The Sons of Korach

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The Sons Who Survived

TANAKH

Despite their father's rebellion against Moses, the sons of Korach were spared. The Book of Numbers recounts the rebellion led by Korach and the miraculous survival of his sons.

The sons of Korah, however, did not die.

Numbers 26:11

The Repentance of Korah's Descendants

MIDRASH

Midrash Tehilim describes the Sons of Korach, who, despite their father's rebellion, repented and became prophets. Their story illustrates the importance of expressing one's inner thoughts and feelings, as they ultimately found their voice to honor the King, symbolizing redemption and the potential for transformation through repentance.

My heart whispers good things. To inform you that they could not confess with their mouths until their hearts whispered in repentance and the Lord accepted them. Similarly, it says in Chronicles I 28:9, "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever." And all thoughts are only said in the heart, as it says in the same verse, "and every inclination of thoughts…

Midrash Tehillim 45:4

Songs of Praise from the Depths

TALMUD

The vivid description of the experience in Hell, including the recitation of songs of praise, offers a unique perspective on repentance and divine justice. The Talmudic tractate Sanhedrin, particularly the last chapter known as 'perek chelek,' discusses the World to Come and includes a baraita about this experience.

With regard to the verse: “And the sons of Korah did not die” (Numbers 26:11), it is taught in a baraita that in the name of our teacher, the Sages said: A place was fortified for them in Gehenna and they sat upon it and recited songs of praise. Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: One time I was walking on the path, and a certain Arab said to me: Come and I will show you those from the assembly of Korah who were swallowed. I went and I saw two fissures in the ground from which smoke was emerging…

Sanhedrin 110a:17

The Sons Who Did Not Belong

COMMENTARY

The sons of Korach did not perish because they did not align themselves with their father's rebellion. Sforno, a 16th-century Italian rabbi, explains the significance of individual responsibility and spiritual alignment in the story of Korach's sons.

כל האדם אשר לקרח, all the people who had made common cause with Korach in this rebellion. Seeing that this is the meaning of the these words, we need not be surprised to be told that Korach’s sons did not die, as they did not “belong” to their father spiritually or philosophically.

Sforno on Numbers 16:32:2

The Songs of Korach’s Sons

COMMENTARY

The transformative power of repentance and song can reopen and redeem even the most closed narratives. The Psalms attributed to the sons of Korach, who were spared during Korach's rebellion, symbolize themes of repentance and redemption.

The songs of Korach’s sons are there in the Psalms for all to read. Some, particularly Psalm 88, record the very experience of those whose voices survive to register their own redemption. Repentance and song are forces that reopen the most closed of narratives.

Moses; A Human Life, 4 Moses in the Family; Mirrors and Foils 135

The Redemption of Korach's Descendants

MUSAR

Korach's descendants faced a moral and spiritual dilemma, ultimately choosing repentance and righteousness over their father's rebellion. In Shemirat HaLashon, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (the Chafetz Chaim) uses their story to illustrate the power of righteous behavior and repentance.

As we find with the sons of Korach, that because they were not drawn after their father, even though this caused him great shame, they escaped his fate. As we find in Yalkut Parshath Korach: "This is as Scripture writes (Psalms 1:1): 'Happy is the man' — the sons of Korach; 'who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked' — who did not walk in the counsel of their father, as it is written (Numbers 16:26): 'Depart now from the tents of these wicked men'; 'and in the way of sinners they did not stand,' as it is written (Numbers 17:3): 'the censers of these sinners…

Shemirat HaLashon, Book I, The Gate of Remembering 17:5

The Mystical Songs of Ancient Wisdom

KABBALAH

These songs contain a 'secret of wisdom' that connects them to ancient and divine wisdom. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, offers mystical interpretations of the songs recited by Korach's sons.

Jacob thus did not wish to stay and transgress the command of his Master.’ R. Abba further discoursed on the verse: For the Leader; of the sons of Korah, upon Alamoth. A song (Ps. 46, 1). ‘This verse,’ he said, ‘if properly considered, will be found to contain a deep mystical allusion. And, indeed, all the songs and hymns sung by the sons of Korah were ancient songs and hymns sung anew; and all the songs and hymns sung by David and his associates contain deep allusions of wisdom.

Zohar, Vayetzei 25:253

Legacy of Korach's Sons

TANAKH

The musical and poetic contributions of the sons of Korach are a significant part of Jewish liturgy. The Psalms attributed to the sons of Korach include contemplative and instructive poems, such as a love song for the leader.

For the leader; on shoshannim. Of the Korahites. A maskil. A love song.

Psalms 45:1

The Mystery of the Levitical Singers

COMMENTARY

The song attributed to a group of Levitical singers might have been composed by someone else and given to them to sing. Psalms 42, traditionally attributed to King David, is often recited during times of distress and longing for God's presence.

For the chief musician, a contemplation, by the sons of Korah. An alternative translation is “for the sons of Korah,” meaning that the song was composed by someone else and given to them to sing.

Steinsaltz on Psalms 42:1

Sacred Songs of Mourning

LITURGY

The psalms composed by the sons of Korach are integral to Jewish mourning practices, offering sacred songs and praises. This psalm, recited in the house of a mourner during morning prayers, provides comfort and reflection through its sacred verses.

a psalm by the sons of Korach.

Weekday Siddur Sefard Linear, The Morning Prayers, Psalm in the House of a Mourner 4

Voices of Praise by Korah

TANAKH

The Levites, particularly the sons of Korah, played a significant role in praising God with loud voices. The book of II Chronicles recounts the history of the Jewish people, focusing on the kings of Judah and highlighting the contributions of the Levites.

Levites of the sons of Kohath and of the sons of Korah got up to extol the LORD God of Israel at the top of their voices.

II Chronicles 20:19

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