God did not gainsay satisfaction of His faithful servant. The mouth of
hell approached the spot upon which Dathan, Abiram, and their families
stood, [581] and the ground under their feet grew so precipitous that
they were not able to stand upright, but rolled to the opening and went
quickly into the pit. Not these wicked people alone were swallowed by
the earth, but their possessions also. Even their linen that was the
launderer's or a pin belonging to them rolled toward the mouth of the
earth and vanished therein. [582] Nowhere upon earth remained a trace
of them or of their possessions, and even their names disappeared from
the documents upon which they were written. [583] They did not,
however, meet an immediate death, but sank gradually into the earth,
the opening of which adjusted itself to the girth of each individual.
The lower extremities disappeared first, then the opening widened, and
the abdomen followed, until in this way the entire body was swallowed.
While they were sinking thus slowly and painfully, they continued to
cry: "Moses is truth and his Torah is truth. We acknowledge that Moses
is rightful king and true prophet, that Aaron is legitimate high
priest, and that the Torah has been given by God. Now deliver us, O our
teacher Moses!" These words were audible throughout the entire camp, so
that all might be convinced of the wickedness of Korah's undertaking.
[584]
Without regard to these followers of Korah, who were swallowed up by
the earth, the two hundred and fifty men who had offered incense with
Aaron found their death in the heavenly fire that came down upon their
offering and consumed them. But he who met with the most terrible form
of death was Korah. Consumed at the incense offering, he then rolled in
the shape of a ball of fire to the opening in the earth, and vanished.
There was a reason for this double punishment of Korah. Had he received
punishment by burning alone, then those who had been swallowed by the
earth, and who had failed to see Korah smitten by the same punishment,
would have complained about God's injustice, saying: "It was Korah who
plunged us into destruction, yet he himself escaped it." Had he, on the
other hand, been swallowed by the earth without meeting death by fire,
then those whom the fire had consumed would have complained about God
injustice that permitted the author of their destruction to go
unpunished. Now, however, both those who perished by fire and those who
were swallowed up by the earth witnessed their leader share their
punishment. [585]
This terrible death did not, however, suffice to atone for the sins of
Korah and his company, for their punishment continues in hell. They are
tortured in hell, and at the end of thirty days, hell again casts them
up near to the surface of the earth, on the spot where they had been
swallowed. Whosoever on that day puts his ear to the ground upon that
spot hears the cry. "Moses is truth, and his Torah is truth, but we are
liars." Not until after the Resurrection will their punishment cease,
for even in spite of their grave sin they were not given over to
eternal damnation.
For a time Korah and his company believed that they should never know
relief from these tortures of hell, but Hannah's words encouraged them
not to despair. In reference to them she announced the prophecy, "The
Lord bringeth low, to Sheol, and lifteth up." At first they had no real
faith in this prophecy, but when God destroyed the Temple, and sank its
portals deep into the earth until they reached hell, Korah and his
company clung to the portals, saying: "If these portals return again
upward, then through them shall we also return upward." God hereupon
appointed them as keepers of these portals over which they will have to
stand guard until they return to the upper world. [586]