The Canaanites were not the only ones who did not enjoy their wealth
and money, for a similar fate was decreed for Korah. He had been the
treasurer of Pharaoh, and possessed treasures so vast that he employed
three hundred white mules to carry the keys of his treasures: but "let
not the rich man boast of his riches," for Korah through his sin lost
both life and property. Korah had obtained possession of his riches in
the following way: When Joseph, during the lean years, through the sale
of grain amassed great treasures, he erected three great buildings, one
hundred cubits wide, one hundred cubits long, and one hundred cubits
wide, one hundred high, filled them with money and delivered them to
Pharaoh, being too honest to leave even five silver shekels of this
money to his children. Korah discovered one of these three treasuries.
On account of his wealth he became proud, and his pride brought about
his fall. [560] He believed Moses had slighted him by appointing his
cousin Elizaphan as chief of the Levite division of Kohathites. He
said: "My grandfather had four sons, Amram, Ishar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Amram, as the firstborn, had privileges of which his sons availed
themselves, for Aaron is high priest and Moses is king; but have not I,
the son of Izhar, the second son of Kohath, the rightful claim to be
prince of the Kohathites? Moses, however, passed me by and appointed
Elizaphan, whose father was Uzziel, the youngest son of my grandfather.
Therefore will I now stir up rebellion against Moses, and overthrow all
institutions founded by him." Korah was far too wise a man to believe
that God would permit success to a rebellion against Moses, and stand
by indifferently, but the very insight that enabled him to look into
the future became his doom. He saw with his prophetic eye that Samuel,
a man as great as both Aaron and Moses together, would be one of his
descendants; and furthermore that twenty-four descendants of his,
inspired by the Holy Spirit, would compose psalms and sing them in the
Temple. This brilliant future of his descendants inspired him with
great confidence in his undertaking, for he thought to himself that God
would not permit the father of such pious men to perish. His eye did
not, however, look sharply enough into the future, or else he would
also have known that his sons would repent of the rebellion against
Moses, and would for this reason be deemed worthy of becoming the
fathers of prophets and Temple singers, whereas he was to perish in
this rebellion. [561]
The names of this unfortunate rebel corresponded to his deed and to his
end. He was called Korah, "baldness," for through the death of his
horde he caused a baldness in Israel. He was the son of Izhar, "the
heat of the noon," because he caused the earth to be made to boil "like
the heat of noon;" and furthermore he was designated as the son of
Kohath, for Kohath signifies "bluntness," and through his sin he made
"his children's teeth be set on edge." His description as the son of
Levi, "conduct," points to his end, for he was conducted to hell. [562]
Korah, however, was not the only one who strove to overthrow Moses.
With him were, first of all, the Reubenites, Dathan and Abiram, who
well deserve their names, for the one signifies, "transgressor of the
Divine law," and the other, "the obdurate." There were, furthermore,
two hundred fifty men, who by their rank and influence belonged to the
most prominent people in Israel; among them even the princes of the
tribes. In the union of the Reubenites with Korah was verified the
proverb, "Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor." For Korah, one of
the sons of Kohath, had his station to the south of the Tabernacle, and
as the Reubenites were also encamped there, a friendship was struck up
between them, so that they followed him in his undertaking against
Moses. [563]
The hatred Korah felt against Moses was still more kindled by his wife.
When, after the consecration of the Levites, Korah returned home, his
wife noticed that the hairs of his head and of his body had been
shaved, and asked him who had done all this to him. He answered,
"Moses," whereupon his wife remarked: "Moses hates thee and did this to
disgrace thee." Korah, however, replied: "Moses shaved all the hair of
his own sons also." But she said: "What did the disgrace of his own
sons matter to him if he only felt he could disgrace thee? He was quite
ready to make that sacrifice." [564] As at home, so also did Korah fare
with others, for, hairless as he was, no one at first recognized him,
and when people at last discovered who was before them, they asked him
in astonishment who had so disfigured him. In answer to their inquiries
he said, "Moses did this, who besides took hold of my hands and feet to
lift me, and after he had lifted me, said, 'Thou art clean.' But his
brother Aaron he adorned like a bride, and bade him take his place in
the Tabernacle." Embittered by what they considered as insult offered
him by Moses, Korah and his people exclaimed: "Moses is king, his
brother did he appoint as high priest, his nephews as heads of the
priests, he allots to the priest the heave offering and many other
tributes." [565] Then he tried to make Moses appear ridiculous in the
eyes of the people. Shortly before this Moses had read to the people
the law of the fringes in the borders of their garments. Korah now had
garments of purple made for the two hundred fifty men that followed
him, all of whom were chief justices. Arrayed thus, Korah and his
company appeared before Moses and asked him if they were required to
attach fringes to the corners of these garments. Moses answered, "Yea."
Korah then began this argument. "If," said he, "one fringe of purple
suffices to fulfil this commandment, should not a whole garment of
purple answered the requirements of the law, even if there be no
special fringe of purple in the corners?" He continued to lay before
Moses similar artful questions: "Must a Mezuzah be attached to the
doorpost of the house filled with the sacred Books?" Moses answered,
"Yea," Then Korah said: "The two hundred and seventy sections of the
Torah are not sufficient, whereas the two sections attached to the
door-post suffice!" Korah put still another question: "If upon a man's
skin there show a bright spot, the size of half a bean, is he clean or
is he unclean?" Moses: "Unclean." "And," continued Korah, "if the spot
spread and cover all the skin of him, is he then clean or unclean?"
Moses: "Clean." "Laws so irrational," said Korah, "cannot possibly
trace their origin from God. The Torah that thou didst teach to Israel
is not therefore God's work, but thy work, hence art thou no prophet
and Aaron is no high priest!" [566]