W

hen we read the 
story of Korach, 
our attention 
tends to be focused on the 
rebels. We don’t give as much 
reflection as we might to 
the response 
of Moses. Was 
it right? Was it 
wrong?
It’s a 
complex story. 
As Ramban 
explains, it is 
no accident 
that the Korach rebellion 
happened in the aftermath 
of the story of the spies. So 
long as the people expected 
to enter the Promised Land, 
they stood to lose more 
than gain by challenging 
Moses’ leadership. He had 
successfully negotiated all 
obstacles in the past. He 
was their best hope. But as a 
result of the spies, that whole 
generation was condemned 
to die in the wilderness. Now 
they had nothing to lose. 
When people have nothing to 

lose, rebellions happen.
Next, the rebels themselves. 
It’s clear from the narrative 
that they were not a uniform 
or unified group. Malbim 
explains that there were three 
different groups, each with 
their own grievance and 
agenda.
First was Korach himself. 
Moses was the child of 
Kehat’s eldest son, Amram. 
As the child of Kehat’s 
second son, Yitzhar, Korach 
felt entitled to the second 
leadership role, that of High 
Priest.
Second were Datan and 
Aviram, who felt that they 
were entitled to leadership 
positions as descendants of 
Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.
Third were the 250 others, 
described by the Torah as 
“Princes of the Assembly, 
famous in the congregation, 
men of renown.” Either 
they felt they had earned 
the right to be leaders on 
meritocratic grounds, or 
— Ibn Ezra’s suggestion — 

they were firstborn who 
resented the fact that the 
role of ministering to God 
was taken from the firstborn 
and given to the Levites after 
the sin of the Golden Calf. 
A coalition of the differently 
discontented: that is how 
rebellions tend to start.

MOSES’ REACTION
What was Moses’ reaction? 
His first response is to 
propose a simple, decisive 
test: Let everyone bring an 
offering of incense and let 
God decide whose to accept. 
But the derisive, insolent 
response of Datan and 
Aviram seems to unnerve 
him. He turns to God and 
says: “Do not accept their 
offering. I have not taken 
so much as a donkey from 
them, nor have I wronged 
any of them.” (Num. 16:15)
But they had not said 
that he had. That is the first 
discordant note.
God then threatens 
to punish the whole 

congregation. Moses and 
Aaron intercede on their 
behalf. God tells Moses to 
separate the community 
from the rebels so that they 
will not be caught up in the 
punishment, which Moses 
does. 
But he then does 
something unprecedented. 
He says: “This is how you 
will know that the Lord has 
sent me to do all these things 
and that it was not my idea: 
If these men die a natural 
death and suffer the fate of 
all mankind, then the Lord 
has not sent me. But if the 
Lord brings about something 
totally new, and the earth 
opens its mouth and swallows 
them, with everything that 
belongs to them, and they go 
down alive into the realm of 
the dead, then you will know 
that these men have treated 
the Lord with contempt.” 
(Num. 16:28-30)
This was the only time 
Moses asked God to punish 
someone, and the only 

Taking It Personally

Rabbi Lord 
Jonathan 
Sacks

SPIRIT
A WORD OF TORAH

36 | JULY 4 • 2024