One verse, five voices. Edited by Nina Litvak and Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist
The Lord spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to the congregation saying, ‘Withdraw from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”
– Num. 16:23-24
Gilla Nissan
Teacher, Poet, Author and Essayist
Korach was, in many ways, the first democrat. A Levite from Moses’ own tribe, he had fame, wealth, and strong lineage — yichus. But he lacked understanding of spiritual hierarchy. He believed that since all are holy, leadership shouldn’t belong exclusively to Moses’ family. “This isn’t a family business!” he argued.
I can’t write about this story as if it belongs only to the past. Like many stories in the Torah, it speaks powerfully to the present — especially in Israel today.
When challenged, Moses had no answer of his own — so God responded. And it was a strange response: the earth herself, witness to Truth since creation, opened her mouth and swallowed this radical ideology — an ideology that tried to distort and erase divine order. This story reminds us that true leadership belongs not to us, but to the Leader of the World. I had to teach myself to accept this. It wasn’t easy — but Truth is more important than comfort.
When I see questionable leaders rise to power, I remind myself: if they are there, they must be serving something in the divine scheme. I ask, What does this serve? I remind myself that there is a larger picture I cannot see. And I accept it — with faith. But this is not a call to passivity or fatalism. It’s a call to humility, discernment and trust — that Truth will stand, even when the ground seems to tremble beneath our feet.
Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky
Ansche Chesed, New York City
Like Sherlock Holmes, our Sages always notice the “dog that didn’t bark.” They are attentive when something expected is absent. In our verse, God warns the people to shun the tents of Korach, Datan and Aviram. But one of the original conspirators, On ben Pelet, is missing from the list. What happened to him?
To explain this unexpected silence, the Talmudic sage Rav wove a charming legend about how On’s wife prompted him to repent, while Korach’s wife egged her husband on. These characters, unmentioned in the Torah, are said to illustrate Proverbs 14:1: “Women’s wisdom builds a house” — that is Ms. On — “but if she is foolish, she destroys it” — that is Ms. Korach [Sanhedrin 109b-110a].
Ms. On’s argument is not noble. She reminds On that whether Moses or Korach prevails, he would still only be middle management, so what would he get out of rebelling? Spiritually and morally, I would prefer that she inspired On to choose Moses over Korach by persuading him that communal holiness is worthier than self-aggrandizement. But, fine.
Still, I appreciate how this midrash undermines the rigid good/evil binary that dominates the main narrative. We hear of good Israelites shunning wicked mutineers, who are doomed to be obliterated. That’s definitely good counsel. But let’s also pay attention to the story of On, a person with bad instincts that led him astray, and good instincts that helped him turn around in time. And enough good sense to listen to his wife.
Rabbi Barry J. Chesler
School Rabbi, Jewish Studies Faculty, Schechter School of Long Island
The parsha identifies Korah, Dathan, Aviram and On as the principal rebels against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Korach represents the other Levitical families with a claim to leadership, while the other three are descendants of Reuben, Jacob’s first-born.
The rabbis consider Korah a demagogue. Demagogues are often spell-binding orators, using words and speaking ability as weapons. They succeed when people concentrate more on their speaking than on their speech, more on cadence than reasoned argument. The demagogue’s power, though, comes from without, from the consent of the listeners.
In order to defeat the demagogue, he must be isolated. We might lock them up as we do with criminals sentenced to prison. There is exile, as with Napoleon. Or, as in our parsha, death. Alternatively, consent can be withdrawn.
Before God punishes the demagogues in our parsha, he instructs the people: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the community and say: ‘Withdraw from about the abodes of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”
The simple explanation is that the people must leave the danger zone so they are not swept away with the guilty. By stepping away, the people demonstrate devotion to God with a concrete action. The larger truth is that sometimes we must first step back in order to go forward. By stepping back, the people show that the demagogue no longer has power over them. Now powerless, he is subject to the divine punishment. Only then is God’s order restored.
Dr. Sheila Tuller Keiter
Judaic Studies Faculty, Shalhevet High School
I’ve wondered when Table for Five would finally ask us to interpret “And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying,” and today is that day! Yes, there’s more here than just that ubiquitous phrase. Still, the repetition of the word leimor, or “saying,” invites examination. Leimor appears throughout the Torah, but what does it actually mean?
The term leimor usually introduces a direct quote. ”Hashem spoke to Moshe, and this is what He said,” so to speak (pun always intended). Ramban, aka Nachmanides (13th century), notes that many of the classical commentators understood leimor more literally as “to say.” In other words (pun again), Hashem spoke to Moshe to say the following words to Israel.
Ramban, however, rejects this contention. He understands leimor as “to instruct clearly.” Hashem is not commanding Moshe to repeat His words verbatim but to convey their intention with clarity to the people, not through metaphor or innuendo, but with unmistakable meaning. Here, Hashem needs to clearly instruct the people to distance themselves from the rebels lest they share their fate; crucial, life-saving information not to be misconstrued. Stay away and do not fall for their deception.
Israel had to see through Korach’s twisted words. Today we must navigate slant, spin, euphemism, Newspeak, code-switching, dog-whistles, slang, jargon, equivocation, outright lies and even scared silence. A healthy society must be able to share ideas in forthright terms, and healthy relationships are built upon open and honest communication. Say what you mean and mean what you say. I’m just saying.
Aliza Lipkin
Writer and Educator, Ma’aleh Adumim, Israel
Korach, a Levite, felt entitled to the priesthood, which G-d designated for Aaron’s lineage. He rallied Datan and Aviram from the tribe of Reuven, along with 250 leaders, to challenge Moshe and Aaron’s authority.
Korach led a protest, claiming Moshe and Aaron elevated themselves above the community, which he argued was equally holy. His intentions were purely ego-driven and selfish, using deceit to amass a following and seize power.
Moshe, dismayed, proposed a test: the rebels and Aaron would offer incense the next day to reveal God’s chosen leader. Meanwhile, Hashem instructed Moshe and Aaron to tell the congregation, “Separate yourselves from the dwellings of Korach, Datan and Aviram.” Manipulated by Korach, the nation believed their cause served the greater good. God urged the people to distance themselves from Korach’s influence, emphasizing that only by removing themselves from his trappings could they achieve moral and spiritual clarity.
This lesson resonates today as well-intentioned individuals become entangled in causes that appear just but conceal nefarious motives. To remedy this, people must step away from these deceptive circles. Such distance provides the perspective needed to discern what is truly holy. Like the Israelites, we must recognize and reject the allure of crafty bad actors, ensuring our actions align with divine truth and moral integrity.
