and that their accepting the offer would only lend additional credence to the accusations.
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I Hid In My Tent Until It Was All Over The Yismach Moshe was learning Parshas Korach with his young grandson, the Yeitiv Lev. The Yeitv Lev made a comment showing that he didn’t think much of Korach. At that point the Yismach Moshe admonished him saying that we have no idea the greatness of Korach. “In fact,” added the Yismach Moshe, “that I, myself, am a “Gilgul” from the Dor HaMidbar, and I, myself, was not sure who to follow since this seemed to be a valid argument between the two greatest men of the generation.
His grandson then asked him, “If so, what did you do, and how did you save yourself?” The Yismach Moshe said, “Not wanting to be part of the Machlokes, I ran into my tent, closed the entrance tightly. I refused to come out until it was over.”
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Only A Miracle Can Expose The Deepest Truth Moshe Rabbeinu challenges Korach. He tells all of Bnei Yisrael that if Hashem kills Korach in a miraculous way then, “Vidatem Ki Niatzu HaAnashim HaEileh Es Hashem; You will know that these people angered Hashem,” (Korach 16:30). Why do they need to die in a miraculous way? Wouldn’t it prove Moshe is right if they just die on the spot and he remains standing?
The Meshech Chochma explains that the tragedy of the whole fight was that Korach, Dasam, and Aviram who were all great people, knew that Moshe and Aharon were appointed by Hashem, and that everything Moshe did came from Hashem’s command. Had they truly believed otherwise, it would made the aveira less severe. Their gravest crime was that they told these lies simply as a way to ignite a rebellion among the people. It was the rest of Bnei Yisrael that was caught in this web, having bought into the lies that Korach spread.
Therefore Moshe does not tell the people that if Korach dies it will prove that Moshe is right. He tells the p,eople that if a great miracle occurs and these people suffer a horrific fate, it will prove, Ki Niatzu HaAnashim, that Korach knew the truth and did what he did simply to cause anger to Hashem. You don’t need a miracle to prove who is right, but you need a miracle to prove what is in the heart of a person.
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What Happened to Korach? A careful reading of the pasukim in this week’s parsha shows that it doesn’t mention Korach’s death explicitly only that of his group. The 250 people who joined Korach were burned to death. Dasan and Aviram were swallowed alive in the earth. What happened to Korach?
There is an opinion in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 110a) that Korach did not die with those who were burnt or those swallowed by the earth, but he actually died later in a plague. Another opinion says that Korach was both burnt and swallowed into the earth. When the 250 people began to bring their Ketores, Korach joined them, and was consumed by fire. He was standing near the pit, which opened up for Dasan and Aviram, and rolled in to the open mouth of the earth.
According to the latter opinion, the reason Korach received both punishments is, if he had only been burnt and not swallowed, Dasan and Aviram would have complained, “Why were we burnt as followers of Korach, while Korach himself was not?” If he would have been swallowed, but not burnt, the 250 people would have had a similar complaint. He, therefore, received both punishments.
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A Thousand Years Would Not Have Changed Korach Korach took Moshe up on his challenge to bring Kitores to see who is right. Rashis asks, “Was Korach a fool?” He answers that they were not fools but rather, “Chatu Al Nafshosam; They sinned on their souls.” What does this mean, and how does it answer the question?
The Iturei Torah brings in the name of the Chasam Sofer the rule in Hilchos Taaruvos, “Min BiMino Afilu BaElef Lo Batel’ Two like substances can not be mivatel each other no matter how small an amount is mixed with the other.” In a play on words of this Chazal– Min, an apikorus, BiMino, in his apikurses, Afilu BaElef Lo Batel, even in a thousand years will never change his position. This sentiment is brought in the Gemara (Avodah Zara 17).
Rashi tells us that Korach was not a fool. If he were, the challenge of the Kitores would have made him back down. Rather he was a Min, an apikores, and an Apikores never ever changes his mind, no matter what threat faces him.
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Dasan and Aviram’s Underground House “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their houses” Previously (16:27) it is stated that Dasan and Aviram went out and stood “Pesach Ahaleihem” – “at the entrance of their tents”. Why does it say that they were swallowed with their houses and not their tents?
R Shlomo Kluger answers, the difference between a tent (Ohel) and a house (Bayis) is that a tent is temporary and a house is permanent. The sojourn in the Midbar was a temporary stopover between Mitzrayim and Eretz Yisroel. Therefore, all the people lived in tents and were looking forward to their permanent residence in Eretz Yisroel. Now that the earth swallowed them, Korach and his people could no longer anticipate coming to Eretz Yisroel, and thus “Ohaleihem” – “their
tents” in which they temporarily dwelled, now became “Bateihem” – “their permanent houses” for a very long time.
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Created By Avrohom Sherman
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