ואנשים מבני ישראל. ומי הם אליצור בן שדיאור וחביריו ואע"פ שלא פרסמן הכתוב נתן בהם סימנין כתיב הכא ואנשים מבני ישראל וכתיב התם האנשים האלה אשר נקבו בשמות כתיב הכא נשיאי עדה קריאי מועד וכתיב התם אלה קריאי העדה נשיאי מטות. משל לבן טובים שנמצא גונב כלים בבית המרחץ ולא היה בעל הגנבה רוצה לפרסמו התחיל נותן בו סימנין אמרו לו מי גנב כליך אומר להם בן טובים שהוא בעל קומה ועיניו נאות ושערו שחור וקווצותיו תלתלים וחוטמו זקוף משנתן הסימנין הללו הכירוהו אף כאן אע"פ שסתמן הכתוב על ידי הסימנין אתה יודע מי הם ובא וראה כמה קשה המחלוקת שב"ד שלמעלה אין עונשין עד שיהא בן עשרים ושלמטה מי"ג וכאן נענשו אפי' יונקי שדים כדכתיב הם ובניהם וטפם וכן אמרו גדול השלום שאפי' הקב"ה שינה בו כדפרשי' לעיל: ואנשים מבני ישראל חמשים ומתים, “and two hundred and fifty of the elite of the Children of Israel.” Who were the men whom the Torah referred to here as the “elite” of the nation? They were Elitzur ben Shdeyur, the leader of the tribe of Reuven and his companions. Even though the Torah did not name them here, it provided us with hints to their identity. We find the expression: ואנשים מבני ישראל, “and distinguished men from among the Children of Israel,” (Numbers 1,17) They appear here in 16,2 again almost referred to in identical terms. Our sages explain this in a parable. When a person up to that time respected for his absolute integrity, was found having stolen something in the public bath, and the owner of the stolen object did not want to embarrass the thief, he started throwing out hints, such as asking the thief: “who stole your robe?” He assumed that a person of high repute would realise that it was he who was referred to, and after the owner describing the thief in detail without mentioning his name, would give him a chance to return the stolen object, making some excuse. The Torah did something similar here by not referring to these rebels by name. (Tanchuma, section 2 on this portion) If you needed proof how serious the sin of Korach and his followers was, consider that as a rule the heavenly tribunal does not judge someone guilty until he reaches the age of 20, as we know from Yishmael in Genesis 21,17 where his prayer was accepted although he was already 16 or 17 at the time, whereas human tribunals hold people accountable already from the age of 13. In this instance, where Korach and followers were judged by a heavenly tribunal, even their infants were punished alongside their parents. The Talmud in tractate Baba Metzia, folio 87, learns from this that maintaining peace between human beings is so important that those who destroy it are judged and punished immediately regardless of age. (Compare author’s commentary on Genesis 18,13).