Korah and Tassels.x

(1) (Numb. 16:1:) NOW KORAH < … > TOOK. What is written above on the matter (in Numb. 15:37–38)?⁵Tanh., Numb. 5:2; Numb. R. 18:3. <THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING:> SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [AND TELL THEM] TO MAKE TASSELS FOR THEMSELVES. Korah said to Moses our Master: Moses, in the case of a prayer shawl (tallit) which is all blue, what is the rule about it being exempt from <having> the tassel? Moses said to him: <Such a prayer shawl> is required to have the tassel. Korah said to him: Would not a prayer shawl which is all blue exempt itself, when four <blue> threads exempt it? In the case of a house which is full of <scriptural> books, what is the rule about it being exempt it from <having> the mezuzah (which contains only two passages of Scripture)? <Moses> said to him: <Such a house> is required to have the mezuzah. <Korah> said to him: Since the whole Torah has two hundred and seventy-five parashot in it,⁶Cf. yShab. 16:1 (15c); Soferim 16:10; M. Pss. 22:19, according to which there are 175 parashot in the Torah where an expression of speaking, saying, or commanding occurs. See also Alfa Beta deRabbi ‘Aqiva, longer recension, Tsade (Eisenstein, p. 421). and they do not exempt the house <from having the mezuzah>, would the two parashot which are in the mezuzah exempt the house? <He also> said to him: These are things about which you have not been commanded. Rather you are inventing them <by taking them> out of your own heart. Here is what is written (in Numb. 16:1): <NOW KORAH … > TOOK.

(1) (Numb. 16:19): AND KORAH GATHERED THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AGAINST THEM. He said to them (in Numb. 16:3): YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR, FOR ALL THE CONGREGATION ARE HOLY, EVERY ONE OF THEM, [AND THE LORD IS IN THE MIDST OF THEM].

Moreover, every one of them heard on Sinai (in Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6): I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. (Numb. 16:3, cont.:) SO WHY DO YOU ELEVATE YOURSELVES?

(2) Another interpretation (of Numb. 16:5): IN THE MORNING. Moses said: the Holy One has distinguished boundaries for those in his world. Can you confuse morning with evening? And that is what is written in the beginning (in Gen. 1:5): THERE WAS EVENING AND THERE WAS MORNING. AND (in vs. 4) GOD SEPARATED THE LIGHT AND THE DARKNESS, as a service to the world. And just as he made a separation between the light and the darkness, so did he separate Israel from the nations, [as stated] (in Lev. 20:26): I HAVE SEPARATED YOU FROM THE <OTHER> PEOPLES <TO BE MINE>. So also did he separate Aaron, [as stated (in I Chron. 23:13): AARON WAS SEPARATED] TO CONSECRATE THE MOST HOLY THINGS, HE AND HIS SONS <FOREVER>. If you can confuse those distinctions in which he made a separation between the day and the night, you may be able to nullify this. For this reason he said to them (in Numb. 16:5): IN THE MORNING THE LORD WILL MAKE KNOWN THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM. Such a one is already designated. (According to ibid., end) THE ONE WHOM HE WILL CHOOSE HE WILL HAVE DRAW NEAR UNTO HIM.

(1) (Numb. 16:6–7:) DO THIS: TAKE CENSERS, [KORAH AND ALL HIS (sic) COMPANY]; AND PUT FIRE IN THEM. What was his reason for saying this to them?

He said to them: In the religions of those who serve stars there are many idols, many laws. and many idol priests. Do they all assemble in one house? Now as for me, I only have one God, one Torah, one justice, one altar, and one high priest; but you two hundred and fifty men are seeking high priesthood! I also am willing in this regard. (Numb. 16:11:)

(1) When Moses said (in Numb. 15:38): AND PUT ON THE TASSEL OF EACH CORNER A THREAD OF BLUE, what did he do? He immediately ordered them to make two hundred and fifty blue shawls for those two hundred and fifty heads of sanhedria who rose up against Moses to wrap themselves in, just as it is stated (in Numb. 16:2): AND THEY ROSE UP AGAINST MOSES, [TOGETHER WITH MEN FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY <PRINCES OF THE CONGREGATION>….] Korah arose and made them a banquet at which they all wrapped themselves themselves in blue prayer shawls. <When> Aaron's sons came to receive their dues, <namely> breast and right thigh,⁷I.e., the priestly share of the animals slaughtered for the feast. See Lev.7:31-32. they arose against them and said to them: Who commanded you to receive such? <The priests> said: Moses. <Korah's group> replied and said: We shall not give you anything, because the Holy One has not commanded it.

Korah argued that there is no hierarchy in Israel, since God is among them, i.e., God dwells within them all equally, as it says in the midrash: In the Messianic age God will invite all the righteous to dance, and dance is in a circle, i.e., where no one is closer [to God at the center] than anyone else. Now, Korah argued that this is the case now as well! [my translation]