Korah: An Argument

Human nature compels us to look for meaningful signals in the sands of the past. It is no different for Korach. The name has two meanings. One meaning of Korach is “ice.” It was not just the presence and words of Korach that was chilling as much as it was his cold and cruel attacks on Moses. The Talmud also sees the name Korach as relating to “bald.” When the land split and yawned open to swallow Korach and his cohorts the only thing left was an empty or bald patch of earth where nothing else could grow.

There are a number of fascinating insights that are revealed in the Mishna and Gemara regarding Korach.

1. The crevice of the earth that would engulf Korach was one of the last acts by God during the Creation. 1 As the sun began to set on the sixth day, just at twilight, God created the vast chasm that would only be needed thousands of years later.

Interpretation: God operates in the universe of the physical. He uses only what was crafted when the universe was born.
Interpretation: The Holy One knows the heart the potential of every individual. While He anticipates we always have a choice…

2. There are two kinds of controversy. One is for the sake of heaven; the other has nothing to do with heaven. The illustrations for the sides of such an argument are Hillel and Shammai and Korach and Moses. 2 Korach was not arguing for truth. His desire was far from noble; Korach was seeking power for himself while dethroning Moses. Hillel and Shammai, on the other hand, argued philosophy, interpretation, law and much more. Yet, these factions never reduced their disagreements to invective or tried to undermine the character of each other. They argued for God.

3. A long discussion of the punishment of Korach takes place in the Talmud. What happens to him in the narrative of the Torah is clear. What is less clear is what happens to Korach afterward. Was Korach doomed forever? Was he denied entry to the Universe Beyond? One opinion is that when the Torah states that the earth “sealed” itself after Korach, this means that he was gone forever. There was no eternal life for him. Another rabbi disagrees by saying that life-after-death is part of the ongoing promise of the Lord. No one is excluded. 3

4. Another commentator, Or HaChayim, stated that Korach went to Sheol. Sheol comes from the Hebrew, to ask or borrow. Korach went to a place, the Or HaChayim tells, where there was no death. Just eternal suffering. This is explained by Rabbah bar bar Hanah who told that once he was taken to the Sinai by a desert merchant to be shown the place where Korach disappeared. Bar bar Hanah says that he saw the crust of the earth rise and from deep inside the earth came billowing smoke. He claimed to have placed his ear close to the crack and heard, "Moses and his Torah are true; Korach and his band are deceivers." 4

Whatever is the ultimate historic truth we will never know. At the same time, the bald facts of the story point to the incontestable truth of the tale of Korach: We must be self-critical enough to always ask what is our motivation and endeavor to place love and respect before invective and hatred.








1 Avot 5:6
2 Avot 5:17
3 Sanhedrin 108-9
4 Bava Batra 74a